Showing posts with label AIDS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AIDS. Show all posts

Saturday, September 05, 2009

WHO IS JOHN AUERBACH? Is he qualified to be Commissioner of Public Health?


aeurbach-4-blog.jpg

The Massachusetts Commissioner of the Department of Public Health would hold enormous power if Bill S2028 (pandemic disaster preparation) is passed. He already has the power to define what diseases are a danger to public health and subject to vaccination requirements, isolation and quarantine orders. One would think that someone with a medical degree (preferably along with a public health expertise) would have the job of Commissioner.

Well, this is Massachusetts. Our Commissioner has a BA from Clark University and an MBA (with a concentration in health care administration) from Boston University School of Management. But no medical background. But he's been a factory worker, a labor organizer, and head of the DPH HIV/AIDS office. 

(An example of Auerbach's contribution to public health is The Little Black Book: Queer in the 21st Century, a homo-erotic how-to for young men, including a directory of gay bars in Boston. Published by the AIDS Action Committee of Mass., it thanked two governmental groups he ran or worked with for their help: The Boston Public Health Commission and the DPH.)



Auerbach has pledged his support for the homosexual and transgender propaganda in the Massachusetts public schools. MassResistance reported in December 2008:
Commissioner Auerbach replied that he wants to advance "transgender health" while they have the opportunity. He applauded the commission's [on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth] attention to trans health and said "We will listen to your recommendations." Gunner Scott (a woman GLBT Commissioner with a beard and sideburns) stated that she wants the DPH to consider trans people for leadership roles within DPH. Auerbach agreed.... Gunner added that she wants the terms "gender identification" and "gender expression" used in the DPH policies. Auerbach agreed, and said they'll make sure that this happens. 

The Harvard Medical School's Office for Diversity and Community Partnership gave him a "social justice" award in 2008 and noted:

As Commissioner, he heads a Department with 3,100 employees that includes four public health hospitals, the State Laboratory, several regulatory bodies, and numerous programmatic units addressing chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, environmental health, tobacco control, children and adolescent health, and emergency preparedness. He is the Chair of the Public Health Council, the State’s Health Policy Board, and a member of the Governor’s Anti-Crime Council. 

The Boston Globe reported: 

He had gained national prominence in public health circles by championing sometimes-controversial causes such as banning smoking in bars and restaurants and, more recently, reviewing whether the city should ban trans-fats from restaurants and bakeries. Auerbach also directed a groundbreaking campaign to address ethnic and racial disparities in healthcare, which his boss, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, declared as the most pressing medical issue in the city.
Auerbach's appointment arrives a week after Patrick announced a $72 million increase in public health spending, with the money being used to
expand childhood vaccinations and disease-prevention campaigns.


From the DPH web site:

Commissioner John Auerbach, DPH
How did you get into this field?
My first job in public health was working in the community health center in my neighborhood in Dorchester. I was so impressed with the incredible work that was being done at the center that I wanted to stay in the field.



Who would you consider to be your mentor and why?
I have had a few wonderful mentors. I am most indebted to David Mulligan, the former commissioner of Public Health in Massachusetts, for whom I worked in one capacity or another for almost 20 years. I had the benefit of observing firsthand his brilliant strategic thinking and his skillful, compassionate leadership style. Another invaluable mentor was Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, with his unique combination of first-rate political acumen, heart-felt concern for the most vulnerable and very effective leadership ability.

What quote do you live by?
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. (Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963)

What has been the most memorable moment of your career?
Certainly one of the most memorable occurred when I was the Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. After many months of collaborative planning, a coalition unveiled the set of action steps to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. Initially it seemed unrealistic to think that a city health department could have an impact on such a major problem — which involved many other factors outside of the control of our department such as jobs, housing and schools. Yet many people and organizations were prepared to contribute to taking concerted action — redirecting millions of dollars, supporting scores of contracts and training thouands of people. It was inspiring to see the support for such a worthwhile effort.

Can you share an interesting fact about yourself that your colleagues wouldn’t necessarily know?
My first job after college was as a labor organizer in a shoe factory in the Boston area. As such, I worked on an assembly line for years and came to understand first hand the unsafe working conditions and low salaries that the workers endured — as well as the positive results that were possible under the right set of circumstances. The lessons and skills that I learned from these years have been invaluable in my work in public health.

Is there anything you’d like people to know about your agency?
Much of the work of the Department is unheralded because it involves prevention and the minimization of health risk — something that is difficult to quantify. The work of our dedicated staff results in the avoidance of disease and premature death and the guarantee that air, water and food are safe. The Department has hundreds of unsung heroes.

HIV/AIDS Epidemic Calling Out for Action by Dept. of Public Health

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Thursday, September 03, 2009

HIV/AIDS Exempted from Pandemic Control Bill H2028

The pandemic emergency bill S2028 makes an exception for one specific disease, HIV/AIDS, from isolation and quarantine strategies. See lines 456-458:

In this section [re: isolation and quarantine], “disease or condition dangerous to the public  health” does not include acquired  immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or the human  immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

While it doesn’t make sense to forcibly isolate or quarantine HIV/AIDS carriers, why not employ some of the other strategies enumerated in this bill to contain disease, such as:
- mandatory testing for the disease (lines 423-424).
- entry into premises (without warrant), where it’s suspected the disease is being communicated to others, and closing the premises or forbidding “assemblages of persons” there (lines 78-84 and 351-367).

After all, AIDS activists are always saying more needs to be done to combat the “epidemic”.

Well, our Department of Public Health would never do that, as it would “stigmatize” people with HIV/AIDS. How how could the state possibly condone targeting of gay bars, houses of prostitution, or drug dens where the disease is clearly spread? That would be an outrage on the scale of Stonewall! It would be interfering with freedom of choice and expression! How could it possibly recommend HIV/AIDS testing -- even before the “marriage” of two men? (In fact, the DPH under Governor Romney eliminated all STD testing before marriage. See Ch. 388 of Acts of 2004.)

The DPH believes it’s enough to push condom use and frequent HIV testing. 

Is it just a coincidence that our Commissioner of Public Health, John Auerbach, is openly homosexual and “married” to another man?

What is truly frightening is the amount of power the DPH Commissioner would hold in time of a declared health emergency if S2028 is passed.  


For more on Commissioner Auerbach, see:



Monday, January 07, 2008

Telling the Truth about Living with AIDS

Left: John Auerbach, Commissioner of Public Health for Massachusetts. [MassResistance photo]

Does this man promote and protect the public health?

From our report on Youth Pride, May 12, 2007:
"Rather than show up himself, the Governor sent John Auerbach, the new Commissioner of Public Health. Auerbach, who is "married" to another man, talked about how wonderful it is being gay. (This is public health in Massachusetts??) He also said that he's making sure there's enough HIV testing available for everyone."

Sad and fascinating story in Sunday's Boston Globe about the long-term battles with debilitating illnesses for those living with AIDS: "... [W]ith longevity has come a host of unexpected medical conditions, which challenge the prevailing view of AIDS as a manageable, chronic disease." Despite the new drugs, there's no escaping the ravages of this horrible disease. Also, a few days ago, there was a story on the uptick in shyphilis cases among "men who have sex with men" in Vermont, reflecting a national trend.

Are our young people hearing about any of this? No, they're just being encouraged to partake in "love" in whatever form they can imagine: "gay" clubs in the schools, plays encouraging children to "come out" and open themselves up to this infection, school counselors leading children on in this dangerous fantasy, etc. The Little Black Book, published by the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, instructs young men in the very practices that infect them with AIDS and shyphilis. "It's love, simply love!" they're told at Youth Pride. We reported that the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health, John Auerbach, just told the kids to get tested in his speech at Youth Pride 2007. Nothing about the extremely high risks of engaging in sexual practices that define the GLBT life. Nothing about the miserable life before them if they did test positive for HIV, even with the new AIDS drugs. This is dishonest, sad, and evil.

For many with AIDS, longer life spans bring new medical challenges, New York Times (1-6-08)
... The [anti-retroviral] drugs gave [AIDS patient] Holloway back his future. But at what cost?
That is the question, heretical to some, now being voiced by scientists, doctors, and patients encountering a constellation of ailments showing up prematurely or in disproportionate numbers among the first AIDS survivors to reach late middle age.

"The sum total of illnesses can become overwhelming," said Dr. Charles A. Emlet, an associate professor at the University of Washington at Tacoma and a leading researcher on HIV and aging, who sees new collaborations between specialists that will improve care.
"AIDS is a very serious disease, but longtime survivors have come to grips with it," Emlet continued, explaining that while some patients experienced unpleasant side effects from the antiretrovirals, a vast majority found a cocktail they could tolerate. "Then all of a sudden they are bombarded with a whole new round of insults, which complicate their medical regime and have the potential of being life-threatening. That undermines their sense of stability and makes it much more difficult to adjust."
The graying of the AIDS epidemic has increased interest in the connection between AIDS and cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression....


Vt. issues alert on syphilis infections, AP (1-3-08)
... Syphilis, a potentially deadly disease that first shows up as a painless genital sore, can be spread to others during sex. Because the sores may go unnoticed, the disease is often spread unknowingly.
If caught early, syphilis is easily treated with antibiotics. But if the infection is left untreated, syphilis can cause severe complications, infecting the brain, nervous system, and heart....The infection also increases the risk of contracting HIV....
Hannah Hauser, codirector of health and wellness for the R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center in Burlington, said the rising numbers in Vermont show that people are reporting the disease and getting help.
But Dr. Stuart Berman, head of epidemiology and the surveillance branch of the Division of STD Prevention at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
called the national syphilis trend "a significant public health concern."
The number of US cases increased for the sixth consecutive year in 2006, from 2.9 cases per 100,000 people a year earlier to 3.3 per 100,000, a nearly 14 percent increase, according to the CDC....

The CDC estimates that men who have sex with men accounted for 64 percent of the syphilis cases in the United States in 2006.
Data suggest an increase in sexual risk taking among some groups of men who have sex with men, which can help contribute to the spread of syphilis, Berman said....

[emphasis added]