The Voice of PHNTX: Staff Members Share Decades of Stories

For 40 years, Prism Health North Texas (PHNTX) has listened to the community and tried to give people the care they need most. The group started as AIDS ARMS Network during the HIV crisis and has grown into a community health center that helps many different people today.

You can see this story in the big events and programs, but it is easiest to understand through the people who helped make this work possible. From founder Warren “Buck” Buckingham to long‑time staff and today’s leaders, they all share the same main vision: to meet people where they are, remove barriers, and keep building better care.

Buck Buckingham and the beginning

When Buck Buckingham helped start AIDS ARMS Network in 1986, Dallas faced terrifying times. HIV was spreading fast, funding was limited, and people needed help right away. AIDS ARMS began as a project with support from the Community Council of Greater Dallas and a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It later became its own nonprofit and one of the oldest partner networks of its kind.

Buck remembers the intensity of the early work. “We convened the community on a weekly basis,” he said, talking about how many organizations came together to help people with what was then a death sentence. “That’s where the ‘arms’ came from: wrapping the community around the need,” he added, emphasizing the importance of the organization’s original name.

Even now, Buck says the mission of Prism Health North Texas has stayed steady. “What’s consistent is an unwavering focus on those on the margins,” he said, and he is glad that idea “has thankfully expanded over time.”

Daron Kirven and the expansion of care

Daron Kirven has been with the organization for 32 years and currently works as the Senior Director of Community Outreach. When he joined in 1993, AIDS Arms Inc. had only fourteen staff members and mostly did case management. He remembers a time when staff were “getting assigned cases to help people die with dignity.”

Daron has seen some major changes in the organization during his time here. “We went from doing comprehensive case management to outreach, and then we opened our first health clinic, the Peabody Health Center,” he said. “The medical piece really expanded the agency.” Over time, he helped create programs like Free World Bound and other outreach efforts that help people find care before they are forgotten.

Now Daron sees PHNTX as a safe choice for people who may not feel welcome in other places. “The agency provides quality healthcare to disadvantaged communities,” he said. “We provide them an alternative to hospitals, so having that agency of choice has been empowering.”

Karin Petties and building better systems

Chief Administration Officer Karin Petties came to PHNTX after many years working in public health in Dallas County, during the worst years of the HIV epidemic. Those years taught her that access to care depends not only on services, but also on fair and well‑run systems.

Karin describes the organization’s change over the years like this: “PHNTX has evolved from a grant-centric HIV service organization into a comprehensive, FQHC Look-Alike model that delivers integrated, community-based, quality healthcare accessible to all.” She also said, “PHNTX has been transformative… It has created access where there were once barriers, built trust in communities that have historically been underserved, and ensured that people are treated with dignity and respect.”

Angie Tapia and the feeling of being welcomed

For Executive Assistant Administrative Manager Angie Tapia, working at PHNTX is very personal. She joined the organization more than 20 years ago and has worked in several jobs, from front desk to data, and she now supports the executive team and manages the administrative staff.

Angie reminds us how important the first greeting can be. At the agency’s first clinic, the Peabody Health Center, she was often the first to meet patients, who came in scared or unsure. “I focused on providing a warm welcome, reassurance, and guidance, so they felt supported and in the right place,” she said. Little things like this keep patients from feeling like “just a number” and let them know that they will receive quality care from the moment they walk through the door.

She has seen PHNTX grow from mostly HIV work to include dental care, behavioral health, and care for women and children. Still, she says the way people are treated matters most: “Whether you’re a patient, guest, or new employee, you feel like you matter here.”

Charles Griffith and the need to keep changing

Former AIDS Arms Inc. employee Charles Griffith has known the organization as a staff member, a fundraiser, a LifeWalk leader, and as someone who once needed its help. His story shows both the personal care he received and the big choices that made sure PHNTX helped the community, even as times changed.

The 30-year fundraiser LifeWalk helped the community stay aware. “The events kept the subject of HIV alive,” he said, noting that after treatment improved and fewer people died, it became harder for people to see HIV as a crisis.

He believes strong leadership kept PHNTX moving forward, and he recognizes the importance of expanding from HIV care to offering care that the community needs most. “The leadership of PHNTX has always been forward thinking,” Charles said. “If we had stayed in case management, we would have become irrelevant or been absorbed by someone else… AIDS Arms has always moved to the populations that needed the care the most. It’s helping people who sometimes fall outside of the healthcare system.”

Dr. John Carlo and the next chapter

Under CEO Dr. John Carlo, PHNTX has kept its focus on HIV while broadening the care it provides. The group now offers HIV treatment, prevention, sexual health services, LGBTQIA+ care, behavioral health and psychiatry services, women’s health, pediatric care, primary care, dental care, pharmacy services, and both medical and general case management. The organization rebranded as Prism Health North Texas in 2017 and is now a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike that serves more than 17,000 patients a year.

Dr. Carlo says this growth was strategic. “We didn’t change because we wanted to grow. We grew out of necessity,” he said. He is also proud of what has stayed the same: “We continue to take a lot of pride in giving everyone the very best care.” He believes PHNTX must keep setting bold goals while holding onto its promise of personal, respectful care for each person.

After 40 years, PHNTX is still writing its story. But from Buck to Daron, Karin, Angie, Charles, and Dr. Carlo, one message comes through again and again: This work is about making sure more people can reach care that is kind, welcoming, and built around their real lives.

You Can Be Part of Our History

By attending our 40^th anniversary celebration events, you can be part of our history. Your attendance and donations make sure our agency can keep going the extra mile for our patients.

Learn more about our 40^th anniversary events at PHNTX40.org.