By Savannah Whaley
These are challenging days for gay men, first generation Americans and those on the front lines of healthcare. CAN Community Health Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Kal Gajraj, Ph.D. checks all three of those boxes.
So, what can a man with a doctorate in ethical leadership from St. Thomas University, a certification in social and behavioral research, and who is a certified global human rights consultant through the U.S. Institute of Diplomacy & Human Rights do when faced with federal and state policies undermining LGBTQA+ rights and public health? Quite a lot.
“We are living in unprecedented times and I want people to know that we are fighting for them,” Gajraj stressed. “CAN has taken a proactive approach and our leadership team is meeting with legislators, going to the Capitol and going to D.C. to fight for health equity.”
CAN has the right geographic footprint to act in the advocacy mantra of think globally, act locally with 32 locations in Florida and clinics in Arizona, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia serving those affected by HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted infections.
Through an integrated clinical practice and more than 40 programs, CAN offers testing, medical care, psychiatric services and counseling, dental care, pharmacy services, case management, patient education and community outreach.
Gajraj joined CAN in August 2024 to lead the marketing and communications strategy supporting national initiatives, brand development, and public engagement.
“Some of the challenges that we face with the current administration is how they have decided to either define or support epidemics in general,” Gajraj explained. “In the beginning of the administration, there was just a clean swipe of the CDC website and all of a sudden information about HIV, STIs and things of that nature went away. Just because they’re not on the CDC website doesn’t mean they’ve gone away.”
Current policies have hampered the global campaign to reduce new HIV infections by 75% in 2025 and by 90% in 2030.
“Some folks say that it’s put us back 30 years,” Gajraj estimated. “When you take away funding, you take away a lot of these free services that are made accessible to communities that are uninsured creating a barrier to healthcare. To us, they’re not numbers on a spreadsheet. We’re saving people’s lives.”
The lack of governmental support aside, Gajraj said there are steps everyone can and should be taking to protect their own health and those of others.
“If you’re having sexual intercourse with anyone, you should be on PrEP,” Gajraj recommended. “We understand that people will have sex but we want people to be safe and we want people to put their health first. People think that only the LGBT community needs to go on PrEP and that’s probably one of the biggest misconceptions. PrEP is one of those getting us to that 90% because it prevents the spread of HIV for homosexuals, heterosexuals, and everyone in between.”
Gajraj also pointed to advances in PrEP such as daily pills, monthly injections and a new option for a twice-yearly injection in addition to PEP* (post-exposure prophylaxis) that he compared to the morning after pill.
“There are scientific advances that are putting us on track to 2030,” Gajraj detailed. “CAN participates in the 340B drug pricing program in which we purchase drugs at cost from the manufacturer and then resell it to our patients for a minimum cost or sometimes free depending on their financial situation. We accept both insured and uninsured patients. Anyone that walks into our doors for care gets treated at any one of our clinics.”
Earlier this year, CAN launched the Susan Terry Foundation to serve those living with HIV with essential resources, education, and support. It is funded by such initiatives as the World Aids Day Concerts that will be held in Las Olas Oceanside Park on Sunday, November 30, 2025 and at the CAN Community Event Center in Tampa on Monday, December 1, 2025. The concerts are headlined by Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, the original stars of the Tony Award®-winning Broadway blockbuster Rent.
“Rent was such a huge part of our pop culture at a time when we had a President of the United States that couldn’t say the word AIDS,” Gajraj recalled. “It helped change the conversation around HIV. I think what’s so special about this concert with Adam and Anthony is that it showcases their friendship and history together.”
The concerts are something of a career homecoming for Gajraj, who served as the executive director of the contemporary dance ensemble Peter London Global Dance Company and the chief marketing officer of Florida Grand Opera.
“I’ve had the great pleasure of working across different industries: in retail, entertainment, non-profit, education, and now healthcare,” Gajraj recalled. “Studies have shown the intersectionality between music, the arts and health leads to healthier lives, so that’s something that brings me great joy.”
Gajraj’s unconventional career path isn’t the only thing that makes him appreciate diversity. He is a first-generation American whose grandparents immigrated from Guyana and is his family’s first high school and college graduate,
“I’m living my grandparents’ American dream,” Gajraj stated. “I will be the first to admit that most organizations got DEI wrong. If your hiring practices are diverse, if your merit pay and salaries are equitable, and your policies and procedures are inclusive, then you don’t have to say it. You do it, right?”
Gajraj’s dissertation for his Ph.D. was on today’s leadership perspective of diversity, equity, and inclusion in a multigenerational workplace. That interest and expertise help fuel CAN’s many community initiatives such as a speakers’ bureau, courses, online prevention programs, and mobile and tele-testing.
During Pride Month, CAN launched Be Brave aimed at the LGBTQA+ community with Alexander Zenoz performing the song Brave by Sara Bareilles and featuring local LGBTQA+ individuals, advocates, and healthcare professionals. At the same time, CAN rolled out Empower for Juneteenth to reach its Black and African American communities. This year, CAN launches the Unidos campaign during Hispanic Heritage Month and is finalizing the Spirited campaign for Native American members of the community.
“Something that I’m extremely proud of as the chief marketing officer is to develop campaigns that speak to our population,” Gajraj shared. “As CAN grew from primarily focusing on HIV and AIDS, we have expanded to now include STIs and Hep C. We are helping so many people not just live but thrive. People aren’t coming to us because they’re dying. They’re coming to us to live.”
