The Washington State Department of Health reports that the number of both new infections, as well as people living with HIV who progress to AIDS, has declined dramatically in recent years. The changing nature of this once-fatal affliction to a manageable, chronic disease has allowed SAN to expand its services to provide care to individuals with various chronic conditions across Eastern Washington.

SAN is officially rebranding to reflect this expansion, beginning with its name. The well-known acronym originally spelled out the organization’s work for HIV/AIDS. It will live on as a word unto itself and as the new official name, representing SAN’s future as a broad health care network while honoring the work and dedication of the past. To reflect this integration, SAN is also proud to announce its new mission statement:

To provide empowering services to people at risk of, or affected by, HIV/AIDS and other chronic conditions to promote health for all.

Spokane AIDS Network was established in 1985 as an informal network of friends, medical caregivers, and concerned citizens to coordinate services for people living with HIV and AIDS in the Spokane area. 12,000 people in Washington live with HIV/AIDS and over 500 new infections are diagnosed each year, but this is a far cry from the little-understood epidemic of the early 1980’s. Medical advances have proven that increased testing and treatment can prevent new infections, yet research has shown that stigma and discrimination undermine HIV prevention efforts by making people afraid to seek HIV information, services and modalities to reduce their risk of infection.