AHF Employee Spotlight

AHF Employee Spotlight

Meet some of the incredible employees who make the AIDS Healthcare Foundation go.

GUEST BIOs:

• Marisa Nilchavee: Marisa started at AHF as a Front Desk Clerk, moved to HR and eventually started the role she is in now as the Senior Executive Assistant to Michael Weinstein and Peter Reis, as well as board liaison. She’s responsible for ensuring that both Weinstein and Reis are where they need to be and that everyone’s informed about their organizational needs.
• Jason Hill: started with AHF in 2013 as a Cashier at one of AHF's Out of the Closet (OTC) locations. Since then he has grown within AHF and is now the Senior Program Manager overseeing HIV testing and wellness programs at all the Out of the Closet stores in Northern Bureau.
• Jonathan Cowans: Jonathan Cowans began his career at AHF as an Office Administrator/Benefits Counselor. He was then promoted to a Practice Manager, and was promoted to his current role as Regional Director of Healthcare Center Operations for Texas in January of 2022!

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[7:51] – Growing Through Careers

Learning on the job is central to AHF

Marisa Nilchavee shares the way that as she’s become more deeply enmeshed in AHF culture, she’s come to understand more and more about the overarching space that the organization occupies— the way that HIV and AIDs are tied to public health, to race and diversity, and to human rights more broadly. As she’s seen behind the scenes of AHF’s work, she’s developed her own more nuanced understanding of their vital work.

[10:54] – Embracing Cultural and Technological Shifts

Jonathan speaks on how patient outreach has changed

When Jonathan Cowans started at AHF, much of their outreach was in-person and via phone. Now, they’ve adapted to many people’s preferred method of communication— text messaging, native telehealth apps, and more. Rather than resisting the cultural shifts to how people communicate now, AHF has embraced them and been able to serve patients more effectively as a result.

[13:49] – ‘The Longest I’ve Stayed on a Job’

Why AHF inspires employee longevity

All three guests speak to how AHF has helped them shift from seeing jobs as a springboard to another role at another organization to fully buying into the organization’s mission and wanting to stay for the long haul. When you can be whoever you are while being embraced into a unified corporate culture, anything is possible.

[27:26] – The Work is the Reward

The ‘why’ is as important as the ‘what’

When your work aligns with your personal sense of purpose, every day doesn’t have to end with some measurable forward progress to be considered a success. The work itself is the reward, something Marisa has found throughout her time with AHF and a sentiment echoed by countless other members of the team.

RESOURCES:

[0:16] – Aids Healthcare Foundation Website

FOLLOW:

• Follow Lauren Hogan: LinkedIn
• Follow AHFter Hours: Instagram

ABOUT AHFTER HOURS:

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization, operating in 45 countries globally. The mission? Providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

The AHFter Hours podcast is an official podcast of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in which host Lauren Hogan is joined by experts in a range of fields to educate, inform, and inspire listeners on topics that go far beyond medical information to cover leadership, creativity, and success. 

Learn more at: https://www.aidshealth.org

ABOUT THE HOST:

Lauren Hogan is the Communications Manager for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and has been working in a series of roles with the Foundation since 2016. She’s passionate about increasing the public visibility of AIDS, the Foundation's critical work, and how everyday people can help join the fight to make cutting-edge medicine, treatment, and support available for anyone who needs it.

• Learn more about Lauren at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenhogan3
• Learn more about the AIDS Healthcare Foundation at: https://www.aidshealth.or