UCSF HIVE Program Employee Honored by San Francisco General Hospital Foundation
Communications Coordinator Named 2018 Heroes & Hearts Award Winner
The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation has named the 2018 recipients of the Heroes & Hearts Award, an annual award recognizing extraordinary individuals in the community who go above and beyond the call of duty to care for the people of San Francisco.
Caroline Watson, who serves as the social justice and communications coordinator for UC San Francisco’s HIVE clinic and program, was one of two award winners this year. She and fellow recipient Karen Aguilar, lead patient navigator for the Gender Health SF program at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, were honored for their exemplary work at a Feb. 15 luncheon at AT&T Park.
Watson, a contract employee for the program, was recognized for her commitment to community inclusion and improving supportive communications around HIV through her work with HIVE: a hub of positive reproductive and sexual health. Since 1989, HIVE has provided preconception and prenatal care to women and couples affected by HIV at its clinic based at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG).
Through blog content and advocacy efforts highlighted in the Share Your Story Campaign, Watson has effectively advanced HIVE’s communications and stories. She has also challenged providers to use non-stigmatizing language with patients through the #LanguageMatters initiative. In addition to spearheading these campaigns, Watson founded the #WeAreAllWomen initiative, a focus on the shared experiences and empowerment of transgender and cisgender women.
The Heroes & Hearts program began in 2006 as a way to bring the community together to celebrate the essential role Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center plays in the city and to honor local heroes whose actions improve the community.
Since 1864, UCSF has been a partner in public health with ZSFG. The University provides faculty from all four professional schools – dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy – who provide patient care services, conduct research and teach at ZSFG. The UCSF-ZSFG partnership is known worldwide for adopting pioneering health interventions that translate research discoveries into better clinical care.