A STAR Shines Brighter: Community Link Returns

By Office of the President | Feb 17, 2026

For more than three decades, the STAR Program has demonstrated that care, prevention, education, and research achieve their most significant impact when rooted in the community. That principle has shaped its clinical work, informed its research agenda, and strengthened partnerships across Brooklyn and beyond.

For many years, STAR Community Link served as a vehicle to share that work. First published in print, the newsletter connected staff, faculty, partners, and supporters committed to advancing public health and addressing HIV and related conditions with compassion and rigor. Like many initiatives during the pandemic period, the publication went on hiatus in 2021.

I am pleased to announce its return.

STAR Community Link relaunches in a more visual, connected format, linked directly to expanded stories on our website and social media platforms. While the format has changed, the purpose remains the same: to highlight the people, partnerships, and programs that advance STAR’s mission.

This returning issue opens with the STAR Survivors Quilt, created in 2015 by patients and community members and recently restored for public display. Each square shares a personal story and reflects the resilience and leadership that have shaped STAR’s work for more than three decades.

This issue reviews 2025 and highlights milestones in patient care, behavioral health, prevention, education, research, and community outreach. It also recognizes the leadership of Jack DeHovitz, M.D., Director of the STAR Program and Distinguished Service Professor, and the STAR team’s continued commitment to the institution and the communities we serve.

STAR Community Link will now publish twice a year.

Tags: STAR Program