Philadelphia Hospital Honors Staff For Rapid HIV Testing Program
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children has honored the doctors and staff members who have implemented a hospital-wide HIV testing program for patients.
Dozens of so-called champions and pioneers were awarded plaques for taking part in a program launched by Dr. Jill Foster 10 years ago; a rapid HIV test in which people could get same-day results.
"We did it that way for about three or four years and then started thinking that this would also be a great thing to do in healthcare institutions [where] people could come in and, as part of the routine care of even a sprained ankle or heart attack, get a HIV test and have the result right there before they even left," says Dr. Foster.
Last year St. Christopher's became one of the first hospitals in Pennsylvania to establish the program.
