Tuesday, November 26, 2013

We here at NIH have been working on the schedule for the visit of Bill Gates to the NIH on December 2, 2013. There was considerable concern that this might conflict with the annual World AIDS Day celebration at the White House which would involve Pres. Obama that might be scheduled on December 2. However the White House announced that they will have the celebration on December 3 which avoided a conflict with the Bill Gates visit. Considerable planning went into the scheduled Gates visit with my playing a major role in showing him around and leading discussions. However I just heard literally minutes ago from the White House that the World AIDS Day ceremony will take place on Monday, December 2. This directly overlaps and conflicts with the Bill Gates visit. This will be very disruptive and upsetting to both Bill Gates and the NIH since the last time Bill Gates was scheduled to visit the NIH was the time that the government shut down in October, 2013. I will wait further instructions from the White House since I have been assigned a major speaking role at the World AIDS Day celebration at the White House. I am supposed to speak on the “Care Continuum” and the road to a “cure” for HIV/AIDS. More to follow.