The IDSA Foundation Honors Dr. George W. Counts
The IDSA Foundation has named the George W. Counts, MD, FIDSA, Executive Conference room in honor of one of the country’s leading physicians, researchers, teachers, mentors and leaders.
“We are pleased to dedicate this space in honor of Dr. Counts, recognizing his contributions to patient care, research, and medical education,” said Paul Auwaerter, MD, MBA, FIDSA, professor of medicine at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine and president of the IDSA Foundation. “This space will honor Dr. Counts and his substantial accomplishments advancing the care of patients, especially those of color, as well as mentoring many infectious diseases physicians in their early career who were underrepresented.”
Dr. Counts served as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and a Member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle until he retired in 2003. Beginning in 1989 at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Counts directed the team that provided the logistical support for clinical trials to evaluate potentially effective drugs against HIV.
Between 1999 and 2002, Dr. Counts served as coordinator for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Plan to Eliminate Syphilis in the United States. In this position, he played a significant role in reducing the rates of congenital and adult syphilis. In 2002, he returned to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle as a Senior Advisor with the HIV Vaccine Trials Unit.
During the early-1990s, Dr. Counts organized a small interest group of minority ID medical school faculty, ID practitioners, public health colleagues and ID fellows to form a network dedicated to information sharing and professional development. Today, the Counts Interest Group remains a crucial networking consortium within the IDSA and helps advance its inclusion, diversity, access and equity goals.
In 2021, Dr. Counts’ was awarded IDSA’s Walter E. Stamm Mentor Award in recognition of his exemplary mentorship and work guiding the growth of ID professionals.
Laila Woc-Colburn, MD, FIDSA, Paul Auwaerter, MD, MBA, FIDSA, Lucy Tompkins, MD, PhD, FIDSA, and George Counts, MD, FIDSA
About the IDSA Foundation
Founded in 2001, the IDSA Foundation is the charitable arm of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The Foundation is committed to providing career development opportunities, supporting education and funding groundbreaking research in the field of infectious diseases. Through its work, the Foundation invests in the next generation of diverse ID leaders and promotes advancements in patient care. For more information, visit www.idsafoundation.org