HIV, Stigma, and Trust with Harold Phillips

Healthcare can’t ask communities to trust systems that haven’t earned their trust. In this episode, Harold Phillips, the CEO of NMAC (formerly the National Minority AIDS Council), discusses what HIV reveals about stigma, trust, racial justice, and the communities still being left behind by healthcare. Drawing on his lived experience with HIV and decades of public health leadership, Phillips explores why healthcare must treat the whole person rather than simply the diagnosis. He explains how stigma, misinformation, and mistrust can keep people from accessing care even when effective treatments and prevention tools are available. Phillips also examines the difference between outreach and genuine community partnership, emphasizing the importance of listening to communities and using their lived experiences to shape healthcare systems and policy. Tune in to hear Harold Phillips share what healthcare leaders can learn from communities that have historically been left behind, and how those lessons can help build more equitable, trustworthy systems. IHI Spotlight - Sylvia Trent-Adams: This episode’s IHI Spotlight features Sylvia Trent-Adams, President and CEO at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, who talks about the lessons HIV has taught her about dignity, trust, equity, and person-centered care. Drawing on her experience as a nurse caring for soldiers living with or affected by HIV, she emphasizes that treating a diagnosis and truly seeing a person are not the same thing. She also discusses why healthcare organizations must listen to marginalized communities and act on what they hear, making equity an essential part of quality and safety rather than a separate initiative. About Harold Phillips: Harold J. Phillips is a nationally recognized HIV policy leader and public health strategist with over 30 years of experience advancing equity, access, and innovation in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In 2025, he was appointed CEO of NMAC, where he leads eNorts to center racial justice and community leadership in the national response to HIV. Previously, Phillips served as Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (2021–2024), overseeing the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and shaping federal policy to accelerate progress toward ending the epidemic. He also held senior roles at the Health Resources and Services Administration’s HIV/AIDS Bureau, where he managed key programs including Ryan White, AIDS Education and Training Centers, and PEPFAR-funded initiatives. As a Black gay man living with HIV, Phillips brings lived experience and visionary leadership to his work. His career has been defined by a commitment to uplifting marginalized voices, modernizing HIV policy, and building sustainable systems of care. Things You’ll Learn: HIV continues to reveal how stigma, misinformation, and mistrust can create barriers to healthcare access. Treating the whole person requires healthcare systems to address the social and personal circumstances that shape health outcomes. Lived experience should inform healthcare policy, system design, and shared decision-making. Genuine community partnership requires ongoing listening, responsiveness, and action, not one-time outreach or consultation. Healthcare organizations can build trust by listening to communities, adapting their services, and creating systems that center historically marginalized populations. Resources: Connect with and follow Harold Phillips on LinkedIn. Follow NMAC on LinkedIn and explore their website!