HEAT Program Marks World AIDS Day with a Call to Remember, Honor, and Act
By Office of the President | Jan 6, 2026
Downstate joined the Health and Education Alternatives for Teens (HEAT) Program in observing World AIDS Day with a powerful community symposium on December 5, 2025, held in Alumni Auditorium. The gathering brought together youth, clinicians, advocates, community partners, and allies to reflect on the ongoing impact of HIV, honor decades of service, and reaffirm a shared commitment to compassionate, equitable care.
The symposium, led by the HEAT Team, created intentional space for remembrance, education, and connection. Through live performances, a HEAT-curated panel discussion, visual tributes, and shared moments of reflection, the program reminded attendees that World AIDS Day is a time to remember the difficult times and to reaffirm the commitment to the work ahead.
Participants engaged HEAT and other tabling agencies with goals relevant to ending the AIDS epidemic and with interactive elements such as a Wall of Remembrance, honoring lives to the syndrome. During the program, the names of young people who received care through HEAT and who have passed away from AIDS over the years were read aloud, creating a powerful moment of collective remembrance. Attendees also had the opportunity to experience the STAR Survivors’ Quilt and participate in a lantern lighting ceremony that highlighted the enduring power of community solidarity.
Highlighting the evening was the recognition of individuals whose dedication has shaped the HEAT Program, which strengthened HIV care and prevention efforts across Brooklyn and beyond. Honorees included Damian Bird, Tom Panzella, Charles Shepherd, Phyllis Jones, Tiffanie Patterson, Steven Daly, Dorothea Golden, and Jeffrey M. Birnbaum, M.D., MPH, Executive Director of the HEAT Program. Each was lauded for their longstanding leadership, advocacy, and service to young people and communities disproportionately affected by HIV.
The program also highlighted the role of art and storytelling in healing and resilience. Performances by Rhue Rosa, LMSW, a poet and artist; Unison Steel Pan Band; and Keki, a Brooklyn-based interpretive dancer, guided the audience through moments of reflection, remembrance, and shared purpose, reinforcing that the response to HIV has always been rooted in both medicine and humanity.
Opening and closing remarks by Breanna D. Watson, MSPH, CHES, CLC, Deputy Executive Director of the HEAT Program, emphasized the continued importance of observing World AIDS Day. She reaffirmed HEAT’s commitment to meeting young people with dignity, consistency, and care, and thanked the many staff, volunteers, and partners who made the evening possible.
Downstate proudly supports the HEAT Program and serves as a convening space for conversations that advance health equity, community engagement, and public trust. Events such as this reflect Downstate’s longstanding role as a partner in addressing health disparities and strengthening community-centered care.
World AIDS Day is a critical reminder that remembrance must be matched by action. Together with HEAT and its partners, Downstate remains committed to honoring those lost, supporting those living with HIV, and advancing the work still required to ensure access, dignity, and hope for all.
Tags: HEAT Program, Events