Bay Area Physicians Make an Impact
The Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights (BAPHR) is the world’s first organization of gay physicians. Founded in 1977 in San Francisco, the organization is dedicated to improving healthcare in our community and nurturing the careers of LGBTQ medical professionals in the greater Bay Area. BAPHR members have a robust and dedicated history of support for ALRP, and have made annual grants to ALRP since 2008.
Notes Executive Director Bill Hirsh:
“It means so much to us when a professional association like BAPHR sees the value of our work enough to make this kind of long-term commitment. It is wonderful to see what a few doctors and lawyers can do to address the health of people living with HIV.”
In the earliest days of the AIDS crisis, BAPHR physicians played a critical role in providing education, prevention services, and direct patient care during a time of immense fear and discrimination about the disease. Over the years BAPHR members have remained dedicated to the local community and to many organizations, like ALRP, which provide direct services to LGBTQ populations and those impacted by HIV.
BAPHR’s Board President, Murtuza Ghadiali, MD, FASAM – puts it this way:
“We are so proud of BAPHR’s rich history in supporting the LGBTQ community, and we are grateful for our support from our BAPHR members that allow us to continue this work. We are honored to be a longstanding supportive partner of ALRP.”
When people come to ALRP for help, they are often seeking to guard against disruptions to their housing, income, health care services and immigration status — which are vital to their very survival. Every day, we see how stable housing and access to care play a direct role in improving long-term health outcomes, while saving truly significant healthcare dollars that would otherwise be spent through City emergency systems.
It remains true as ever: Housing is healthcare. Recent studies show that only 20% of people with HIV who are unhoused are virally suppressed, while 80% of those with stable housing are virally suppressed. Viral suppression greatly reduces the risk of HIV transmission.[1]
BAPHR’s grant supports ALRP’s work on behalf of seniors living with HIV. With over 70% of people living with HIV now over age 50, BAPHR’s support allows us to serve this growing segment of the HIV community.
Thank you to BAPHR for your important collaboration with ALRP and the greater LGBTQ community. Here’s to many more years of impactful work together!
For more information about BAPHR or to join as a member, visit:
[1] JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
