Thomas R. Frieden
PER
Thomas R. Frieden Frieden
New York City's health commissioner, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, called for changing state laws so that health officials could more aggressively test people for H.I.V. and AIDS and use the medical information, whereas, the city already collects to help treat those infected. In addition apart from wanting to change those laws, he also wants to make testing for the virus a routine part of medical care, simplifying the process by which a patient consents to be tested. Dr. Frieden said that they know people are dying, as he outlined his proposals publicly for the first time. New York City's health commissioner, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, called yesterday for changing state laws so that health officials could more aggressively test people for H.I.V. and AIDS and use the medical information the city already collects to help treat those infected. In addition to that, he also wants to make testing for the virus a routine part of medical care, simplifying the process by which a patient consents to be tested. He believes that this disparity reflects the way efforts to test for the disease and treat it have not evolved to keep pace with the changing nature of the epidemic. His proposals would help those in a population that does not get tested early enough, who are often sick by the time they know their status, and who are often stranded without the good medical care available to the more prosperous.