Helping countless patients, Dr Supena has been practicing medicine for 50 years. Many of his patients come to his office with HIV infections, sexually transmitted infections, COVID-19, or other infectious diseases. He currently has admitting privileges at Detroit Medical Center, Harper Hospital, Detroit VA Healthcare System, and Detroit Receiving Hospital. He is the Clinic Director for HIV Infections at Detroit Community Health Connection Inc.

In previous job roles, Dr. Supena worked as a member of the University of Michigan Medical School faculty for 15 years, as well as working as a faculty member of Wayne State University School of Medicine. He joined Detroit Community Health Connection Inc. in 2008, where he currently cares for about 200 patients.

While he initially worked with patients with HIV infection and STIs, the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed his work, bringing in many more patients seeking infectious disease expertise. He says that the majority of his patients are faring well in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, although he estimates that about 80% of his patients carry an undetectable viral load that could make them contagious to others.

Dr. Supena received his Medical Degree in 1965 from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in Manila, the Philippines. He relocated to the United States, and subsequently completed an internship, a residency, and a Fellowship in Infectious Disease at Westland Medical Center in Michigan (formerly Wayne County General Hospital, a teaching hospital of the University of Michigan Medical School). He then earned his board-certification in Internal Medicine from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM upholds rigorous standards for physicians in the field and awards board certifications to doctors who meet the criteria for excellent patient care.

To remain abreast of developments in the field, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, he is a member of the Infectious Disease Society of America. For his five decades of exceptional work, he has been recognized with profile features on IssueWire and SpinDigit.

On a personal note, he enjoys reading in his spare time. He likes to stay up to date with his favorite publications, the New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Infectious Disease, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Lancet HIV.

He would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to Robert F. Fekety, MD.

For more information, visit dchcquality.org.