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HL20: Jim Geary—Dealing With Epidemics, Again
As predominantly gay men were being ravaged by a little-understood virus, they were also being vilified by the public and abandoned by friends and family. Many healthcare workers were not immune to the panic and confusion, donning gowns, masks, and gloves for fear they might catch the virus through the air or by touching a patient. Shanti proved to be not only a key support network for patients, but also played a key role in educating the public and healthcare professionals.
In early 1983, Kaiser Permanente invited Geary and several AIDS patients to tell their stories to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
"That was so empowering and so transforming for the healthcare professionals. A lot of them had never seen a person with HIV at the time or interacted with one. Hearing the stories firsthand was a tremendous opportunity for them to dispel a lot of the stereotypes that they had previously held."
The kind of dialogue could help healthcare professionals better treat patients suffering from today's epidemics: obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, for example, he notes.
Geary went from being an activist for all AIDs patients to an advocate for one in 1992, when his own lover of 20 years, Jess Randall, was diagnosed with AIDS. As they navigated the healthcare system together, many of its problems—issues with which the industry still grapples today—became painfully apparent.
About a year before Randall died, he was admitted to the hospital with a high fever and a sepsis infection. That was Geary's first encounter with the dangers inherent in lack of care coordination and patient engagement and empowerment.
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Comments are moderated. Please be patient.
Bill Barksdale (1/16/2012 at 8:17 PM)
I worked with Jim Geary at Shanti Project in the early days. I was a minor player but Jim was an inspiring leader at a difficult time. He challenged and taught, frightened but dedicated volunteers to be strong and loving advocates for young, terrified men dying from the unknown disease AIDS. We didn't know what it was. I assume Jim had some fear too but I never saw it. He was couragous, loving, kind and a mighty force that confronted government and social agencies to deal with this epidemic in a meaningful and effective way. I haven't seen Jim for years but I will never forget him. He's a true hero.