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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FENWAY HEALTH WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF GRANT COLFAX TO LEAD OFFICE OF NATIONAL AIDS POLICY Fenway Health applauds the selection of Grant Colfax, MD to be the next director of the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). The appointment was announced by the White House on March 14. Dr. Colfax, the director of HIV prevention and research at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, has long been a national leader in HIV/AIDS prevention. He is a clinician at the University of California at San Francisco’s Positive Health Program, where he works with people living with HIV/AIDS and those who are at high risk of infection. Dr. Colfax has also conducted extensive research, funded by the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, into HIV testing strategies, biomedical HIV prevention interventions, and clinical trials of medications to treat substance dependence. “Dr. Colfax’s strong record of leadership in HIV/AIDS prevention and research in San Francisco, a city disproportionately affected by the epidemic, makes him a great choice to lead the nation’s efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS,” said Fenway Health President and CEO Stephen L. Boswell, MD “We look forward to working with Dr. Colfax and the Office of National AIDS Policy to further implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and reduce new HIV infections.” “In the past two years we’ve seen exciting developments in biomedical prevention research and on the impact of HIV treatment on transmission of the virus,” said Kenneth H. Mayer, MD, Medical Research Director and Co-Chair of The Fenway Institute. “We look forward to working in partnership with ONAP and other federal agencies to incorporate these new approaches into HIV prevention and care efforts and reduce new HIV infections here and around the world.” “Grant’s appointment is tremendous news for those of us who know him. Since I met Grant as a pre-med student, I have always been impressed with his commitment to clinical excellence and his passion to insure quality care for the underserved. He brings a long history of experience in the field of HIV/AIDS to this position and understands the need to explore new avenues for prevention and care, while also focusing on ways to insure access to health care prevention and effective treatment for those who need it.,” said Harvey J. Makadon, MD, Director of the LGBT Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute. ONAP focuses on coordinating HIV prevention and care efforts in the U.S. It also coordinates with the National Security Council and the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, and works with international bodies to ensure that America’s response to the global pandemic is fully integrated with other prevention, care, and treatment efforts around the world. A component of the White House Domestic Policy Council, ONAP emphasizes prevention through wide-ranging education initiatives and helps to coordinate the care and treatment of citizens with HIV/AIDS. For more than forty years, Fenway Health has been working to make life healthier for the people in our neighborhood, the LGBT community, people living with HIV/AIDS and the broader population. The Fenway Institute at Fenway Health is an interdisciplinary center for research, training, education and policy development focusing on national and international health issues. Fenway’s Sidney Borum Jr. Health Center cares for youth and young adults ages 12 to 29 who may not feel comfortable going anywhere else, including those who are LGBT or just figuring things out; homeless or living on the streets; struggling with substance use or abuse; sex workers; or living with HIV/AIDS. |
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