Halfway through the decade of the 2020s, it already seems that many of us have lived 25 different lives. From the COVID-19 pandemic, two turbulent presidential elections, and countless social and cultural upsets, as a society, we have seen it all.
For Central Outreach Wellness Center, located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, the last decade has been all about care for the LGBTQ community of Pittsburgh. “These ten years have flown by”, said Dr. Stacy Lane, DO, founder and CEO of Central Outreach Wellness Center. “Probably somewhere in my mind, it’s still the 2020 pandemic, you know – going through that pandemic and crisis, then MPOX, all of which greatly affected the community.”
Photos courtesy of Central Outreach Wellness Center.
March 2020 was at the precipice of change; with COVID-19 hitting all corners of the United States, and the world, Central Outreach Wellness Center delivered the first drive-through testing center at their Anderson Street office location in the City of Pittsburgh. Eventually outgrowing the North Shore, that clinic moved to the Pittsburgh Zoo parking lot in Highland Park.
That wasn’t the only time that Central Outreach Wellness Center made news. In August of 2022, during the height of the MPOX epidemic, Dr. Stacy Lane sat down with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta to discuss how Central Outreach Wellness Center tackles the outbreak head-on. From July to December of 2022, Central Outreach Wellness Center administered 4,973 MPX vaccines to the clinic’s focus population.
Dr. Stacy Lane always knew that she wanted to work in the medical field. Growing up in the Crafton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Dr. Lane’s uncle was diagnosed with AIDS in 1992. Since he was not out as a gay man, many medical professionals had a hard time diagnosing him. Once diagnosed, he felt as though he had to keep who he truly was a secret, leading him to inform his family he had cancer. He succumbed to his AIDS diagnosis in 1995.
Photos courtesy of Central Outreach Wellness Center.
This ultimately led Dr. Stacy Lane to pursue a higher education within the medical field, earning her undergraduate degree from Washington and Jefferson College in 1997, and then went on to attend the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in 2001.
Her first role was as the Medical Director of Allegheny General Hospital’s HIV Program, which brought Dr. Stacy Lane back to Pittsburgh in 2007. Through a few other ventures, Dr. Stacy Lane wanted to continue to provide care for individuals who need her. She wrote to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, while copying anyone on the thread who would read, asking for grant funding to bring her mission to life.
With patience and perseverance, Central Outreach Wellness Center was born. Through the Preferred Provider Agreement (PPA), Central Outreach was able to become a 340(b) funded entity, allowing for the opening of the first clinic. Founded in July 2015, Central Outreach Wellness Center opened its doors on the North Side of Pittsburgh, seeing about 400 new patients in 2015.
Photos courtesy of Central Outreach Wellness Center.
As the clinic grew in size and scope, Dr. Lane continued to ask the Pennsylvania Department of Health for permission to open more clinics in areas that needed the aid. Additional clinics in Washington (2016) and Aliquippa (2019) were opened, along with the Hep C Cure Squad in 2017.
After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr. Stacy Lane continued her advocacy work with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, requesting the need for more patient aid and clinics, leading to the expansion in Erie in 2020. Additionally, after receiving a grant from the Ohio Department of Health, Cleveland, Ohio (2021) and Columbus, Ohio (2022) office locations were conceptualized, spreading more advocacy throughout the state.
In 2024, Dr. Stacy Lane and her leadership team at Central Outreach Wellness Center wanted to take the company to the next level of sustainability for patients for years to come. A new structure of Vice Presidents was created to help expand and disseminate the knowledge Dr. Lane has learned during her medical tenure.
To date, 92% of patients living with HIV that the clinic sees remain undetectable, and 45% of patients that the clinic puts on PrEP stay linked to care and have stayed on PrEP for over three years. These factors have helped with the decline of new HIV cases in Allegheny County since 2015.
Photo courtesy of Central Outreach Wellness Center.
Even with all the changes and growth, Dr. Stacy Lane’s focus has always been caring for her patients. “I’m almost 50 years old, and I am looking forward to the new chapter of Central Outreach, that can sustain past the life of Stacy Lane. As difficult as it’s been, it’s been a dream come true. Healthcare is not easy – I am grateful to be able to do this work, as well as support the community by creating jobs and creating a space for healthcare workers in the community”.
Above all, it’s the smile on the patient’s face that makes Dr. Stacy Lane want to continue this work. “When I see a smile on their face when they are told they are undetectable, or that we can get their medication for free – I am just super grateful for this opportunity, and for the staff and the patients that entrust our care.”
