When Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., learned about the Ryan White Historical Marker Dedication at Hamilton Heights Middle School on Aug. 30, she cleared her calendar to attend. She is deeply passionate about the young man who changed how the world looked at AIDS and the lasting impact of his legacy.
Trent-Adams
A hemophiliac, White became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment. He lost his battle to the disease in April 1990, one month prior to his high school graduation. This year marks the 31st anniversary of his first day at Hamilton Heights High School, with which he was welcomed with open arms. Heights is credited for developing an acclaimed AIDS educational campaign for a better understanding of the disease prior to White’s arrival.
“Ryan White was a courageous pioneer in the fight against HIV in America and I am honored to join in dedicating this historical marker,” said RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Thirty-five years following Ryan’s diagnosis, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. The time is now.”
Currently, RADM Trent-Adams serves as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (PDASH) and shares responsibility with the Assistant Secretary for Health, for planning, coordinating, and directing substantive program matters; policy and program development; and determining and setting legislative and program priorities covering the full range of public health activities within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
Prior to joining the Office of the Surgeon General, RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams was the Deputy Associate Administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration. She assisted in managing the $2.3 billion Ryan White program, which funds medical care, treatment, referrals and support services for uninsured and underserved people living with HIV disease as well as training for health care professionals.
RADM Trent-Adams has had an esteemed career and has held several leadership positions in HHS, working to improve access to care for poor and underserved communities. As both a clinician and administrator, she has had a direct impact on building systems of care to improve public health for marginalized populations domestically and internationally. RADM Trent-Adams lifelong service was recognized in 2018 with her election to the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academies of Practice.
RADM Trent-Adams has published widely and received numerous awards for her leadership and contributions to the field of nursing and public health. She is the recipient of the American Nursing Credentialing Center’s HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein Award, the American Academy of Nursing’s Civitas Award, the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing’s Lois Capps Luminary Policy Award, and, in 2017, the recipient of the International Red Cross Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international honor bestowed upon a nurse.