Jan. 30, 2018
AUSTIN — The Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) presented its 2018 John P. McGovern Champion of Health Secondary Award to the Kind Clinic of Austin. The clinic won for its Pill that Prevents HIV program, an HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program. The clinic provides patients with PrEP, a daily pill that can prevent HIV infection, at low or no cost. The Champion of Health Secondary Award recognizes exceptional projects like this one that address urgent public health threats and furthers TMAF’s mission to help physicians create a healthier future for all Texans.
TMAF presented the award at 2018 TMA Winter Conference in Austin on Saturday.
“TMA Foundation is proud to celebrate the success of the Kind Clinic in creating a culture of good health. Its efforts are helping vulnerable communities at risk for HIV transmission prevent infection and live healthier lives, now and in the future,” said Leslie H. Secrest, MD, president of TMAF.
Established in 2015, the nonprofit Kind Clinic cares for low-income, medically underserved patients in Austin and the surrounding area. It offers free sexual health services including PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and HIV testing. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. The clinic welcomes everyone regardless of income and pays special attention to the unique needs of all patients. Volunteer physicians, medical residents, and staff at the Kind Clinic serve 1,400 patients annually with plans to double this number by 2019.
“We are thrilled to be selected as the secondary award recipient of the prestigious John P. McGovern Champion of Health Award,” said Cynthia Brinson, MD, chief medical officer of the Kind Clinic. “It’s an honor to be recognized by the Texas Medical Association Foundation for the impact we are making on the health and well-being of Texans who need it most. Though we are a young organization, we are committed to meeting the needs of the communities we serve through sexual health and wellness.”
The Kind Clinic created a low- or no-cost PrEP program, the first of its kind in Central Texas, to fill a void in HIV prevention. Texas has the third-highest number of HIV diagnoses in the United States, and promoting PrEP is among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s five recommendations to reduce HIV infection rates. The Kind Clinic also serves as the primary resource for people needing PEP after sexual assault.
TMAF Champion of Health Award secondary honorees receive $2,500. The award is named after the late John P. McGovern, MD, a philanthropist, scholar, and noted allergist who founded the John P. McGovern Foundation in Houston. Dr. McGovern established a permanent endowment at TMAF, which supports this award.
“This award will aid us in our growth and mission to end HIV,” said Dr. Brinson. “On behalf of the Kind Clinic staff and leadership; the Texas Health Action board of directors; and most importantly, our patients, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude for this honor.”
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 51,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 112 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. The TMA Foundation raises funds to support the population health, science, and quality-of-care priority initiatives of TMA and the Family of Medicine.
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