The medical community, LGBTQ+ health advocacy groups, and hundreds of devoted patients across Southern California are mourning the sudden and deeply painful loss of Dr. Jack O’Brien. An exceptionally brilliant board-certified family medicine physician, renowned HIV care specialist, and visionary clinical researcher, Dr. O’Brien passed away on Saturday, June 27, 2026. He was 36 years old.
The heartbreaking news was confirmed in a public statement by Mike Piscadlo, Co-Founder and CEO of Haven Health, the medical practice Dr. O’Brien co-founded to provide compassionate, judgment-free, and life-affirming clinical care to the West Hollywood and greater Los Angeles LGBTQIA+ communities.
A Visionary Dedicated to Inclusive, Affirming Medicine
In Memoriam: Dr. Jack O’Brien (Passed Away: June 27, 2026)
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Age at Passing : 36
Current Residence : West Hollywood, California
Hometown Roots : Upstate New York (Near Syracuse)
Undergraduate Base : Binghamton University (Magna Cum Laude, Class of 2010)
Medical Education : NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (Class of 2016)
Residency Training : Bayonne Medical Center / Rowan University SOM (2019)
Executive Leadership : Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Haven Health
Key Research Roles : Principal Investigator (Gilead, ViiV, Merck, GSK)
Linguistic Skills : Trilingual (English, Castilian Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese)
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An Unmatched Gift for Patient Care
Dr. O’Brien possessed a rare, transformative gift for making every person who stepped into his clinic feel entirely seen, safe, and respected. In an era where LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive individuals frequently face institutional biases, Dr. Jack broke the mold, blending world-class clinical expertise with an infectious warmth that patients affectionately described as his “East Coast flair.”
Upon news of his passing, an outpouring of grief from his patients illuminated the profound impact of his practice. One patient, writing under the handle tengle85, shared a sentiment felt by hundreds:
“Jack knew how to talk to his patients and how to listen, he wasn’t judging of anything someone did. He was the first doctor I could actually open to and be honest about my health needs. He was such an amazing doctor, friend, human. This one hurts.”
Another patient, grrrdias, reflected:
“Dr. O’Brien changed the game for my healthcare—He was the best doctor I’ve ever had and was always so supportive, affirming, and knowledgeable. My heart is broken.”
Engineering a Legacy of Structural Support
Dr. O’Brien’s journey into advocacy began early. While earning his medical degree at NYIT-COM, he served as president of the campus LGBT Club, establishing comprehensive HIV counseling and prevention education programs for medical students. During his residency training, he founded the specialized Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) program at Christ Hospital in Jersey City to care for underserved charity patients, and had the distinct honor of serving as the Keynote Speaker for World AIDS Day in 2017.
A Legacy of Clinical Care & Scientific Advancement
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[ Elite Research Leadership ] -> Served as Principal & Sub-Investigator for global
pharmaceutical giants, pioneering Phase 3 trials
for long-acting HIV therapeutics (Cabenuva, F/TAF).
[ Haven Health Foundation ] -> Co-founded Haven Health alongside Mike Piscadlo
and Matty Brownell, anchoring a holistic care model
engineered explicitly for LGBTQ+ populations.
[ Cultural Inclusivity ] -> Utilized his fluency in Spanish and Brazilian
Portuguese to bridge public health inequities
across intersectional cultures.
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Driving Modern HIV Breakthroughs
Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. O’Brien was a titan in the field of clinical research, aggressively driving forward the boundaries of modern infectious disease medicine. Serving as a trusted scientific researcher and investigator for Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Merck, Dr. Jack spearheaded landmark, multi-center global clinical trials.
His work included critical Phase 3 evaluations of next-generation antiretroviral regimens, long-acting bimonthly injectables, and advanced PrEP regimens for men and transgender women.
Carrying the Vision Forward
In January 2026, Dr. O’Brien’s lifelong mission culminated in the launch of Haven Health, where he served as Chief Medical Officer. Haven was built to manifest Dr. Jack’s dream: a world where elite medical care and human dignity are completely inseparable.
In his address to patients, Haven Health CEO Mike Piscadlo emphasized that the practice will continue to preserve and fight for Dr. Jack’s architectural vision:
“Jack’s form of care was the inspiration to build something bigger than himself. His dream was for Haven to grow wide and impact as many lives as it could. Haven will continue. Matty and I are committed to carrying forward the work the three of us started together and to keeping Jack’s vision for this practice alive.”
Continuity of Care Information
To allow staff and clinicians space to process this overwhelming tragedy, Haven Health will temporarily pause consumer-facing operations, officially planning to resume patient care on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, under the clinical supervision of Jake Collins, PA-C, and Medical Assistant Sharla Blakely. Patients directly under Dr. O’Brien’s supervision will receive dedicated communications regarding care continuity and records transition options.
Dr. Jack O’Brien is survived by his loving family, his devoted co-founders, his colleagues in healthcare, and the vibrant West Hollywood community he spent his life protecting, empowering, and healing. Details regarding an expansive Celebration of Life will be released as soon as logistics are locked. Those wishing to offer venue ideas or administrative resources to help honor Dr. Jack’s memory are invited to contact the clinic at help@havenhealth.care.