Our Story

Health & Education Alternatives for Teens (HEAT) was founded in 1992 to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic as it impacted on youth in Brooklyn. It began as a multidisciplinary clinic providing medical care, mental health services and case management for HIV+ youth. While initially entirely focused on youth living with HIV, its mission expanded over the years to include focused programming for outreach, community engagement and community based HIV/STD testing for youth who were reluctant to seek basic sexual health screening in a formal medical setting. The programming has specialized over the years to serve the distinct needs of young men who have sex with men, young heterosexual women and transgender youth, all primarily from communities of color.

Our Staff

Healthcare Professionals

Managers

Coordinators

Support

Healthcare Professionals

Jeffrey Birnbaum, MD, MPH

Executive Director

Dr. Birnbaum is the Executive Director of HEAT, where he has provided medical care to hundreds of HIV+ and high risk youth ages 13-24 since 1992. Dr. Birnbaum is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. In addition to his clinical work at HEAT, he devotes much of his time in community mobilization efforts to identify and engage HIV+ youth in care. He has pioneered efforts in Brooklyn to engage young gay, bisexual male youth and transgender youth from communities of color in medical care, prevention activities and HIV counseling and testing efforts.

Phone: (718) 613-8428

Email: jeffrey.birnbaum@downstate.edu

Jeffrey Birnbaum, MD, MPH

Pediatric Infectious Disease

Dr. Kohlhoff provides medical care to HEAT's HIV+ adolescents. He also provides medical services for HEAT's LGBT youth, including hormone therapy.

Phone: (718) 270-2271

Email: stephan.kolhoff@downstate.edu

Stephan Kohlhoff, MD

Licensed Practical Nurse

Makeda has been a clinic nurse with the HEAT program since 2011. Serving a wide range of clients she's always looking forward to sustaining versatility within the evolving healthcare paradigm.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that has." - Makeda

Phone: (718) 221-5223

Email: makeda.toyloy@downstate.edu

Makeda Toyloy, LPN

Deputy Executive Director

Blondell directs the administrative functions of the Program. She prepares grant submissions and manages the programmatic and fiscal aspects of all existing grants. She supervises HEAT’s administrative, outreach and testing staff and handles all personnel issues.

Phone: (718) 613-8408

Email: blondell.jackson@downstate.edu

Blondell Jackson, MPA, MSW

Physician Assistant

Tom is a Physician Assistant (PA). He has been providing medical care for HIV+ and at risk youth, including LGBT youth at HEAT since 2005. He provides sexual and reproductive health services for young women and hormone therapy for transgender youth and sexual health services for young gay men of color. Tom also provides PrEP and PEP services.

Phone: (718) 613-8478

Email: thomas.panzella@downstate.edu

Tom Panzella, R–PAC

Managers

Clinical Case Manager

Phyllis provides services to perinatal infected HIV+ youth, including assistance with obtaining health insurance, Medicaid/ADAP, housing, job/career, education and services for the babies and small children of our positive youth. The case managers refer HEAT youth to appropriate agencies to obtain these services. She refers youth for medical and mental health services at HEAT.

Phone: (718) 270-3728

Email: phyllis.jones@downstate.edu

Phyllis Jones

Clinical Case Manager

Lorrelle provides services to HIV+ and LGBT youth, including assistance with obtaining health insurance, Medicaid/ADAP, housing, job/career, education and services for the babies and small children of our positive youth. The case managers refer HEAT youth to appropriate agencies to obtain these services.

Phone: (718) 270-3792

Email: lorrelle.daniel@downstate.edu

Lorrelle Daniel

Clinical Case Manager

Charles provides services to HIV+ and LGBT youth, including assistance with obtaining health insurance, Medicaid/ADAP, housing, job/career, education and services for the babies and small children of our positive youth. The case managers refer HEAT youth to appropriate agencies to obtain these services. He provides services for transgender youth such as name and gender change on Medicaid and at the DMV. He refers youth for medical and mental health services at HEAT.

Phone: (718) 613-8482

Email: charles.shepherd@downstate.edu

Charles Shepherd

Coordinators

Jeffrey Birnbaum, MD, MPH

AIRS Data Coordinator

Holly is the AIRS Coordinator for the HEAT program. She provides data management and support and prepares data reports for funders. Holly works closely with programmatic and medical staff to generate reports for use in grants and research.

Phone: (718) 270-7238

Email: holly.ammons@downstate.edu

Holly Ammons

HIV Testing Coordinator

Dorothea provides community-based HIV testing at youth agencies, college campuses, alternative to incarceration programs, high schools, foster care agencies, public libraries, recreation centers, faith-based institutions to name a few. She provides testing at HEAT's large scale events, maintains testing relationships and builds new relationships for HEAT.

Phone: (718) 613-8452

Email: dorothea.golden@downstate.edu

Dorothea Golden

Outreach Coordinator

Tiffanie is the Outreach Coordinator for HEAT's Young Women's Program. She conducts sexual and reproductive health workshops and facilitates evidence based HIV prevention interventions with youth ages 13-24. She acts as a community liaison in an attempt to identify HIV+ youth and youth in need of health care link them to care.

Phone: (718) 613-8462

Email: tiffany.patterson@downstate.edu

Tiffanie Patterson

Support

Jeffrey Birnbaum, MD, MPH

Fiscal Manager

Steve provides administrative support to the Executive Director and Deputy ED. He manages all of HEAT’s purchase orders and invoices and is responsible for maintaining all the consultant contracts, directing phone calls and assisting with grant submissions.

Phone: (718) 613-8427

Email: steven.daly@downstate.edu

Steven Daly

Clinical Supervisor

Catya is our Mental Health provider. A clinical social worker with many years of experience working with young people and their families, she works from a strength based perspective, and is always in the pursuit of social justice.

Phone: (718) 613-8484

Email: catya.righetti@downstate.edu

Catya Righetti, LCSW-R

Supervisor Intervention Specialist

Ramesh provides medication adherence support for the TxTx text program.

Phone: (718) 613-8473

Email: ramesh.smith@downstate.edu

Ramesh Smith

PrEP Specialist

Damian is HEAT's PrEP Specialist. His role is to educate the public about HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) as well as to link youth and adults to HEAT's PrEP and PEP services. Damian also provides in-services on PrEP and PEP to community based organizations wanting to partner with the HEAT Clinic.

Phone: (347) 762-2134

Email: damian.bird@downstate.edu

Damian Bird, MPH