Redefining HIV

Dr. Olivia Nathan is a pharmacist at Equitas Health with a focus on equitable healthcare access for black women. She’s given a TEDx talk on the disproportionate allotment of PrEP to black women (‘PrEPare Black Women: Health Inequity in PrEP Access’) and currently works on disseminating vaccine information in her local community in Columbus, Ohio. As a fierce advocate both in the pharmacy and on the ground with the people she serves, she models what it looks like to integrate community voices and perspectives into health advocacy. In this episode, we discuss her journey into pharmaceutical medicine and how her identity as a black woman has shaped her future ambitions in advancing health literacy and equity.

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Dr. Paul Benson has been practicing HIV & Family medicine for the past 30+ years and is currently the director of Be Well Medical Center in Berkeley, MI. He initially did an externship at the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic in San Francisco, where he developed a deep passion for STI and preventative care work. A quote from his bio reflects how he became dedicated to HIV care work: “Little did I know that HIV would find me and change my life the way that it has. I’ve seen many friends die of HIV, many brilliant and gifted people. I’ve seen the frustration of a community that felt that the country’s response, and the world’s response, was sub-adequate at best.”

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Today we talk to Theresa, a nurse manager at a large academic hospital in Boston, about her work applying principles of community health to a hospital setting. She started exploring her interest in community health while a student at Northeastern, where she eventually took up the opportunity to support people in Guatemala. Eventually returning back to Boston, she brought her passion for community health work to a community health van. While working at an academic hospital was a much different speed, she’s now committed herself to applying important lessons in comprehensive, holistic care to every part of her clinical work at the HIV clinic.

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This week, we bring you the conclusion of our conversation with Dr. Ellen Tedaldi. Join us as we uncover the current shortcomings of HIV therapeutics for women, how to best support the health of populations marginalized by society, the specific ways these political and socioeconomic barriers bar continuity of care, lessons we can learn from the HIV epidemic when navigating the current COVID pandemic, and more. We feel honored to share Dr. Tedaldi's perspectives on issues pressing HIV healthcare, and we hope these episodes inspire you to reflect on the state of healthcare delivery and access in your own community. And if you haven't already, make sure to check out part one of this interview!

Click here for more information on the HIV Outpatient Study (HOPS). 

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In this week's episode, we talk to Dr. Ellen Tedaldi, the director of the HIV Program at Temple University Hospital - a pioneer in the field and idolized by her students and colleagues. She walks us through her unintentional path into the field and we learn more about the role of politics, continuity of care, patient-physician relationship, and clinical trials in HIV Care. 

Be sure to tune in on July 26th for part two of this conversation, where we will dive deeper into how Dr. Tedaldi integrates community, hospital, and federal resources to support the diverse patient population that she cares for.

For more information on Dr. Tedaldi, visit: https://medicine.temple.edu/ellen-tedaldi 

To kick off our first episode of the season, we talk to Mx. Thurston! From accessing care and support to mitigating their self-perception of what it means to live with HIV, we learn about how they've navigated the complex landscape of HIV care. As an HIV activist and current Modern English PhD student at Michigan State University, they have been dedicating journalistic and broader literary works to chronicling the diverse narratives of people living with HIV.

For more information on their body of work, visit:

List of Books

Thurston Howl Publications

From physicians to case managers, nurses to patients, join us in our first season as we spotlight different people on the HIV care continuum. To hear more about this project, HIV care information and resources, notifications on upcoming episodes, and further information on our guests, check us out on facebook and instagram @redefininghiv! New episodes will be released every other Monday, starting June 28th! Subscribe to stay updated - we appreciate your support!