Philadelphia FIGHT’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce they have selected José Benitez, MSW, FCPP as our new Chief Executive Officer. Benitez will assume his duties on November 4, 2024. Benitez, currently serving as Director of Operations at FIGHT, will build upon the influential work of retiring CEO Jane Shull, who, over the past…
Dr. Sam Albanesi joined Philadelphia FIGHT in August 2024. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Allegheny College, he earned a Master of Arts in Urban Bioethics from Temple University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple. Dr. Albanesi completed his residency in Internal Medicine…
Em Barry, RN joined the staff of the Y-HEP Adolescent and Young Adult Health Center in October, 2023. Em identifies as nonbinary and prefers the pronouns they/them. They earned a B.A. from The College of New Jersey and received their nursing degree from Jefferson College of Nursing. Prior to joining FIGHT, Em worked in a…
Christopher Diaz, PA-C joined the Lax Center in September, 2023. He received his B.A. in Music from Fordham University and completed his M.H.S in Physician Assistant studies from Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. After graduation, Chris worked for PrimeCare Medical Corporation, treating patients at Pennsylvania correctional facilities. Before joining FIGHT, Chris worked…
The newly-created position of Pride Navigator is based at the Y-HEP Adolescent and Young Adult Health Center and serves patients at all FIGHT Health Centers.
Judith Tiga, PA-C joined the John Bell Health Center in September, 2023. She earned a B. A from Washington University in St. Louis and completed her Physician Assistant training at University of Iowa Collège of Medicine. Before joining FIGHT, Judith worked at Quality Community Health Care and the Stephen Klein Wellness Center. Judith understands introducing…
Kassandra Petit, MS, CRNP joined the Jonathan Lax Center in August, 2023. A Boston native, Kassandra earned a B.S. in Health Sciences from University of Central Florida and an M.S. from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, where she studied Women’s Health Nursing and Adult Gerontology. She is board certified in both specialties. Before…
Dr. Leah Scherzer joined Philadelphia FIGHT in July, 2023 after working for more than ten years as a pediatric outpatient physician at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. A graduate of Brown University with a B.A. in Urban Studies, Leah also received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Brown. Dr. Scherzer is a Certified Lactation Counselor…
The Board of Directors of Philadelphia FIGHT announces that Jane Shull, CEO and long-time leader of Philadelphia FIGHT, has made the decision to retire in 2024. Since the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1990’s, Shull has worked to develop and grow Philadelphia FIGHT as a comprehensive health services organization.
We would like to thank the A Book A Day organization for their generous donation of hundreds of books for our Philadelphia FIGHT Pediatrics and Adolescent Clinics and look forward to our continued partnership with them Thanks to this partnership we have created a library in our waiting room for patients to read while here. Patients…
This year, Philadelphia FIGHT marked World AIDS Day with two signature events. Thanks to everyone who joined us at our annual Prayer Breakfast with Keynote Speaker Rev. Dr. J. Wendell Mapson Jr..This year’s event featured a special tribute to the Lax Center’s Lizzy Schmidt, who recently retired after more than two decades there as a…
mPox vaccines are currently being offered for existing patients at FIGHT. For more information on getting your mPox vaccine at Philadelphia FIGHT, please call 267-725-0252. For more information about monkeypox and the vaccine, please check out the following website: https://www.phila.gov/programs/monkeypox/
Today, Philadelphia FIGHT is proud to join the global community in celebrating International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV).
Thank you for your support of Philadelphia FIGHT’s COVID-19 Community Testing Program! After more than 2 years and 20,000 tests, our COVID-19 testing program ended on 2/28/2023.
Philadelphia FIGHT had an active 2022. See some of our impact in our annual review.
Ready for the holidays? Many people who have had a “lived experience” and their families experience special difficulties during the holiday season. Celebrations and gifts are expensive, but all families want their children to enjoy the wonder of this season. ICJ is conducting a Holiday Party in partnership with Mercy Worldwide and sponsorship by Orijin…
Wishing you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Our Offices will be closed Thursday & Friday November 24th & 25th
In October, the Institute for Community Justice hosted a Resource Fair/Record Cleaning Event at the Church of the Advocate in North Philadelphia. In partnership with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity and the 21st & Norris Street Community Committee, and funded by the Promise Grant, dozens of individuals received criminal record reviews. Twenty-six vendors provided social services, reentry…
On Friday, November 18, 2022, members of FIGHT staff attended the Urban Affairs Coalition 53rd Anniversary Breakfast at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The event themed, Empowering Dreamers & Doers, was in person for the first time since the pandemic. Congressman Dwight Evans and Mayor Jim Kenney were among the distinguished speakers. Niki Hawkins, Vice President…
On November 30, 2021, Philadelphia FIGHT was the victim of a criminal cyberattack that may impact the confidentiality and privacy of patient information. As soon as we discovered this attack, we disconnected our network from the Internet, stopping the criminal attack, launched an investigation into the nature and scope of the event with the assistance…
April 18 is National Transgender HIV Testing Day, a day to recognize the importance of routine HIV testing, status awareness, & continued focus on HIV prevention & treatment for transgender & nonbinary people.
This week is National LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week, which recognizes the unique and intersectional healthcare needs of LGBTQ+ people, as well as the strength and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Women’s Program supports HIV-positive women to heal, grow, maintain health, and achieve their goals. Our Mission The Women’s Program is committed to excellent care for women living with HIV that is comprehensive, team-based, and respectful of diverse cultural backgrounds and spiritual traditions. We partner with women living with HIV to heal, grow, maintain health,…
According to the CDC, Women aged 25 to 34 had the highest number of new HIV diagnoses in 2018. Black and African-American women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. Compared to all people with HIV, women have lower viral suppression rates. For every 100 women overall diagnosed with HIV in 2018, 76 received some…
