The Gavin J. Goorjian Community Health Center at The LGBTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada has quickly evolved into a one-stop hub for primary care, HIV services and gender-affirming care in downtown Las Vegas. That growth is also proving fragile, after a recent scramble over federal grants and renewed pressure on the 340B drug-discount program. Clinic leaders say they are leaning on 340B savings and local donors to keep services running for thousands of patients.
In January 2025, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration abruptly notified several community groups, including The Center, that their grants were cancelled, then reversed course and reinstated the awards only days later. The whiplash created chaos for providers that had already counted on the money, forcing local organizations to scramble to cover paychecks, testing and counseling while lawmakers demanded answers. As reported by FOX5 Las Vegas, the episode showed how quickly federal choices ripple through local clinics.
The Center converted a two-story building at 921 S. Las Vegas Blvd. into the Gavin J. Goorjian Community Health Center in 2024, bringing primary care, a community pharmacy and expanded diagnostic services under one roof. The clinic offers same-day visits, telehealth options and specialized HIV prevention and treatment programs. According to The Center, the facility also includes mammography and ultrasound capacity alongside therapy and phlebotomy rooms.
How 340B Keeps Care Afloat
The clinic has leaned heavily on the federal 340B drug-pricing program to stretch tight budgets. Federal data show covered entities bought roughly $81.4 billion in 340B outpatient drugs in 2024, making the program a major source of savings for safety-net providers. Created in 1992 to help clinics and hospitals serving low-income patients, 340B lets covered entities purchase certain medicines at steep discounts and reinvest those savings into services and staffing. The program has also become a focus of national policy moves, including executive orders and HHS proposals, that could change how discounts are delivered and who benefits. See data from HRSA and federal guidance on drug-pricing directives from the White House.
Local Fallout, Federal Fight
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus told a recent panel that lawmakers were "on the defense" when it came to protecting access to community health programs, and she is reportedly working to add language to the FY2027 Labor-HHS appropriations bill to shore up 340B protections for clinics. Local reporting for the Las Vegas Sun found The Center nearly lost roughly $800,000 a year it had relied on for HIV testing after the SAMHSA notice, a gap leaders said would have forced service cuts. The Sun quoted elected officials and clinic staff sounding alarms about what broader 340B changes could mean for local care. Las Vegas Sun
Patients and staff say losing that support would have been devastating. "The best care I've gotten by a mile," one patient told the Las Vegas Sun, while The Center's chief health officer, Leana Ramirez, said 340B "helps the center stretch limited resources and reinvest in care, staffing and services for patients who need them most." Las Vegas Sun
What The Center Is Doing
To blunt future shocks, The Center has tapped private philanthropy and local partnerships while expanding on-site services such as a community pharmacy, mammography, therapy rooms and a phlebotomy lab. Donations from the Goorjian family, the Helmsley Charitable Trust and the Engelstad Foundation helped fund the clinic's build-out, and corporate partners including Sands have supported capacity and outreach programs. Officials say the mix of 340B savings, grants and donor backing is meant to buy time while federal policy plays out. Details of those gifts and partnerships are laid out by Las Vegas Sands.
Advocates say the episode underscores that many local clinics depend on a patchwork of federal programs, reimbursement rules and philanthropy, and that the fate of 340B will be decided in Washington as much as in state capitals. Lawmakers such as Titus are pushing protections even as HHS explores options, including a potential rebate model that analysts warn could squeeze smaller providers. For national context on the policy debate, see reporting from Axios.
