Warm-Hearted HIV Care
Warm-Hearted HIV Care
Primary Care and Advanced HIV Care Under One Roof
HIV is an intellectual challenge. Treatment decisions may be very challenging. . . There is a great deal to keep up with and a great deal to interpret and integrate into clinical usefulness in this field, which requires a physician not only with high intellectual cognitive skills, but with the commitment to his or her profession and patients to fully utilize these skills to bring about the best results. |
Each year, Dr. Benson attends AIDS conferences around the world to learn more about how AIDS is being treated. In 2014, he attended the
20th World AIDS Conference in Australia. He reported then that, "It's
getting better and the cure is in sight. Who would have thought that a few years ago?"
|
There are only a small number of doctors in the Detroit area who specialize in providing HIV care, and only a handful of these doctors provide primary medical care along with advanced HIV care. Dr. Paul Benson and the Be Well Medical Center are among this small, specialized group.
Why Choose the Be Well Medical Center?
Selecting a physician can be a difficult decision, especially for someone with a chronic illness like HIV. Certainly you will want a physician who is dedicated to keeping up to date on all relevant information about HIV, who has keen diagnostic abilities to contend with the challenging and masquerading spectrum of illnesses that HIV can cause, and who is accessible when needed in times of crisis. In addition, you will want a physician who does not overlook the human side of medicine, one who has a compassionate demeanor, manifests empathy, possesses personable communication skills, and is supported by a congenial office staff.
We believe the Be Well Medical Center embodies these values and deserves to be considered when you are choosing a health care provider for your HIV care.
HIV is an intellectual challenge. Treatment decisions may be very challenging, as recommendations and guidelines continuously change due to newer published scientific data. Or at a given time there may be no consensus recommendations and guidelines due to incomplete evidence. There is a great deal to keep up with and a great deal to interpret and integrate into clinical usefulness in this field, which requires a physician not only with high intellectual cognitive skills, but with the commitment to his or her profession and patients to fully utilize these skills to bring about the best results.
Dr. Benson’s qualifications and dedication in this area are undeniable. HIV care became a major part of his family practice shortly after he opened his first medical office in 1980 and has remained so ever since. He is board certified in Family Medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, is credentialed as an HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine, has served on the Board of Directors of the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project since its inception, and is a member in good standing of the American Osteopathic Association, The Michigan Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, and the Oakland County Osteopathic Association.
He dedicates a large portion of his study time to reading HIV journal articles, making sure to keep up on all the latest research. (The Be Well Medical Center also participates directly in this research through its clinical research trials.) He has attended numerous national and international conferences on HIV care, including the annual International AIDS Conference, the largest regularly held conference on any global health issue in the world. In this way, he keeps abreast of all the current treatment trends in HIV care.
He is able to access the country’s leading HIV clinicians and researchers through the networks he has formed and the connections he has made.
Over the years he has lectured to thousands of doctors and medical students, as well as to the general public in the community, on “The Role of the Family Physician in HIV” and other HIV-related topics.
His caring approach to HIV patients is a holistic one developed during his osteopathic training that incorporates all he has learned over the course of several decades not only about HIV care specifically but about the fundamental concepts of primary and family care. Providing the very best HIV care requires a great deal from a physician, but he has always been more than willing to rise to the challenge, deriving great satisfaction from knowing that he has been able to comfort and help his patients, and to respect and appreciate his patients’ dignity and preserve their ability to guide their own destiny.
Crucially, he has chosen the personnel and shaped the philosophy of the Be Well Medical Center to ensure that his approach to cutting edge, warmhearted HIV care is embodied in the practice as a whole.
Be Well uses a comprehensive team approach to provide optimum care. This may require the use of both resources from within the practice and external resources, all coordinated by Dr. Benson as your primary care provider.
Be Well’s internal resources include dedicated healthcare providers, case managers, a full-time social worker, and other staff, all committed to supporting your medical, social, and emotional needs. We also conduct clinical research studies that you may choose to participate in, which give our patients access to promising treatments not yet available to the general public.
The external resources that Be Well can call upon include physician specialists from several medical disciplines who have experience with the complex clinical conditions that can be brought about by HIV, home care providers, nutritional counselors, and social service providers. Any such external resources are chosen on the basis of Dr. Benson’s decades of experience and knowledge and not on any financial inducement. We always welcome feedback—whether favorable or unfavorable—on any of these resources so that our decisions of whom to include in the care of future patients can be as informed as possible.
At Be Well, we believe that your doctor and medical staff should act as your advocate and friend in dealing with what can for many patients feel like a forbidding and intimidatingly complex healthcare system, and provide you with the most up to date information needed to make informed decisions about your care. We respect patient autonomy and empowerment. Decisions about your care are not to be made for you but by you, with Be Well providing information and support. Patient involvement in the decision making process is a key element to a satisfactory clinical response and maintaining the best health possible, particularly in regards to utilizing and selecting antiretroviral medications.
Patient empowerment means not only that your medical team should not exercise undue control and influence over your treatment decisions, but that others, such as family and friends, also should not.
Becoming empowered about your health and life means developing a decision making process which encompasses your beliefs and feelings about different therapy options. Healthcare providers should appreciate well-informed patients who bring new information and ideas to their attention. Respect for different philosophies is essential. Your healthcare team needs to be flexible enough to present variable approaches to you.
Patient autonomy and empowerment entails that care be individualized to the patient, not administered top-down in a one-size-fits-all manner. What works for one person may not work for you. This is true for any disease and especially HIV. There may be many treatment options available to you, and many factors to consider in deciding which is best for you. Here are examples of a few such options and factors; you will learn more about these and other considerations through your discussions with the members of your healthcare team coordinated by Be Well:
Dealing With a Diagnosis
Many patients who are diagnosed with HIV or an HIV-related condition understandably react with fear, anxiety, or depression. It can be devastating news to hear.
It is an emotional situation that is generally not best to face alone. You’ll likely benefit from sharing your emotional turmoil with family, friends, or a trained counselor.
We also want you to remember to consider us at Be Well to be your friends who wish to provide you not only with the best healthcare for your needs, but also with the emotional support that can be every bit as crucial. Please allow us to help manage your burden. We have a full-time social worker on staff, and can guide you to many excellent support organizations in the community. We often facilitate patient meetings in a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere that allow patients to help and support each other through sharing experiences, discussing what they’ve learned, and asking and answering questions.
Some patients find it difficult to disclose their diagnosis to others (spouse, family members, significant others, friends, employers, etc.) It is up to you when and to whom you choose to share this information with, with the exception that there is a moral and legal obligation that your previous (and future) intimate contacts be notified. If and when you elect to discuss these matters with the people in your life, we can provide you with assistance in developing strategies regarding your disclosure. As regards specifically your previous intimate contacts, we can arrange for them to be informed in a way that does not reveal that it was you who has tested positive.
Also, your close family members and/or significant others are welcome to accompany you to your Be Well office visits. In fact, we encourage this as we have seen how beneficial it can be to some of our patients. You may want us to explain your condition directly to the people close to you, and we are happy to do so upon your request. In order to maintain confidentiality, we prefer that discussions of these matters with them be in your presence and in person.
Why Choose the Be Well Medical Center?
Selecting a physician can be a difficult decision, especially for someone with a chronic illness like HIV. Certainly you will want a physician who is dedicated to keeping up to date on all relevant information about HIV, who has keen diagnostic abilities to contend with the challenging and masquerading spectrum of illnesses that HIV can cause, and who is accessible when needed in times of crisis. In addition, you will want a physician who does not overlook the human side of medicine, one who has a compassionate demeanor, manifests empathy, possesses personable communication skills, and is supported by a congenial office staff.
We believe the Be Well Medical Center embodies these values and deserves to be considered when you are choosing a health care provider for your HIV care.
HIV is an intellectual challenge. Treatment decisions may be very challenging, as recommendations and guidelines continuously change due to newer published scientific data. Or at a given time there may be no consensus recommendations and guidelines due to incomplete evidence. There is a great deal to keep up with and a great deal to interpret and integrate into clinical usefulness in this field, which requires a physician not only with high intellectual cognitive skills, but with the commitment to his or her profession and patients to fully utilize these skills to bring about the best results.
Dr. Benson’s qualifications and dedication in this area are undeniable. HIV care became a major part of his family practice shortly after he opened his first medical office in 1980 and has remained so ever since. He is board certified in Family Medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, is credentialed as an HIV Specialist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine, has served on the Board of Directors of the Midwest AIDS Prevention Project since its inception, and is a member in good standing of the American Osteopathic Association, The Michigan Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, and the Oakland County Osteopathic Association.
He dedicates a large portion of his study time to reading HIV journal articles, making sure to keep up on all the latest research. (The Be Well Medical Center also participates directly in this research through its clinical research trials.) He has attended numerous national and international conferences on HIV care, including the annual International AIDS Conference, the largest regularly held conference on any global health issue in the world. In this way, he keeps abreast of all the current treatment trends in HIV care.
He is able to access the country’s leading HIV clinicians and researchers through the networks he has formed and the connections he has made.
Over the years he has lectured to thousands of doctors and medical students, as well as to the general public in the community, on “The Role of the Family Physician in HIV” and other HIV-related topics.
His caring approach to HIV patients is a holistic one developed during his osteopathic training that incorporates all he has learned over the course of several decades not only about HIV care specifically but about the fundamental concepts of primary and family care. Providing the very best HIV care requires a great deal from a physician, but he has always been more than willing to rise to the challenge, deriving great satisfaction from knowing that he has been able to comfort and help his patients, and to respect and appreciate his patients’ dignity and preserve their ability to guide their own destiny.
Crucially, he has chosen the personnel and shaped the philosophy of the Be Well Medical Center to ensure that his approach to cutting edge, warmhearted HIV care is embodied in the practice as a whole.
Be Well uses a comprehensive team approach to provide optimum care. This may require the use of both resources from within the practice and external resources, all coordinated by Dr. Benson as your primary care provider.
Be Well’s internal resources include dedicated healthcare providers, case managers, a full-time social worker, and other staff, all committed to supporting your medical, social, and emotional needs. We also conduct clinical research studies that you may choose to participate in, which give our patients access to promising treatments not yet available to the general public.
The external resources that Be Well can call upon include physician specialists from several medical disciplines who have experience with the complex clinical conditions that can be brought about by HIV, home care providers, nutritional counselors, and social service providers. Any such external resources are chosen on the basis of Dr. Benson’s decades of experience and knowledge and not on any financial inducement. We always welcome feedback—whether favorable or unfavorable—on any of these resources so that our decisions of whom to include in the care of future patients can be as informed as possible.
At Be Well, we believe that your doctor and medical staff should act as your advocate and friend in dealing with what can for many patients feel like a forbidding and intimidatingly complex healthcare system, and provide you with the most up to date information needed to make informed decisions about your care. We respect patient autonomy and empowerment. Decisions about your care are not to be made for you but by you, with Be Well providing information and support. Patient involvement in the decision making process is a key element to a satisfactory clinical response and maintaining the best health possible, particularly in regards to utilizing and selecting antiretroviral medications.
Patient empowerment means not only that your medical team should not exercise undue control and influence over your treatment decisions, but that others, such as family and friends, also should not.
Becoming empowered about your health and life means developing a decision making process which encompasses your beliefs and feelings about different therapy options. Healthcare providers should appreciate well-informed patients who bring new information and ideas to their attention. Respect for different philosophies is essential. Your healthcare team needs to be flexible enough to present variable approaches to you.
Patient autonomy and empowerment entails that care be individualized to the patient, not administered top-down in a one-size-fits-all manner. What works for one person may not work for you. This is true for any disease and especially HIV. There may be many treatment options available to you, and many factors to consider in deciding which is best for you. Here are examples of a few such options and factors; you will learn more about these and other considerations through your discussions with the members of your healthcare team coordinated by Be Well:
- Some patients desire an aggressive medical approach to their care with therapies available through investigational new drugs. It is important to understand that participating in studies of new drugs may limit some freedom of choice in regards to any additional treatments or regimens.
- Other patients may prefer a more traditional approach with the use of medications for approved indications only, or medication use guided by generally accepted treatment standards among the HIV medical community.
- Still other patients may wish to limit medication use to only that which is absolutely essential.
- Some patients may wish to utilize alternative or complementary therapies, such as those available from buyers clubs or health food stores. Please note that alternative therapies have not been validated by controlled clinical studies. (If they had, then they would not be “alternative.”) Although they may have therapeutic benefit, they are outside the established approved standard of care. In some cases, they may interfere with standard antiviral therapy. Also, it may not be possible to achieve the claimed beneficial effects of some of these therapies at over-the-counter strengths. Harmful side effects or interactions with other medications may occur. If you do decide to utilize these therapies, we ask that you keep us informed of your regimen.
Dealing With a Diagnosis
Many patients who are diagnosed with HIV or an HIV-related condition understandably react with fear, anxiety, or depression. It can be devastating news to hear.
It is an emotional situation that is generally not best to face alone. You’ll likely benefit from sharing your emotional turmoil with family, friends, or a trained counselor.
We also want you to remember to consider us at Be Well to be your friends who wish to provide you not only with the best healthcare for your needs, but also with the emotional support that can be every bit as crucial. Please allow us to help manage your burden. We have a full-time social worker on staff, and can guide you to many excellent support organizations in the community. We often facilitate patient meetings in a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere that allow patients to help and support each other through sharing experiences, discussing what they’ve learned, and asking and answering questions.
Some patients find it difficult to disclose their diagnosis to others (spouse, family members, significant others, friends, employers, etc.) It is up to you when and to whom you choose to share this information with, with the exception that there is a moral and legal obligation that your previous (and future) intimate contacts be notified. If and when you elect to discuss these matters with the people in your life, we can provide you with assistance in developing strategies regarding your disclosure. As regards specifically your previous intimate contacts, we can arrange for them to be informed in a way that does not reveal that it was you who has tested positive.
Also, your close family members and/or significant others are welcome to accompany you to your Be Well office visits. In fact, we encourage this as we have seen how beneficial it can be to some of our patients. You may want us to explain your condition directly to the people close to you, and we are happy to do so upon your request. In order to maintain confidentiality, we prefer that discussions of these matters with them be in your presence and in person.
Living With HIV
Please remember that with all the remarkable advances that have been made in treatment, the majority of people diagnosed with HIV are now able to live well without disruption to their family life, schooling, or careers. HIV is not a death sentence. It is a chronic manageable disease, and those with HIV who are responsible about complying with their treatment can expect to enjoy a comparable duration and quality of life to the general HIV-negative population.
Once you absorb this, you will likely find that any initial anger, denial, or despair you may have felt upon your diagnose will gradually diminish and be replaced by an ability to cope with the infection and its implications on your life. Just give it some time, and make use of the resources available to you for emotional support.
So what does coping with and managing being HIV positive mean?
The first step to building an effective strategy for living well and staying healthy is learning to make informed decisions and surrounding yourself with caring people who will be there for you without being overpowering and threatening your autonomy.
Always strive to be honest and open with the key people in your life, including those in your healthcare team coordinated by Be Well.
Always remember that, with your help, we at Be Well are committed to providing you with the highest quality HIV and general medical care. Working together in pursuit of this standard of excellence, we will at times discuss with you the benefits of a known or investigational drug therapy against the potential risks, side effects, or complications that could result from using these therapies. The consequences of not treating a condition may also be discussed. You may be provided with written information about medications prescribed that will tell you about their indications, side effects, toxicities, and how to take them.
We encourage you to keep a notebook and chart your own progress, and to prepare for your office visits to make the most of them by writing down in advance any questions you may have or matters you may wish to discuss. You may want to make sure that relevant information will be available for these discussions; for example you may want to call the office before you come in to make sure that certain expected test reports have been received.
If you anticipate that the matters you wish to discuss may take a great deal of time, you may want to let us know beforehand so that we can schedule a longer appointment or multiple appointments, and help to prioritize the topics.
If at any time you are unhappy with your care for any reason please let us know. This too is part of effective doctor-patient communication. If you are uncomfortable discussing it in person please feel free to express your feelings in writing.
Every patient may respond somewhat differently to medications and other treatments, so it is important to maintain thorough communication with us regarding any problems or side effects you may experience. This will facilitate our individualizing treatments and dosage levels to what works best for you.
Illness can come upon you suddenly and you may be unsure of the significance of symptoms or what you should do. In these situations of uncertainty, it is better to err on the safe side by contacting us immediately. Our staff gives priority to all of your questions and messages when you are experiencing something with your health that concerns you. Please do not hesitate to call. If an urgent situation arises outside of our office hours, contact Dr. Benson’s answering service at 248-544-9300 and he will be paged and return your call.
In any case, do not wait to be able to speak with us if it is an emergency situation that immediately jeopardizes your health. Seek care at the nearest hospital emergency room. Dr. Benson has admitting privileges at St. John Oakland General Hospital on Dequindre Road just north of 11 Mile Road in Madison Heights, and our patients have generally been very pleased with the care they have received there.
We also would like you to keep in mind that while we welcome patients making use of the media, libraries, the Internet, and all sources to make them more informed about HIV in general and their condition in particular, it’s important to be very, very careful about the things you hear.
You should be critical of news reports about HIV treatment “breakthroughs.” Often, not all the pertinent facts are presented, but instead something sensational is reported in “sound byte” fashion. Often such news stories concern research that has not yet gone through the full scientific process of publication and distribution, and so is more speculative than the stories imply. Many of the matters reported in these stories turn out to be false or exaggerated once the medical community has been afforded the opportunity to review the research data and critique the conclusions.
HIV disease is one of the most complex medical problems our society has ever faced. There remains much about the disease that is not fully understood, and even the experts have differing opinions about many aspects of it. Because of this, oversimplified media coverage can give misleading impressions about new treatments and other matters.
You may also encounter “underground” reports, often on the Internet, that attack conventional medicine and conventional treatments. These can be highly dubious, often making use of scare tactics in inaccurately or misleadingly presenting the risk-to-benefit ratio of conventional medications.
In general, always read with a critical eye, keeping in mind how the source of information you’re consulting might be adversely motivated by its desire to attract large audiences for better ratings and higher advertising revenues, its desire to sell you some alternative treatment, or various other political, economic, ideological, or conspiracy theory axes it might have to grind.
Your doctor should be your greatest resource in helping you to decide the best course of care for you. If something you have seen, heard, or read inclines you to alter your treatment regimen, please first discuss it with us.
About the Future
In general, the way you can give yourself the best, healthiest life as an HIV-positive person is really the same as for anyone, HIV-positive or not: Maintain a positive mental attitude, eat a balanced nutritious diet, exercise regularly, avoid excessive use of alcohol, recreational drugs and tobacco, and comply with recommended medical therapies.
In addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, always maintain hope. Much progress has already been made against HIV, and there’s every reason to expect that progress to continue. Many promising new therapies are on the horizon.
Taking a proactive approach to your care and practicing a good healthy lifestyle in general will allow you to be here for the cure.
Please remember that with all the remarkable advances that have been made in treatment, the majority of people diagnosed with HIV are now able to live well without disruption to their family life, schooling, or careers. HIV is not a death sentence. It is a chronic manageable disease, and those with HIV who are responsible about complying with their treatment can expect to enjoy a comparable duration and quality of life to the general HIV-negative population.
Once you absorb this, you will likely find that any initial anger, denial, or despair you may have felt upon your diagnose will gradually diminish and be replaced by an ability to cope with the infection and its implications on your life. Just give it some time, and make use of the resources available to you for emotional support.
So what does coping with and managing being HIV positive mean?
The first step to building an effective strategy for living well and staying healthy is learning to make informed decisions and surrounding yourself with caring people who will be there for you without being overpowering and threatening your autonomy.
Always strive to be honest and open with the key people in your life, including those in your healthcare team coordinated by Be Well.
Always remember that, with your help, we at Be Well are committed to providing you with the highest quality HIV and general medical care. Working together in pursuit of this standard of excellence, we will at times discuss with you the benefits of a known or investigational drug therapy against the potential risks, side effects, or complications that could result from using these therapies. The consequences of not treating a condition may also be discussed. You may be provided with written information about medications prescribed that will tell you about their indications, side effects, toxicities, and how to take them.
We encourage you to keep a notebook and chart your own progress, and to prepare for your office visits to make the most of them by writing down in advance any questions you may have or matters you may wish to discuss. You may want to make sure that relevant information will be available for these discussions; for example you may want to call the office before you come in to make sure that certain expected test reports have been received.
If you anticipate that the matters you wish to discuss may take a great deal of time, you may want to let us know beforehand so that we can schedule a longer appointment or multiple appointments, and help to prioritize the topics.
If at any time you are unhappy with your care for any reason please let us know. This too is part of effective doctor-patient communication. If you are uncomfortable discussing it in person please feel free to express your feelings in writing.
Every patient may respond somewhat differently to medications and other treatments, so it is important to maintain thorough communication with us regarding any problems or side effects you may experience. This will facilitate our individualizing treatments and dosage levels to what works best for you.
Illness can come upon you suddenly and you may be unsure of the significance of symptoms or what you should do. In these situations of uncertainty, it is better to err on the safe side by contacting us immediately. Our staff gives priority to all of your questions and messages when you are experiencing something with your health that concerns you. Please do not hesitate to call. If an urgent situation arises outside of our office hours, contact Dr. Benson’s answering service at 248-544-9300 and he will be paged and return your call.
In any case, do not wait to be able to speak with us if it is an emergency situation that immediately jeopardizes your health. Seek care at the nearest hospital emergency room. Dr. Benson has admitting privileges at St. John Oakland General Hospital on Dequindre Road just north of 11 Mile Road in Madison Heights, and our patients have generally been very pleased with the care they have received there.
We also would like you to keep in mind that while we welcome patients making use of the media, libraries, the Internet, and all sources to make them more informed about HIV in general and their condition in particular, it’s important to be very, very careful about the things you hear.
You should be critical of news reports about HIV treatment “breakthroughs.” Often, not all the pertinent facts are presented, but instead something sensational is reported in “sound byte” fashion. Often such news stories concern research that has not yet gone through the full scientific process of publication and distribution, and so is more speculative than the stories imply. Many of the matters reported in these stories turn out to be false or exaggerated once the medical community has been afforded the opportunity to review the research data and critique the conclusions.
HIV disease is one of the most complex medical problems our society has ever faced. There remains much about the disease that is not fully understood, and even the experts have differing opinions about many aspects of it. Because of this, oversimplified media coverage can give misleading impressions about new treatments and other matters.
You may also encounter “underground” reports, often on the Internet, that attack conventional medicine and conventional treatments. These can be highly dubious, often making use of scare tactics in inaccurately or misleadingly presenting the risk-to-benefit ratio of conventional medications.
In general, always read with a critical eye, keeping in mind how the source of information you’re consulting might be adversely motivated by its desire to attract large audiences for better ratings and higher advertising revenues, its desire to sell you some alternative treatment, or various other political, economic, ideological, or conspiracy theory axes it might have to grind.
Your doctor should be your greatest resource in helping you to decide the best course of care for you. If something you have seen, heard, or read inclines you to alter your treatment regimen, please first discuss it with us.
About the Future
In general, the way you can give yourself the best, healthiest life as an HIV-positive person is really the same as for anyone, HIV-positive or not: Maintain a positive mental attitude, eat a balanced nutritious diet, exercise regularly, avoid excessive use of alcohol, recreational drugs and tobacco, and comply with recommended medical therapies.
In addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, always maintain hope. Much progress has already been made against HIV, and there’s every reason to expect that progress to continue. Many promising new therapies are on the horizon.
Taking a proactive approach to your care and practicing a good healthy lifestyle in general will allow you to be here for the cure.
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Care & Support Program
Ryan White HIV/AIDS program is the largest federal program designed specifically for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. This program provides care and support services to individuals living with this disease. Ryan White is a "payor of last resort" meaning Ryan White will pay for medical costs for individuals with limited income or no source of health insurance.
The Ryan White grant also provides coverage for prescription costs as well. If an individual has no health insurance or needs additional help with high copays, then MI Drug Assistance Program (MIDAP) will benefit you. Check out the link below for more about the Ryan White grant. Click here
The Ryan White grant also provides coverage for prescription costs as well. If an individual has no health insurance or needs additional help with high copays, then MI Drug Assistance Program (MIDAP) will benefit you. Check out the link below for more about the Ryan White grant. Click here