Kristen Davis

And by then, nearly 47,000 Americans have been infected with HIV or have died from AIDS. Wow. Cliff adds, quote, as I look back on that meeting with Dianne Feinstein, that was one of the more wonderful moments of my career. That's the first time I'd actually seen a politician show true leadership. So now that he has both the space and funding, Cliff needs nurses and doctors to work in Ward 5B.

And by then, nearly 47,000 Americans have been infected with HIV or have died from AIDS. Wow. Cliff adds, quote, as I look back on that meeting with Dianne Feinstein, that was one of the more wonderful moments of my career. That's the first time I'd actually seen a politician show true leadership. So now that he has both the space and funding, Cliff needs nurses and doctors to work in Ward 5B.

So he posts notices about the forthcoming AIDS ward throughout the hospital. He ends up hiring 11 nurses, as well as a team of social workers, physical therapists, dieticians, chaplains, and occupational therapists. And for him, staffing 5B isn't just about finding qualified medical professionals. It's about hiring people who genuinely want to work there.

So he posts notices about the forthcoming AIDS ward throughout the hospital. He ends up hiring 11 nurses, as well as a team of social workers, physical therapists, dieticians, chaplains, and occupational therapists. And for him, staffing 5B isn't just about finding qualified medical professionals. It's about hiring people who genuinely want to work there.

He knows that'll be the key to improving this poor quality of care that everyone is seeing everywhere else. Right. But Cliff insists on being honest about the risks of this work. He has worked with enough AIDS patients without contracting the illness himself to know that that's possible. But generally, information is sparse, and he needs his staff to be informed and accepting of the unknowns.

He knows that'll be the key to improving this poor quality of care that everyone is seeing everywhere else. Right. But Cliff insists on being honest about the risks of this work. He has worked with enough AIDS patients without contracting the illness himself to know that that's possible. But generally, information is sparse, and he needs his staff to be informed and accepting of the unknowns.

One 5B staffer later recalls an early conversation with Cliff where he says, quote, go home and talk to your significant others because we don't know. We can't tell you that you're not going to get this disease.

One 5B staffer later recalls an early conversation with Cliff where he says, quote, go home and talk to your significant others because we don't know. We can't tell you that you're not going to get this disease.

Yeah. How brave. And then Cliff talks to the patients themselves to find out what they want out of this ward. He'll later say, quote, the first thing I heard was I want to feel like I'm being treated like a person.

Yeah. How brave. And then Cliff talks to the patients themselves to find out what they want out of this ward. He'll later say, quote, the first thing I heard was I want to feel like I'm being treated like a person.

There's a tear in that eye right there.

There's a tear in that eye right there.

Well, it's just, look, I lost a friend to AIDS who was 21 years old. Oh, my God. And it was a big surprise. And it was, he was my friend from sixth grade. Wow. And I loved him very much, Ken Mason. And to see him, he... Thank God had a very loving, very accepting family who took care of him right till the end. And so I got to go see him basically in his at his mom's house.

Well, it's just, look, I lost a friend to AIDS who was 21 years old. Oh, my God. And it was a big surprise. And it was, he was my friend from sixth grade. Wow. And I loved him very much, Ken Mason. And to see him, he... Thank God had a very loving, very accepting family who took care of him right till the end. And so I got to go see him basically in his at his mom's house.

And it was one of the worst things I've ever experienced to kind of see that he was ravaged. I mean, he was just like. He was emaciated. And it's so easy to think about all of these men who in the 70s were like, oh, you know, everyone's encouraged to come out and we need to fight for our rights. And we need to like be the people who we are.

And it was one of the worst things I've ever experienced to kind of see that he was ravaged. I mean, he was just like. He was emaciated. And it's so easy to think about all of these men who in the 70s were like, oh, you know, everyone's encouraged to come out and we need to fight for our rights. And we need to like be the people who we are.

And then suddenly this happens and it enables these bigots to talk about racism. gay people, gay men, like you got what you deserved.

And then suddenly this happens and it enables these bigots to talk about racism. gay people, gay men, like you got what you deserved.

It's so disgusting. It's just like, yeah, everything about it is so horrifying. And then the leadership that intentionally didn't help.

It's so disgusting. It's just like, yeah, everything about it is so horrifying. And then the leadership that intentionally didn't help.