1993 Volume 116 No 1–4 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

his medical career fighting AIDS, but he doesn't see himself as a
hero. An energetic and committed physician, Volberding plays
the roles of researcher, politician, advocate, and doctor as the director
of the Center for AIDS research at the University of California
at San Francisco. He is also chief of clinical oncology and
the head of the AIDS program
According to the CDC, one
million Americans are HIV
positive, and more than
180,000 have died of AIDS.
at San Francisco General Hospital,
a program he started in
1983. His wife. Dr. MoUy
Cooke, is also an academic
physician who works in San
Francisco's AIDS ward.
A trained specialist in retroviruses
(of which HIV is one), Volberding saw his fiiture as a
cUnician in fighting cancer. He admired the courage and outspokenness
of cancer patients, the same traits that drew him to
people with AIDS.
In the early '80s, when Uttie was known about the epidemic,
Volberding became somewhat of a media superstar because of his
calm, reassuring style and his rare expertise on the disease. He
gained instant popularity among the gay community as a patientadvocate,
and even now is somewhat of a Uving legend in the
AIDS community. He has appeared on "Nightiine," "Donahue,"
and "Merv Griffin." In 1987, the editors of GQ_magazine gave
him their GlenUvet Award for Singular Style. His exploits, and
those of the few other physicians who addressed the epidemic in
the early '80s, have been chronicled in And the Band Played On,
the classic book by San Francisco Chronicle reporter Randy ShUts.
As the new chief of oncology at San Francisco General in
1981, Dr. Volberding responded to the epidemic when few others
would. He established the first center that aUowed patients to
help shape their own treatment; he argued vigorously on the side
of patient rights; and he has chaired or served on nearly every
major national and international policy-making committee on
AIDS. Volberding's Ward 5B was the first inpatient unit in the
U.S. devoted exclusively to AIDS patients.
"What we've done here is put together a great program for
patients. It just makes more sense with this disease to work with
patients to develop systems of care instead of trying to impose
existing systems on this new disease," says Volberding.
"We've developed programs that are used throughout the
world as models [for AIDS care] that are very good medicine and
are also cost effective."
Being at the center of the political storm AIDS has created,
Volberding has become respected and admired not only as a doctor
and researcher, but as a politician. Despite the fact that the
epidemic has created discord between patients, pharmaceutical
companies, physicians, and the government, Volberding has the
uncanny abiUty to build coalitions and sooth conflicts. The more
heated debate regarding the Federal drug approval process provokes
only a calm, uncritical response.
"I may be in the minority, but I think the FDA has done a
great job," he says. "It took them, like the rest of the medical
community, a while to get up to speed on this disease, but it also
took the drug companies some time to develop some promising
drugs.
218 TheScroU
"One area we are watching is the flexibUity of the approval.
GeneraUy, when the FDA approves a drug, they approve it for a
specific disease and for one group of people. With HIV, we
would Uke them to keep an open mind to giving approval for a
broader group of HIV infected people."
In 1983, Volberding became
involved with some of the earliest
cUnical tests of AZT, culminating
in his leading the largest cUnical
trial on HIV infection. His skiU at
understanding aU sides of this political
issue has opened many
doors for him and his program.
Volberding now uses much of his influence lobbying pharmaceutical
companies to test their new drugs at his center.
Volberding's high profile work on AIDS led international
AIDS organizations to recruit him. He became a founding member
of the International AIDS Society, serving as its president
from 1990 - 92.
Volberding is increasingly concerned with the AIDS crisis in
third world nations. Eighty percent of new AIDS cases occur in
these countires, and with few health care workers and budgetary
constraints, these countries cannot afford to distribute condoms,
nor can they afford drug therapy.
"A vaccine is the major push, because there are many developing
countries where HIV infection is spreading absolutely
without control. Many of those countries have no health care
AIDS education at Michigan Epsilon
Until a cure is found, education
is the only weapon
against AIDS.The Michigan
Epsilon chapter took this
to heart last January,
sponsoring a seminar on
AIDS and HIV.
The members organized
and promoted the
seminar for all Greeks at
Northwood University.
Getting the facts: Northwood Phis
after the seminar.
Two volunteers for the local Red Cross, Marty HoUenbeck, director
of health and safety education, and "John Myers," an AIDS
patient, presented the facts and the realities of the disease.
"We gave them the facts and then applied them to real life
situations," said HoUenbeck.
The presenters emphasized abstinence, but they also discussed
ways to protect against infection resulting from sexual
activity.They carefully avoided stereotyping victims of AIDS.
"People often build barriers to convince themselves that
AIDS happens to someone else," HoUenbeck said."That way,
they feel safe."
After the presentation, the brothers passed out condoms to
the group."Let's face it these are scary times," said Brother Brad
Pelachyk, the event's principal organizer. "We need to be well
informed and act responsibly."