News Releases from Department of Health

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) Harm Reduction Services Branch (HRSB) is pleased to announce Bryan Chin as the recipient of the 2024 Suzanne Richmond-Crum Award. The award will be presented during the annual World AIDS Day ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 1. Chin is being honored for his outstanding contributions to HIV services in Hawai‘i. The award was established in honor of Suzanne Richmond-Crum who died  in 2004 after serving for more than 10 years as director of the Hawai‘i Seropositivity and Medical Management Program of the DOH HRSB. The award is presented each year to an individual in Hawai‘i for their outstanding contributions in providing HIV services with competence and compassion, just as Richmond-Crum demonstrated in her work.

Chin, a nurse practitioner, has been with the Maui AIDS Foundation (MAF), serving the Maui County community, since 2014. Chin began as a medical case manager working with people living with HIV, before pursuing advanced nursing degrees and becoming a clinical provider. Chin is dedicated to ensuring that his patients are well-informed and supported and, above all, at ease when dealing with difficult situations. He is a relentless advocate for ensuring that the Maui County community has access to health care as a driving force behind MAF’s free sexual health, which provides testing and treatment for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV; preventative HIV medical care (PrEP); and the Bridge Program, which provides rapid entry into HIV care, including individuals without insurance. The free clinic serves all Maui County residents, with special consideration to the most vulnerable and underserved.

Chin has dedicated 10 years to implementing a patient-centered model of care that is holistic and collaborative in its approach. He is detail oriented and is known for always putting forth his strongest effort to provide great care to every patient who comes in the door.

President of the Board of Directors of Maui AIDS Foundation, Steven F. Hire said, “I first met Bryan when I was executive director of Maui AIDS Foundation (MAF). From my first interactions with him I was impressed with his empathy, compassion and commitment to HIV/AIDS. At the time, both Bryan and I were aware that MAF needed a clinic to respond to the needs of our clients and community. Knowing that we were understaffed and underfunded and knowing that I, as executive director, didn’t have the time to get a clinic up and running, Bryan took it upon himself to do the groundwork that made the clinic a reality.”

World AIDS Day is a day to come together to remember the many people we’ve lost to HIV, to support people living with HIV, their families, friends and caregivers. It is a day to appreciate the dedicated health care and social services professionals who serve those affected by HIV.

World AIDS Day 2024 will be commemorated on Oʻahu at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, at Capitol Modern, Hawai‘i State Art Museum in Honolulu. The public is welcome to be part of the ceremony to observe World AIDS Day and celebrate the annual presentation of the Suzanne Richmond-Crum Award.

For more information on this and all statewide World AIDS Day events, go to: https://worldaidsdayhawaii.org/

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