The following Infectious Diseases Division physicians have been selected as Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2022 Top Doctors in the region: James J. Baran, MD, Karin E. Byers, MD, MS, and, Ken S. Ho, MD, MPH. Cara R. McAnaney, MD, AAHIVS, a Family Medicine Physician and HIV Specialist was also selected. Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd., surveys thousands of health professionals in the region and asks them to nominate the doctors to whom they would entrust a family member when faced with a specific medical problem.
Please join us in congratulating James, Karin, Ken, and Cara on this well-deserved recognition!
James J. Baran, MD, joined the Center for Care of Infectious Diseases (CCID) in February 2020 to serve as the Director of the Anal Dysplasia Clinic (ADC), at the onset of the COVID19 pandemic. He continued to provide care to a cohort of men and women with HIV as well as some patients without HIV. Dr. Baran is a key part of the spectrum of comprehensive care provided to our patients, many of whom are uncomfortable seeking care outside of the CCID.
Karin E. Byers, MD, MS, serves as the Associate Chief of Clinical Care and holds the academic rank of Professor of Medicine. Dr. Byers joined the Division of Infectious Diseases in 2001 as the Director of Surgical Infections Unit and was appointed Clinical Director of the ID Division in 2003. She was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Medicine in 2016. Dr. Byers was appointed Associate Chief of Clinical Care for the ID Division in 2019. Karin was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2021. She holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Neurosurgical Surgery in the School of Medicine. Karin is an exceptional
clinician and a highly effective manager of the clinical services for the Division. She is responsible for oversight of services at three different hospitals and scheduling for nine different services. Additionally, she is responsible for the recruitment and orientation of new physicians as well as faculty evaluations for the in-person clinicians. Karin is dedicated to her patients and to ensuring the delivery of high-quality care by herself and all physicians in the ID Division.
Ken S. Ho, MD, MPH, serves as the Medical Director of the Pitt Men’s Study, part of the MACS WIHS Combined Cohort Study and as Medical Director for Project Silk. He joined the ID Division in 2011 as a Faculty Instructor and was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor of Medicine in 2013. Dr. Ho is dedicated to the patients and community he serves. He is considered a national expert on HIV prevention. Through his work with the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) subcommittee with AIDS Free Pittsburgh, Dr. Ho has worked to improve community and health care provider knowledge of HIV biomedical prevention options. He spearheaded the creation of a “PrEP Provider Toolkit”, a resource for providers interested in learning about HIV PrEP. Dr. Ho has been instrumental in increasing community and provider awareness of biomedical HIV prevention strategies such as PrEP and expanding PrEP across Allegheny County.
Cara R. McAnaney, MD, AAHIVS, is a faculty member of the Department of Family Medicine and serves as core residency faculty at UPMC McKeesport Family Medicine Residency Program, as well as the Director of the HIV Track for the McKeesport, Shadyside, and St. Margaret Family Medicine residency programs. Dr. McAnaney sees patients at the ID Division’s Pittsburgh Area Center for Treatment (PACT) located within the CCID and at the Latterman Family Health Center. She also oversees hepatitis C treatment for patients at the Latterman Family Health Center. Dr. McAnaney is one of eight physicians offering HIV primary care and preventive services through PACT, and helps support the UCSF National HIV/AIDS Clinicians’ Consultation Center.