Katherine Buchman is the Community Engagement and Special Projects Director for the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) HIV Prevention Program. She has been responsible for managing the PrEP program for the HIV Prevention Program for more than four years, during which time the program has developed to include a statewide PrEP Provider Directory of more than 100 providers, 14 PrEP navigation programs across the state in 2020, and a robust PrEP training program for navigators and health departments. Additionally, she manages the Condom Distribution Program, which supplies more than 2 million condoms annually to health departments and community-based organizations. Katherine is also responsible for a number of special projects, including the Cultural Awareness Survey Project, which is a health department “secret-shopper” program for STI/HIV testing services, as well as the internal Cultural Awareness and Reducing Stigma work group, addressing issues ranging from racism to homophobia and transphobia both within the HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Program at TDH and within the communities served by this program. Finally, Katherine co-supervises a CDC associate from the Public Health Associates Program.
Katherine received her undergraduate degree from Boston University and her MPH from the University of Pittsburgh, where she also took a certificate in LGBT Health and Wellness. Katherine looks forward to building leadership skills and connecting with other public health professionals in this region over the next several months.