Dennis Kan

I have always had an interest in infectious diseases, which started during my microbiology class in college. I became fascinated by how microorganisms interact with the human body, particularly HIV. After graduating from nursing school, I practiced in pediatric critical care until one day I decided to leap of faith and change my specialty to become an infection prevention specialist. My career as an infection preventionist was highlighted with measles outbreaks, managing the first COVID patient in Oregon, and even leading education and training for Portland Metro's only high-risk and special pathogen unit (aka the Ebola Unit). Fast forward a few years, and I decided to make another leap to advance my career. I attended Duke University, where my doctoral focus was on reducing the inappropriate treatment of syphilis. I also completed my HIV education at Duke, Oregon Health & Sciences University, and Kaiser Permanente. Today, I am a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and credentialed HIV Specialist, where I care mainly for people living with HIV. My philosophy in medicine is to prevent illness and increase quality of life, all while being status-neutral, sex-positive, trauma-informed, and promoting body autonomy.