Munson Clinic Marks World AIDS Day with Free Community Events

Munson Healthcare’s Thomas Judd Care Center announced on Nov. 25 that it will observe World AIDS Day with two public events aimed at expanding access to testing and support services in Grand Traverse County. The first event is a free screening of Wicked For Good on Nov. 30 at AMC Cherry Blossom 14 in Traverse City. The second event is an open house at the expanded Thomas Judd Care Center clinic at the Foster Family Community Health Center, located at 550 Munson Ave., Suite 202, on Dec. 1 from 3 to 6 p.m.

The center provides free HIV testing, prevention resources and medical case management, and the announcement emphasized outreach and testing as primary tools for preventing new infections. For local residents who face transportation, stigma or financial barriers to care, the events are intended to lower those barriers and connect people with timely services.

Bringing the clinic into the Foster Family Community Health Center expands visibility and creates more points of entry for people seeking testing or ongoing care. Local public health officials say efforts that pair community events with accessible services can help identify infections earlier and link people to treatment, which improves individual health outcomes and reduces transmission in the community.

The events also have implications for health equity in Grand Traverse County. Free testing and prevention resources are particularly important for residents with limited insurance coverage, irregular work schedules or who live in outlying townships where specialized services are less available. Increasing outreach and normalizing testing through community activities can reduce stigma and encourage neighbors to seek care without fear of judgment.

Munson’s release notes that contact information and additional details are available on the Munson Healthcare website at https://www.munsonhealthcare.org/about-the-system/news-media-relations/news/thomas-judd-care-center-celebrates-world-aids-day-open. As World AIDS Day prompts renewed attention to prevention and care, these local events aim to strengthen community connections, improve access to services and support public health efforts to reduce HIV in the region.