DAPCAN - October 21, 2010

Jewish Family Services of the Desert presents the November Positive Life Series Seminar. November is open enrollment for Medicare benefits. Tammi Hofelich from Social Security will speak about the changing benefits landscape. The program is free and will be held at the Sinatra Auditorium at Desert Regional Hospital (on the corner of Tachevah & Miraleste). A light supper will be served starting at 6:00 PM. Reservations are not required. ASL translation will be available. Contact Bill Taylor at 760.834.9259 for more information. (jl)

Our Sponsors

The Bottom Line

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Community Center Events

Tuesdays 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Wednesdays 9
AM - Noon, Thursdays 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Community Center Lab

The D.A.P. Computer Lab is always staffed by a knowledgeable volunteer who is there to assist you with all your computing needs. Check your e-mail, search job openings, or just surf the Web.

Let's log on!

Tuesday, November 2, Noon - 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents - REYATAZ

Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for this informative hour on this important drug. Dr. Monica Adrabi will bring us the latest updates. Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM courtesy of Bristol-Myers Squibb. Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org

Be your own advocate!

Friday, November 5, Noon - 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents - ASK THE DOCTOR

Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for an hour of Q & A with D.A.P.'s own Joe Dahman. Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM. Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org

Bring your questions!

Tuesday, November 9, Noon - 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents - A PERSONAL JOURNEY

Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for this workshop with Juan Carlos Figueroa. Mr. Figueroa will speak on living with HIV / AIDS and his own personal journey. Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM courtes y of Gilead. Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org

We're all in this together!

Thursday, November 18, Noon - 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents - GETQUIT CLINIC: A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO QUITTING SMOKING

Please join us in the D.A.P. Library for this workshop with a tobacco treatment specialist. The presentation offers a fresh approach to quitting smoking. No scare tactics. No finger-pointing. Just real, objective guidance plus tools to give you hope and get you starte d. Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM courtesy of Pfizer. Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org Let's get started!

Tuesday, November 23, Noon - 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents - HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Please join u s in the D.A.P. Community Center for this practical and educational hour on having happy, healthy relationships with Norma Oshita, M.S. MFTI. Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM. Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or escarry@desertaidsproject.org Make the most of it!

Wednesdays, 2:00 PM, 11/17, 12/15

Community Center Presents - DIABETES EDUCATION

The D.A.P. Community Center is pleased to announce this workshop on all aspects of diabetes treatment with certified diabetes educator Mary Knipe MS RD CDE. The class meets in the Walgreen's Room on Wednesdays 11/17, and 12/15, at 2:00 PM. Be well!

Last Tuesday Every Month, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Community Center Presents - HEPATITIS C THERAPY EDUCATION The D.A.P. Community Center is pleased to announce this workshop on the basics of HEP C, overview of therapy, side effect info, pregnancy / contraception guidelines, storage of medication, and self-injection instructions. The class will immediately follow the HIV/HEP-C Support Group in the Walgreen's Room. Please contact Laura Coleman, Pharm.D at 760.219.4183 for more information and pre-registration.Take control!

Community Center

Community Center Presents - LENDING LIBRARY

The Community Center is proud to announce the expansion of our lending library. We have new bookcases filled with books, music CDs, VHS and DVD movies, and lots of games and puzzles. Stop by during drop-in hours and check something out. We also welcome any donations to our expanding collection. It's your community center!

Every Thursday, 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents - LET'S ALL GO TO THE MOVIES

Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for movie screenings every Thursday starting at 1:00 PM. Free pizza, salad, sweets, and drinks provided.

November 4- Clash of the Titans (2010)

The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens. Roll film!

NO MOVIES November 11, November 18, and November 25. FIVE movies in December!

D.A.P. News

pride festival 2010

Vaccine Clinics at Desert AIDS Project
Flu Season is coming! Every Friday from September 24 to November 19, Desert AIDS Project will offer flu shots, as well as vaccines against Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough), Hepatitis A and a three-round vaccine against Hepatitis B. All vaccines will be available from 9:00 AM - noon at Desert AIDS Project for clients and staff, at a cost of $25 for each vaccine. While receipts will be provided, the cost of all vaccines may or may not be covered by insurance. Appointments are strongly encouraged - please call 760.323.2118, ext. 223 - but walk-ins will be seen as quickly as possible. (jl)

D.A.P. Special Events Information Line
Desert AIDS Project has created a Special Events Information Line. Now you can call 760.969.4514 to get recorded information about upcoming special events happening at D.A.P.! The message will be updated every Friday and will include information on events scheduled for the upcoming week(s). As always, you can also read about upcoming events in DAPCAN or visit the D.A.P. website. (jl)

Revivals opens donation center in Rancho Mirage
Revivals, the chain of five resale stores whose sales benefit client services at Desert AIDS Project, has opened a donation center at 32151 Monterey Avenue, Suite 100 at the southwest corner of Dinah Shore and Monterey in Rancho Mirage, accepting donations from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, seven days a week. Anyone wishing to drop off their donations of new or gently used merchandise will find a friendly volunteer ready to help and provide a receipt for the merchandise at the donation center, which is between McDonald's and Home Depot. To find the addresses of any of the five Revivals store locations in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, or Palm Desert - or if you'd like to volunteer for Revivals - please visit desertaidsproject.org or RevivalsStores.com. If you wish to schedule a donation pick-up, please call 760-323-3662. (rv)

Advocacy

California HIV/AIDS groups decry state budget cuts

California HIV/AIDS service providers say a big cut in state AIDS funding will have dire consequences. In exercising his line-item veto power, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Oct. 8 cut nearly $1 billion from the $87.5 billion state budget, including almost $60 million in AIDS funding. "The $7.6 million in cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program means many Californians living with HIV or AIDS will not receive lifesaving medication," said state Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). "The governor slashed funding for education and prevention while ironically leaving monies for surveillance and epidemiological studies." You can read the full Body.com article here. (jl)

Benefits

Check out the California pre-existing condition insurance website
As a result of the federal Affordable Care Act of 2010, California has a contract with the federal Department of Health and Human Services to establish a federally-funded high risk pool program to provide health coverage for eligible individuals. The program will last until December 31, 2013 when the national health reform is set to begin. After that date, there will no longer be a need for high risk pools because federal rules will not allow insurers to reject persons with pre-existing conditions or charge them higher rates than those without such conditions. The federally-funded program is called the California Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). The PCIP offers health coverage to medically-uninsurable individuals who live in California. The program is available for individuals who have not had health coverage in the 6 months prior to applying. The California PCIP is run by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB). Visit the website for more information. (rv)

Medicare Advantage 2011 Data Spotlight: Plan Availability and Premiums

This Medicare Advantage Data Spotlight provides an overview of recent changes made to the Medicare Advantage program and examines trends in plan participation, premiums and certain benefits. About 12 million people, or nearly a quarter of the Medicare population, are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the privately administered plans that are an alternative to the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program. The analysis was conducted by a team of researchers at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and the Kaiser Family Foundation. You can read the report here. (jl)

AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) phone numbers

You can contact the County of Riverside directly at 951.486.5400 to make an ADAP appointment or ask questions regarding the ADAP Program. (jl)

Resources

Call 211 for essential human services in Riverside County

2-1-1 is a toll-free free service for residents looking for information about essential human services such as affordable housing, food pantries, help for an aging parent, free or low cost health services, addiction prevention programs, employment, support groups, volunteer opportunities, and 1,700 additional services! (jl)

Desert AIDS Project support groups

D.A.P. has numerous support groups available to clients. See the Community Center schedule for days and times. There is a Spanish social support group the first and third Thursday of the month at 6:00 PM. Contact Ralph Gonzalez at 760.323.2118, ext. 703 for further information. (jl)

Quote of the week

"Bad politicians are sent to Washington by people who don't vote."

--William E. Simon

To Contact State and Federal Officials Click On Name

President Barack Obama
Senator Diane Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack
Congressman Jerry Lewis
Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger
State Senator Bill Emmerson
State Senator Denise Ducheny
Assembly member Brian Nestande
Assembly member Manual Perez

Desert AIDS Project - Community Action Newsletter (DAPCAN) presents published material, reprinted with permission, and neither endorses or opposes any material. All information contained in this newsletter, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. Always discuss treatment options with a physician who specializes in treating HIV. Publication of the name or likeness of any individual in articles in this newsletter is not to be construed as any indication of the HIV status of such individual. If you do not wish to receive this e-newsletter, please notify us by using the email address below.

DAPCAN@DesertAIDSProject.org