Allegheny Health Network Nurse Practitioner to Receive Kerry Stoner Award, Recognizing Long Commitment to Caring for People with HIV and AIDS

PITTSBURGH (Jan. 15, 2015) - Stuart Fisk, CRNP, Director of Operations for the Center for Inclusion Health of Allegheny Health Network and a nurse practitioner with the Positive Health Clinic at Allegheny General Hospital, has been selected to receive the Kerry Stoner Award from the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, honoring his longtime commitment to caring for patients with HIV and AIDS.

Fisk will receive the award March 26 at the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force's 29th annual benefit at J. Verno Studios. The Kerry Stoner Award is presented annually to honor a person who has, through a longtime dedication to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force's mission, and has shown commitment to Kerry Stoner's legacy and vision. Stoner, a tireless HIV/AIDS activist who died of complications from AIDS in 1993, was a founder and the first executive director of PATF.

Fisk has been involved in HIV activism, research, nursing, and prevention since 1988 and has provided hospice, nursing and medical care for persons living with HIV disease since 1992.  He helped to develop a number of innovative programs to provide compassionate and state of the art care for these populations, both in Pittsburgh and San Francisco, CA. He has focused on the provision of high quality medical and behavioral health care for persons with HIV infection and co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders.

He has been involved in the development of the Positive Health Clinic at Allegheny General Hospital since 1999.  The PHC is a Ryan White Care Act/HRSA funded medical clinic for persons with HIV, providing comprehensive, state-of-the-art primary care to HIV-positive persons.  The PHC provides multidisciplinary team based care to almost 800 patients living with HIV.

Fisk has worked with Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force since his arrival in Pittsburgh in 1996. He began as a volunteer providing training for PATF's Buddy Program and has continued lending his skill, compassion, dedication to the mission of PATF in the years since. Stuart joined PATF's board of directors in 2009 and is currently serving as vice president.

This year's event at J. Verno Studios begins at 6 p.m. with a VIP reception featuring enhanced service and food provided by All in Good Taste Productions with Emmy-nominated chef Bob Sendall. General admission begins at 7:30 p.m. and features hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, the Kerry Stoner award presentation, and a performance by Elite Show Band. VIP tickets are $325 and general admission tickets are $175. Tickets can be purchased at www.patf.org or by calling 412-345-0593. 

Proceeds benefit Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, the region's oldest and largest AIDS service organization. PATF is dedicated to supporting and empowering all individuals living with HIV/AIDS, and to being relentless in preventing the spread of infection. PATF is a leader in providing comprehensive support services that improve the health and quality of life for those living with HIV/AIDS in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Greene, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. For more information visit www.patf.org or call Emma McAfee at 412-345-0593.

The Positive Health Clinic is located near Allegheny General Hospital, in the Federal North Medical Building at 1307 Federal Street, and also sees patients once a month in Aliquippa. For more information on the clinic, HIV care or HIV testing, call 412.359.3360.

About the Allegheny Health Network:

Allegheny Health Network, part of Highmark Health, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the Western Pennsylvania region.  The Network is comprised of eight hospitals, including its flagship academic medical center Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Valley Hospital, Canonsburg Hospital, Forbes Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, Westfield Memorial Hospital and West Penn Hospital; an employed physician organization, a research institute, health + wellness pavilions, home and community-based health services and a group purchasing organization.   The Network employs approximately 17,500 people, and has more than 2,100 physicians on its medical staff.   The Network also serves as a clinical campus for both Temple University School of Medicine and Drexel University College of Medicine. AHN also has established a collaborative relationship with Johns Hopkins Medicine to advance medical research and explore opportunities for improving patient care quality, access and affordability.