|
DAPCAN
Desert AIDS Project Community Action Newsletter
May 24, 2012
|
|
|
|
 | |
Memorial Day is Monday, May 28
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Staff
| |
David Brinkman
Chief Executive Officer
Barry Dayton
Director of Marketing and Communications
Alexis Ortega
Interactive Marketing
Specialist
Rick Vila
Volunteer Co-editor
John Lewis
Volunteer Co-editor
Steve Bolerjack
Volunteer Co-editor
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, May 28
Memorial Day Holiday
In observance of Memorial Day the Desert AIDS Project campus will be closed on Monday, May 28. This will include Desert AIDS Project, LabCorp and Walgreens. (jl)
|
|
Tuesday, June 5, 6:00 PM
A Positive Life - The Series: Aging well with HIV & what you can do
 The next seminar in the Positive Life Series will feature Dr. Richard Loftus discussing HIV and aging. A light supper will be served at 6:00 PM and the program will begin at 6:30 PM. The location is the Sinatra Auditorium at Desert Regional Medical Center (corner of Tachevah and Via Miraleste in Palm Springs), and the event, sponsored by Jewish Family Services of the Desert, is always free. ASL translation will be provided. Questions? Email positivelifeseries@gmail.com, or call 760.566.6POZ (6769). However, YOU DO NOT NEED TO RSVP! Also, remember to mark your calendars: in July and August The Positive Life Series will take its usual two- month summer hiatus. (jl)
|
|
Tuesday, June 19, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Desert AIDS Project Dental Clinic Open House
See flyer below for more information. (jl)
|
Wednesday, June 27, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Pathways to Health and Well-Being HIV Conference
 The Pathways to Health and Well-Being HIV Conference is a collaboration between the County of Riverside County, County of San Bernadino, Desert AIDS Project and Bienestar. It will provide the latest information on Treatment as Prevention, Hepatitis and HIV Coinfections, HIV & Holistic Health, HIV & Aging and much more. Dr. Neva Chauppette will be the keynote speaker. The conference will provide breakout sessions on these various topics and raffle prizes. FREE LUNCH will be provided by the organizers. The goal of the conference is encourage all individuals to know their HIV status, and to empower those living with HIV to become better advocates for their own health, stay connected with care,and optimize their health and well-being. Attendance is free and registration opens at 8:00 AM but it's helpful to have head counts, so please register here. At Palm Springs Convention Center, June 27 at 9:00 AM. There is plenty of free, nearby street parking. For more information, visit pathwayshiv.org or email info@pathwayshiv.org. (rv) (sb)
Back to Top
|
|
Friday, July 13, 8:00 PM - Midnight
Fifth Annual Mid-Summer Dance Party
Do Ask, Do Tell everyone you know that D.A.P.'s Mid-Summer Dance Party V will be better than ever! The party will feature DJ Michael Antonio, dancers from SHARE Nightclub in Las Vegas and a performance by dance music icon Kristine W whose long list of #1 hits include "Feel What You Want," "One More Try," "Land of the Living," "Save My Soul" and many more. More information and tickets here. (jl)
|
| D.A.P. Community Center Events |
|
The D.A.P. Client Community Center hosts regular activities and events every week (listed below). Community Center special events and other activities can be found on the main D.A.P. website. Click here for the complete list of upcoming special events.
|
Every Wednesday, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Community Center Presents: PATHWAYS TO HOPE - A DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SUPPORT GROUP
 This group will discuss ways to deal with anxiety and depression. You will learn coping skills and ways of experiencing a better quality of life! Group will meet in the Walgreens Room in the Community Center. For questions or more information contact: Melanie Wolfe, Ph.D, LMFT at 760.323.2118, ext. 247. Co- Facilitator: Ray Robertson. You don't have to do it alone!
|
Every Friday, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Community Center Presents: EMOTIONAL WELLNESS GROUP
|
Tuesday, June 5, Noon - 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents: IT HAPPENS TO BOYS, TOO! ABUSE RECOVERY WORKSHOP BY THE COURAGEOUS HEALING FOUNDATION 
The Courageous Healing Foundation helps people deal with abuse issues. Its founder, Randy Boyd, and MFT Carol Teitelbaum will discuss working and talking with men who have suffered abuse at the hands of someone they were taught to trust. Lunch starts at 11:45 AM. RSVP to Ray at 760.323.2118, ext. 295. More quality of life through education! |
Every Thursday, 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents: MOVIE & PIZZA
Thursday, May 31 - The Saint (1997)
Simon Templar has no real family, no real home and Simon Templar isn't even his real name. Yet Simon Templar, also known as the Saint for his use of creating false identities using the names of Catholic saints, is one of the world's most successful thieves. Starring Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue. We all need a good flick!
|
Ongoing Client Community Center activities include:
- Support groups
- Spiritual Living 101
- Hepatitis C Therapy Education
- Diabetes Education
- Stitch in Time (needlecraft)
- Community Center Computer Lab
- Lending Library
- Free films, Thursdays, 1:00 PM
Follow this link to see the recurring activities on the Community Center Calendar.
Back to top
|
Tuesday Nite Supper Club helps to wrap up Dining Out for Life success
 With 15 of the 45 restaurants yet to report, Desert AIDS Project has already raised nearly $120,000 for client services from its 2012 Dining Out for Life event. But Brighthaus Marketing owners and Tuesday Nite Supper Club hosts Brian Vatcher and Mark Jones aimed to increase that total when the club gathered on May 22 at Snapshot Palm Springs to celebrate the annual event's success ... and raised almost $3,000 more in the process! More than 260 Tuesday Nite Supper Club members mingled over cocktails and delicious hors d'oeuvres, entrees, and desserts on Tuesday night to celebrate the success of 2012 Dining Out for Life. Trio Restaurant, once again made the top participating restaurant donation to Dining Out for Life's total, with Spencer's a close second. Thank you to all who participated! (jl) |
Desert AIDS Project is going Tobacco Free
 Effective September 1, 2012, the use of all tobacco products will be banned from Desert AIDS Project. This will include ALL areas, without exception, including the Serenity Garden, all pathways and walkways leading to the designated smoking area, grassy areas, and parking lots. The only designated smoking area will be outdoors, on the west end of the building, in the bench area. (jl) |
HIV and other Health News
|
|
Fauci expresses optimism about HIV vaccine research
 Anthony S. Fauci is an immunologist who has made substantial contributions to research in the areas of AIDS and other immunodeficiencies, both as a scientist and as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID). He recently released a statement in conjunction with the May 18 observance of National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day where he expressed confidence that scientists will succeed one day at creating a safe, highly effective HIV vaccine. Read his statement here. (jl) |
Coffee drinking linked to longer life
 If you are like your editor and can drink an "8-cup" pot of coffee every morning I have some very good news for you. Drinking a daily cup of coffee -- or even several cups -- isn't likely to harm your health, and it may even lower your risk of dying from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests. According to the study, coffee contains some 1,000 compounds, many of which are health-promoting antioxidants. So grab a cuppa Joe and read more here. (jl) |
US scientists warn, sugar can make you dumb
Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories. Read more here. (jl) |
Medicare now covers annual screening for depression
 Depression often goes undiagnosed in the elderly, who feel the stigma of mental illness more acutely than younger people and are often less likely to seek help. At the same time, older people or HIV patients are more likely to have multiple chronic conditions that consume their primary-care provider's attention in the limited time available during a typical office visit. However, that situation may be changing. In October, Medicare began to cover annual depression screening in primary-care settings with no cost sharing for beneficiaries. Most primary-care practices that screen for depression use a tool called the patient health questionnaire. Although the test can be taken in just a few minutes, a 2001 study indicated it identifies depression and pinpoints its severity nearly 90% of the time. Read more here. (jl) |
HCV treatment may reduce diabetes risk
 Treatment with interferon and ribavirin is associated with lasting improvements in insulin resistance among HIV-positive people co-infected with hepatitis C, investigators report in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Hepatitis C therapy was also associated with falls in levels of cholesterol. Doctors are still uncertain about the significance of their findings and are calling for further research. Read more here. (jl)
|
CDC set to recommend one-time Hep-C tests for all "baby boomers"
All U.S. baby boomers should get a one-time test for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to draft guidelines released Friday, May 18, by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The draft guidelines, available for public comment through June 8, look to decrease the number of people born between 1945 and 1965 who are unaware of their HCV status. The age-specific universal testing recommendation is based on the facts that one in 30 baby boomers have been infected with HCV and most don't know it. Read more here. (jl) |
|
"Forever Marilyn" ribbon cutting tonight at 6:00 PM
 "Forever Marilyn," the 26-foot statue that was controversial on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, has been busy getting touch-ups in its new Palm Springs home on the site of the old Bank of America building on Palm Canyon Drive at Tahquitz Canyon Way, where it will remain for one year. The 34,000-pound statue, which cost $40,000 to transport, is the new buzz in town. The sculpture by Seward Johnson, the 80-year-old artist and Johnson & Johnson heir who's known for casting famous images into giant sculptures, re-creates the scene from the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch" in which a drafty New York subway grate blows the sex symbol's skirt well above her knees. The official ribbon-cutting and unveiling will be held TONIGHT at 6:00 PM in conjunction with VillageFest. (rv) (jl)
|
|
Gay rights in the US, state by state
 Gay rights laws in America have evolved to allow - or in some cases ban - rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people on a range of issues, including marriage, hospital visitation, adoption, housing, employment and school bullying. The handling of gay rights issues vary by state and follow trends by region. The Guardian has created a great interactive graphic showing the different states and where they stand on LGBT issues from having hate crime laws to gay marriage and everything in between. Looking at it regionally, while not surprising, is powerful. (jl)
|
|
Desert Samaritans and The Center offer social work services for seniors
 The Center has partnered with Desert Samaritans to provide social work services to seniors 60 and over. Each Monday between 1:00 - 3:00 PM a social worker from Desert Samaritans will be on hand at The Center. The mission of Desert Samaritans is ensure the financial, physical and psychological well-being of seniors in the Coachella Valley through effective social service programs.
Services include:
- Advocacy on immediate challenges.
- Financial aid program assistance related to health care, utility bills, rent, food and emergency needs.
- Grocery relief services for people unable to shop for themselves or pay for groceries.
- Transportation services for medical appointments.
- Info and referral services to match requests to available community organizations and providers. (jl)
|
|
More help paying for prescription medications
 In our last issue we told you about the City of Palm Springs Prescription Card that offers savings on prescription drugs to residents who are without health insurance, a traditional benefits plan, or have prescriptions that are not covered by insurance. Another resource to help pay for prescription medications is a website called NeedyMeds. The mission of NeedyMeds is to make information about assistance programs available to low-income patients and their advocates at no cost. You can go to the website, look up the medication you need, and be directed to the patient assistance program website for that manufacturer. They also offer a free drug discount card that is accepted at over 62,000 pharmacies. If you are having trouble paying for your medications this site is worth a look! (jl)
|
As we observe the first post "Don't Ask, Don't Tell " Memorial Day, some poignant last words from a brave Gay Vietnam Veteran:
|
Benefits & Resources - Ongoing
|
|
Discounts at Revivals!
 Revivals stores continue to offer 10% discounts for "seniors"--anyone over 55--every Tuesday. In addition, Revivals offers 50% off men's clothing the first Thursday of each month and 50% off women's clothing on the first Friday of each month. Discounts are available on all donated items but does not include consignment or "new" items. Visit Revivals' website for store locations, hours and other information. (jl)
Back to Top
|
Your local libraries
 Don't have a Kindle? Bookstores too expensive? Don't know where to get videos now that Blockbuster is history? Feel digitally overwhelmed? Miss the feel of an old-fashioned book in your hands? It's amazing how some of us overlook the nearly unlimited source of books and other materials at our area libraries that are practically next door. Palm Springs Library, at Sunrise and Baristo, has a huge collection of books, periodicals, CDs, DVDs and children's literature--all for free. Just get a card and then load up. The library is a quiet haven, with plenty of desks and carrels for private reading, writing and studying. It's also a cool retreat from the heat in summer. And there are libraries all over Riverside County. Click here for a directory of locations, hours and library websites. Many of them allow you to search and reserve books, music and videos online. It's a welcome step away from card catalogue days. (Look them up if you don't know what a card catalogue and the Dewey Decimal System are!) And remember the lending library here at D.A.P. and the inexpensive used books at Revivals. (sb)
Back to Top
|
D.A.P. website and toll-free number
 The Desert AIDS Project toll-free phone number is always available at 866.331.3344, as is the website at www.desertaidsproject.org. (jl)  |
DAPCAN archives always available online
 Do you need to take another look at something you read in DAPCAN somewhere only to find that it's long gone from your inbox? You can find past DAPCAN issues online by clicking this link. As always, you can also read the most current edition of DAPCAN on the D.A.P. website by visiting www.desertaidsproject.org/newsletter. (jl)
|
|
Medically Indigent Services Program (MISP)
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
For those who qualify, medical care and help paying for your medications are available through the MISP and ADAP programs. You can find out if you qualify by scheduling an appointment by calling the numbers below. You can schedule your MISP and ADAP appointments together for Moreno Valley office ONLY. If you qualify for ADAP only, there is a local ADAP office right here at Desert AIDS Project. Specify the Palm Springs office when you call to make your appointment. Here are the numbers:
877.501.5085 - toll free
951.486.5375 - English
951.486.5400 - Spanish
951.486.4635 - fax
NOTICE: Faxed MISP applications can get lost in the process. Most persons who have faxed their application have had to re-apply later. It's best to apply in person in Moreno Valley, and get a "receipt of application", and use that as proof that you applied to avoid any uninterrupted services with your DAP medical doctor visits. (rv) (jl)
Back to top |
|
ADAP may pay Medicare Part D premium
ADAP-eligible clients who have to purchase Part D prescription drug coverage may qualify to have their Part D premium paid by the State of California. Follow this link to the Part D Premium Payment Program Application. You can also call the State of California at 916.449.5900 for more information. (jl)
Back to top
|
|
Call 211 for essential human services in Riverside County
2-1-1 is a toll-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)
Back to top
|
|
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 Jerry Brown
State Senator Bill Emmerson
State Senator Juan Vargas
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:
|
|
|
Additional Contacts/Social Networking
| |
|
|
|
|
|
