Triple Honors for President of National Gay Docs Association

New York

-- Donald I. Abrams, M.D., President of the San Francisco-based Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) received the "Award of Courage" from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR), at ceremonies in New York today.

Abrams was awarded for his work as chairman of San Francisco General Hospital's Community Consortium, ". . . a model," AmFar said, "that has inspired many other such undertakings across the country and beyond. . . ." AmFar's award statement also said: "You have demonstrated how academia can reach out and work with community-based medical professionals and their patients to constitute a new effective instrument for clinical research, medical care and the protection of human rights."

The 50-year-old physician, who also heads the only federally-funded program to investigate the effects of medical marijuana, is being honored by the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) as well. He is one of 40 "pioneers" chosen to receive IAPAC's "Heroes in Medicine Award."

IAPAC's Executive Director José M. Zuniga said that the award was in "recognition of the leadership and compassion with which honorees met the extraordinary challenges of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s, and serves to memorialize how their example in meeting these challenges has added dignity and honor to the profession of medicine."

The award will be presented at a benefit set for the Crowne Plaza Hotel, September 18, in Toronto.

Stanford University's School of Medicine also acknowledged the GLMA president during its celebration of 40 years in Palo Alto this month. Abrams was one of 40 profiled alumni "who have devoted their careers to advancing medical science, education, and patient care."

GLMA represents the interests of more than 70,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender physicians and medical students, as well as millions of LGBT patients throughout North America. The largest organization of its kind, GLMA was founded in 1981 to combat homophobia in medicine and promote quality health care for all LGBT people.

For more information, contact: Ron Tierney, Communications Director
tel: 415-255-4547 ext. 309; fax: 415-255-4784; email: rtierney@glma.org