AIDS Project Rhode Island Appoints New Executive Director

The Providence-based AIDS Project Rhode Island has named Tom Bertrand as its new executive director.

Bertrand succeeds Stephen Hourahan, who held the position from 2009 until late last year. Hourahan is now working for Gov. Lincoln Chafee as a senior advisor.

Bertrand, who has worked 20 years in public health, comes to the position from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where he spent six years as director of the Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention and HIV/AIDS Surveillance. He was most recently program director for the Division of Emergency Medicine Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

"In my capacity as STD Director for Massachusetts, I developed and managed many programs to prevent and control the spread of syphilis," explained Bertrand. "About 90 percent of the syphilis cases were in gay men, and of them 50% were co-infected with HIV. In collaboration with (Boston's) Fenway Community Health, I made great strides in establishing a Web site to promote HIV/STD testing among gay men, improving partner services using the Internet, and developing sexual health fact sheets for gay/bi-sexual men."

Bertrand is a former assistant division director of the Rhode Island Department of Health's Division of Disease Control and Prevention, and former chief administrator of the state's Office of Communicable Disease. On a national level, Bertrand has held leadership positions on the board
of the National Coalition of STD Directors.

Bertrand plans to focus on case management, in addition to beefing up APRI's prevention efforts, and to strengthen relationships with LGBT Rhode Islanders and state government departments. He explained that he makes "decisions based on data" and utilizes public health theory in the creation of programs. He has always had an interest in preventing communicable diseases and working with the communities affected most by HIV/AIDS.

APRI merged with Family Service of RI in 2008. Bertrand feels the partnership has benefited the organization. "We are well positioned for the future," he said, adding APRI has a "strong" relationship with rival agency AIDS Care Ocean State.

Although the state's HIV/AIDS service organizations have struggled with diminished funding, Bertrand notes that APRI will be able to maintain the same level of services for its 250 clients. "We're on very good footing right now," he said.

One of Bertrand's first projects is the upcoming Dining Out for Life event on Thursday, April 28. Another popular fundraising event is Gay Bingo, which is held once a month at Riviera Bingo Palace in Cranston. The event is hosted by the popular drag queen Miss Kitty Litter.

Log onto www.aidsprojectri.org for more information.