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OUR STORY
Closing the Gap Between Care and Community
Cutting Out Stigma began with a clear and troubling reality: despite major advances in prevention and treatment, HIV continued to impact Black men and underserved communities disproportionately. The issue was not just access to care; it was trust, stigma, and the disconnect between healthcare systems and the people they aim to serve.
Dr. Aima Ahonkhai, an infectious diseases physician, researcher, and founder, saw these gaps firsthand. She understood that medical solutions alone were not enough. What was missing was a way to reach people earlier, before diagnosis, before crisis, through spaces where conversations already happen, and trust already exists.
That realization led to a different approach. One rooted not in systems, but in people.
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A Partnership
Is Born
2023
Before Cutting Out Stigma had a name, it began with a conversation. In dialogue with her sons’ barber, Dr. Aima Ahonkhai recognized the power of trusted spaces to transformN how communities engage with health.
A Meharry–Vanderbilt Alliance award brought together Dr. Ahonkhai with Today’s Hope and Tennessee barbers to turn that insight into action – planting the seeds for Cutting Out Stigma.
THE TIMELINE
Advancing a National Model
2022-2024
Led by Dr. Ahonkhai in partnership with community leaders and Tennessee barbers, COS advances through multiple rounds to be selected as one of three national winners of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Challenge to Reduce HIV Stigma. Cutting Out Stigma is now a nationally recognized model for stigma reduction.
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From Idea to Evidence
2024
An NIH-funded TN CFAR award to Dr. Aima Ahonkhai and Today’s Hope enables finalization and real-world testing of COS across Memphis and Nashville, training and engaging barbers as health ambassadors. Built and tested by barbers, researchers, and community partners, early findings demonstrate that the model works - reaching communities, sparking conversations, reducing stigma, and reducing barriers to care.
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Scaling to New Cities, New Impact
2025
Supported by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, COS expands to Boston. Partnerships with community organizations lay the foundation, while collaboration with the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and the SlimmDuck Foundation helps accelerate the model’s expansion into youth mental health and well-being.
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From Pilot to Scalabe Infrastructure
2026
Following development and testing, COS is integrated into Today’s Hope—embedding the model within an established community-based organization as a pathway to sustainability.
Guided by barbers’ insights into the needs they see every day, the model expands to address mental health and substance use disorder and further positions barbershops as frontline hubs for health.
It is a milestone for community-led care: the model that began as a pilot conversation is now an embedded program, implemented by the community it serves.
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A Movement Acknowledged
March 2026
At TD Garden, Dr. Ahonkhai is honored as a Boston Celtics “Hero Among Us,” recognizing COS as a powerful, community-driven model for connection to care.
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A Movement, Not a Moment
Looking Ahead
What began as a conversation is now a scalable, multi-city model that is rooted in trust, built for impact, and sustained by community.
The People Behind
the Work
Cutting Out Stigma is powered by a diverse network of leaders working together to advance community health.
Barbers
Trusted community voices leading health conversations where they matter most.
Public Health and Community Leaders
Public health, academic, and community leaders strengthening partnerships, deepening engagement, and driving impact.
Founder
Dr. Aima Ahonkhai, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, physician at Mass General Brigham, and implementation science researcher advancing health equity.
TESTIMONIAL
“Barbers, we’re like the doctor before the doctor. People come to us because they feel like we’re trusted.”
— Cutting Out Stigma Barber
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Multimedia That Reaches People
Our culturally tailored posters, billboards, social media campaigns, and in-shop materials reach over 25,000 people every month. By combining bold visuals with community-centered messaging, we meet people where they are with information that resonates.
These multimedia efforts help spark conversations, increase awareness, and connect individuals to trusted health resources.
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With Gratitude to Our Funders
