Announcing the Passing of Wilbert C. Jordan, MD, MPH

Remembering Dr. Wilbert C. Jordan from ABWP

With a heavy heart, the Association of Black Women Physicians (ABWP) announces the passing of a true giant in medicine who committed his entire career to the advancement of treatment, innovative research, and the promotion of progressive health policies- Dr. Wilbert Jordan. 

An Infectious Disease physician, HIV/AIDS expert, researcher, and scholar, Dr. Wilbert Jordan's career blazed a trail for generations of healthcare professionals; transformed medical and public health communities; and positively affected thousands of patients and their families. Over the more than 40 years of ABWP’s existence, he avidly supported our organization. We are left with a tremendous sense of gratitude for his brilliance, compassion and generosity.

Dr. Jordan earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, medical doctorate from Case Western Reserve University, and a Master of Public Health from UCLA, where he also completed his clinical training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar. Subsequently, his involvement in the care of and advocacy for patients with HIV began in the earliest years of the epidemic. In 1979, he treated his first patient and diagnosed one of the first cases of heterosexual transmission in L.A. County. 

As an indisputable testimony to the impact of his legacy, Dr. Jordan started the AIDS Clinic at King-Drew Medical Center in 1984, now known as the OASIS Clinic. The model of care provided by OASIS Clinic was cutting edge and revolutionary at the time - as Dr. Jordan insisted on providing culturally competent healthcare and addressing the social determinants of health well before this was recommended practice by public health experts. Dr. Jordan also developed the Focused Intervention model, identifying the zip codes with the highest rates of HIV, STD, and teenage pregnancy then targeting effective outreach/testing programs to those hot spots.

As a nationally recognized expert, Dr. Jordan contributed to the Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black & Minority Health in 1985 and the National Commission on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in 1987. He also received the Surgeon General's Award in 2000 for his involvement with the NIH-sponsored DATRI Study on low-dose oral alpha interferon; chairing the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV & AIDS in the early 1990s; and service on the Los Angeles County HIV Planning Council and the Prevention and Planning Committee since their inceptions. Additionally, he previously served as medical director for the Minority AIDS Project and chaired the Black Los Angeles AIDS Consortium. 

Dr. Jordan was named "Doctor of the Year" three times by the Charles R. Drew Medical Society. It was undeniably well deserved when ABWP honored Dr. Jordan at our 2001 Annual Charity Benefit. In 2002, he received the inaugural Black Entertainment Television's Community Service Pioneers Award. One special recognition that spoke volumes about the heart of this giant in medicine was the honor bestowed by the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), which created the Dr. Wilbert C. Jordan Research Forum to celebrate achievements in medicine and science. 

The Association of Black Women Physicians salutes the inspiring and enduring legacy of Dr. Wilbert Jordan.