Celebration reflects on a decade of excellence in serving the LGBTQIA2S+ community
The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness, a welcoming space that brings quality community healthcare providers and LGBTQ+ support organizations together under one roof, is excited to announce its ten-year anniversary celebration, marking a decade of service to the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
The Parsons Center is home to Southwest Center, Arizona’s home for affordable, affirming, and inclusive health and wellness services for those who have faced discrimination in healthcare, such as LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, people of color, those affected by HIV, and the uninsured and underinsured; Valleywise Community Health Center, an HIV specialty clinic; one n ten, an agency that delivers programs that promote self‐expression, self‐acceptance, leadership development, and healthy life choice for LGBTQ youth ages 11-24; and Genoa Healthcare, which provides hands-on, personal pharmacy services.
The Parsons Center, named to recognize the generous support of the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation, was established through a partnership between Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS (formerly Phoenix Body Positive), Maricopa County, and voter-approved funding from the City of Phoenix 2006 General Obligation Bond. After years of collaboration and planning, The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness opened in 2013 in the Channel 12 Broadcast Television building, formerly known as the Gannett building in downtown Phoenix.
The project empowered a coalition of providers to create a safe, inclusive space to deliver services that will help people live longer, healthier lives and combat the stigma and misunderstanding that surrounds HIV/AIDS. Through continued bias, stigmas, and lack of protection towards the millions of individuals in the United States who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ create barriers for those seeking access to health care, the Parsons Center provides services and hope for individuals seeking quality, compassionate care.
We are proud to provide an inclusive space for the communities we serve. Join us in commemorating a decade of promoting wellness and health. We value your participation and would love to hear from you! Share your story on how access to the Parsons Center has impacted your well-being.
Please email us at marketing@swcenter.org or tag us on social media.
Southwest Center Executive Director, Jessyca Leach, and Phoenix Body Positive Founder, Kirk Baxter