A History of SAN

Spokane AIDS Network (SAN), began as an informal network of friends, medical caregivers, and concerned citizens in 1985. The first known diagnosis of AIDS in Spokane County took place only a year earlier. Dr. Jeff Collins, Dr. Dan Coulston, and Tom Crowe of the Spokane County Health District met to discuss creating an AIDS support group which would include Community Mental Health, Department of Social Health Services, members of the gay community and other volunteers to coordinate services for people with AIDS.

In the beginning, SAN concentrated primarily on coordinating end-of-life services and encouraging "safe sex" practices. During the mid 1990's the nature of the disease changed and more people were living longer because of the advances in drug treatments. SAN shifted its focus to helping clients manage some of the negative side effects of highly toxic new drugs and adhering to the difficult pill-taking regimen. Currently, nationwide trends point to a marked increase in HIV infections, despite years of declining infection rates. Prevention of HIV infection still is a high priority for SAN, especially as seen through the recent grant award by the Center For Disease Control to combat increasing infection rates.

In June 1987, the articles of incorporation were filed and the first Board members were elected. Jerry Watts was chosen as the first Board chair. During the same summer, Diane Jeffers was the first part-time staff person to be hired to provide education, volunteer training, and referral services. The first full-time staff person was hired in the winter of 1987-1988 and the first office was opened on Broadway and Ash. During that same time, the Washington State Legislature passed the Omnibus AIDS legislation which mandated AIDS education for health care providers and some funding for AIDS-related services. SAN provided some of the first AIDS education programs in Spokane County for health care providers during the spring of 1989. A full-time case-worker was hired through a grant from the Spokane County Health District and Ginger Goble was hired as the first Executive Director.

The SAN offices were moved to 10th and Perry during Autumn 1989, a time during which it also received its first Community Development Block Grant. Holiday Baskets were also first delivered to 25 clients, a program which now serves 85 families. SAN also began receiving funding from the Ryan White Care Act to help those living with HIV/AIDS in 1989. Later, a move found the SAN offices residing in a house on Gardner.

In Spring 1996, SAN bought its current office on 9th and Monroe through the generous contributions of the Comstock Foundation and a successful Capital Campaign. Anne Stuyvesant served as Executive Director from 1997 until 2002, when SAN's current ED, Susan Fabrikant, came aboard.

With a recent award by the recent Centers for Disease Control targeting prevention of the transmission of the HIV virus, SAN will include 16 professionals and over 50 committed volunteers.