Dr. Kristen Ries, a Salt Lake physician who specializes in the treatment of infectious diseases, was honored Sunday by the Salt Lake AIDS Foundation at its "First Annual Awards Banquet."
Ben Barr, foundation executive director, said Ries was honored for her "unwavering emotional support and dedicated medical care of individuals who either have AIDS symptoms or who test positive for the AIDS virus.
"Kristen Ries has gone above and beyond the call of medical duty in her care of AIDS patients and their families," he said. "She is constantly available to answer thousands of questions and to give endless emotional support to patients whose disease is still very much feared in this community."
Newsweek magazine recently presented Ries with its "Unsung Hero of 1988" award for her outstanding volunteer efforts in the treatment of AIDS patients and their families. She has also been named by Utah Holiday magazine, "the most compassionate physician in Utah."