40 Years of Care: A Timeline of PHNTX’s Growth and Transformation

For 40 years, Prism Health North Texas (PHNTX) has responded to community needs with compassion, innovation, and an expanding vision of healthcare. What began in the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s has grown into a broader, whole-person model of affordable, community-centered care.

Here is how that story unfolds across four decades.

FOUNDATION

1986–1989

Responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis in our community

In 1986, as the HIV/AIDS crisis intensified, local health leaders created the AIDS ARMS Network to serve people living with AIDS at a time when care was limited and stigma was widespread. Supported by the Community Council of Greater Dallas and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the organization began as a mobile response team focused on dignity, support, and urgent community need.

What began as a grassroots response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, first sketched on a napkin, became a lifeline for thousands in our community. Image Credit UNT: UNT Libraries Special Collections

The first office opened on Oak Lawn Avenue with five employees and a $300,000 annual budget. Under Executive Director Warren “Buck” Buckingham, AIDS ARMS built a coalition of 12 partner agencies to coordinate medical and social support.

In 1989, the organization achieved 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, strengthening the foundation for long-term impact.

BUILDING CARE

1990s–2006

Launching LifeWalk and opening the first clinic

In 1991, the organization launched the first LifeWalk 5K fundraiser, creating a tradition of community engagement and support that would continue for decades.

In 1993, AIDS ARMS became incorporated as AIDS Arms Inc., reflecting the organization’s growing structure and permanence.

By 1998, services expanded from general case management to include medical case management, marking an important step toward more comprehensive HIV care.

In the early 2000s, the agency opened the Peabody Health Center.

Peabody Health Center ribbon cutting ceremony.

It also began behavioral health counseling and recovery services, and expanded outreach through programs such as Free World Bound for people reentering society after incarceration.

In 2003, the agency also hosted its first Miss LifeWalk drag pageant fundraiser.

A contestant from Miss LifeWalk 2004

By the mid-2000s, AIDS Arms Inc. had grown into one of North Texas’s leading community-centered HIV care organizations.

GROWING IMPACT

2007–2016

Expanding clinics and advancing research

As the organization entered a new phase of growth, it expanded both medical and supportive services to help patients receive more of their care in one trusted place. In 2011, Trinity Health and Wellness Center—now the Oak Cliff Health Center—opened, broadening access to clinical care.

In 2012, the organization added psychiatric care, and in 2013, it opened the HIVE, or HIV Empowerment Center, to support prevention, education, and empowerment for people living with HIV. These years strengthened the model of integrated care and positioned the organization for its next chapter.

TRANSFORMATION

2017–2019

Rebranding to Prism Health North Texas and expanding beyond HIV care

In 2017, AIDS Arms Inc. rebranded as Prism Health North Texas (PHNTX), signaling a broader mission to serve the wider community while staying rooted in HIV care. That same year, the Peabody Health Center moved to a larger building in South Dallas and became the South Dallas Health Center, reinforcing a location-based naming approach that made services easier to identify and access.

In 2019, PHNTX partnered with Uptown Physicians Group to introduce primary care. The organization also opened Oak Lawn Health Center and launched pharmacy services in partnership with Equitas Health, extending care beyond HIV services alone.

Drew Anderson, previous Pharmacy Manager and current Chief Pharmacy Office, at South Dallas Pharmacy.

WHOLE-PERSON CARE

2020–2023

Introducing pharmacy and dental services

In 2020, LifeWalk celebrated its 30th and final year after decades of raising essential funds for HIV services in Dallas. That year, Project CONNECT also launched Nice Package, a free condom distribution program, and Beneath the Briefs, a sexual health podcast.

From 2020 through 2023, PHNTX continued broadening its care through telehealth, participated in major research studies including the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial and the SOLAR clinical study, and opened Worth Street Health Center in 2021.

In 2022, PHNTX acquired Community Dental Care of Texas, adding oral health services and deepening its whole-person care model.

A patient with a medical assistant at Worth Street Health Center

A NEW ERA

2024–2026

Expanding access through FQHC-LAL status, pediatrics, and women’s health

By 2024, PHNTX received FQHC Look-Alike designation, a major step in expanding access to affordable care across the community. The organization also welcomed Leslie Redden as a pediatric provider and earned multiple recognitions from D CEO Excellence in Healthcare and Nursing Awards and the Dallas HIV Task Force Awards.

In 2025, PHNTX officially launched women’s health and pediatric care services. Oak Lawn Health Center and Uptown Physicians Group became PHNTX – Uptown Physicians Group, and the Cedar Springs Merchant Association renamed Team Clover Open to Clover Classic.

Leslie Redden, pediatric provider, with a patient (permission granted).

In 2026, the organization received a $400,000 Gilead Foundation grant to expand HIV prevention efforts for Black and Latina women while celebrating 40 years of service.

PHNTX Today

From emergency response to whole-person healthcare, PHNTX’s history reflects a consistent commitment to meeting people where they are and expanding care as community needs evolve. Forty years after its founding, the organization continues to build a future shaped by equity, access, and compassion.

PHNTX Celebrates 40 Years of Service This May

Two anniversary events are planned for the weekend of May 15, 2026.

40^th Anniversary Celebration: A Very Good Party for A Very Good Cause

What: An elevated evening to celebrate PHNTX’s legacy and raise funds, sponsored by Gilead Science and Red Sparrow. There will be cocktails, light bites, museum displays of PHNTX archival materials, raffle prizes, and talent.

When: Friday, May 15 from 7 – 10 p.m.

Where: Empire Room, 1225 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207

Care on the Block

What: A free community event to give back to our community. There will be food trucks, tea and lemonade sponsored by Raising Cane’s, carnival games, face painting, balloon artistry, and more.

When: Saturday, May 16 from 4 – 7 p.m.

Where: South Dallas Health Center, 4922 Spring Ave, Dallas, TX 75210