AIDS United Announces Richard Sorian As Senior Communications Advisor

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- AIDS United issued the following news release:

AIDS United announced today that Richard Sorian, a respected communications and HIV policy leader, has joined the organization as a Senior Communications Advisor. He will lead efforts to communicate with the public and policymakers about HIV issues, policies and programs.

"I'm very glad Richard is joining us at this critical time in the fight to end HIV and AIDS," said AIDS United President and CEO Jesse Milan, Jr., "Richard has outstanding communications skills and a proven reputation. His deep knowledge of U.S. healthcare policy will assure AIDS United continues our work to inform the public while fighting to preserve and expand programs to meet the needs of millions of Americans living with and affected by the epidemic." Most recently Sorian was a Senior Vice President and Partner at FleishmanHillard, one of the largest global communications firms, where he led the healthcare practice in Washington D.C.

Sorian is an award-winning journalist and was a senior advisor to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and has been on the frontlines of the U.S. response to the HIV epidemic. In 2010-12, he was the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), where he led efforts to educate the public about the Affordable Care Act. Earlier he worked for five years as a senior advisor to HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala on issues including healthcare reform and HIV/AIDS policy.

Sorian is leading the organization's communications efforts while AIDS United searches for a new permanent Director of Communications. The position was posted earlier this month.

"Sorian will be working closely with the AIDS United public policy team and a broad coalition of organizations in their work to fight legislation that would weaken the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, and fight for appropriations to funding continuing progress HIV prevention, treatment and care," said Milan.

The fight against HIV/AIDS has been the driving force of my adult life," Sorian said. "I'm grateful for the chance to work with the AIDS United team and its partners to make sure that the public know about the tremendous advances we are making and support them to confront and defeat efforts to halt that progress."