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DAPCAN
Desert AIDS Project Community Action Newsletter
July 18, 2012
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Editorial Staff
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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
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| D.A.P. Community Center Events |
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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.
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Every Thursday, 1:00 PM
Community Center Presents: MOVIE & PIZZA
NEW POLICY: DOOR WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL 12:00PM SHARP!  Thursday, July 26 -The Companion (TV - 1994) In the near-distant future, a female romance writer is planning to write her next book in a remote mountain cabin. A friend convinces her to bring along a "companion", a nearly-human android to cook and clean. She settles on a male companion named "Geoffrey." Bored with some of Geoffrey's behavior, she tinkers with his programming -- first his personality, then his sexuality. Real trouble comes when she gives his mind access to "random data."Sci-Fi: Director: Gary Fleder. Actors: Kathryn Harrold, Gillian Tanner, Bruce Greenwood, Geoffrey Talia Balsam, Joely Fisher
Thursday, August 2 - The Illusionist (2006)
Come out for a great film!
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Ongoing Client Community Center activities include:
- Support groups
- 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 recurring activities on the Community Center Calendar.
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Summer Reading: Progress Report from D.A.P.
 Every quarter Desert AIDS Project writes, designs, and publishes a new Progress Report to keep our supporters in the know with current Desert AIDS Project news. Here's this quarter's new issue, including:
- a letter from CEO David Brinkman,
- News & Updates from our Dental Clinic and Health Clinic
- Employee Spotlight: Robin Johnson
- This past year's success with our free & confidential HIV testing program
- Two groups focused on spreading and sharing HIV+ stories
- Recent and upcoming events
- Community events and partners including The Tool Shed
Click here to read this issue now! (jl)
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Desert AIDS Project featured in recent Bottom Line
 As you may know, The Bottom Line and Pulp magazines, which have provided fine coverage of the LGBT scene in Palm Springs, San Diego, and the surrounding areas for many years, recently announced a summer hiatus until September 30, 2012. While the June 29, 2012 issue was not printed in hard copy, the digital version WAS published. Since the cover story featured D.A.P. and the AIDS 2012 Conference, which is soon upcoming in D.C., we thought we would share that digital version with you here. If you click the link, you'll be able to read the six pages of content, which includes online resources for people who want to learn more about HIV/AIDS or how to become an advocate, a profile of David Brinkman, and an overview of the AIDS 2012 Conference. The issue also contains an interview with Kristine W, the dance music icon who was the featured performer at the Mid-Summer Dance Party on July 13! (jl)
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D.A.P. in negotiations with County of Riverside
Desert AIDS Project continues to participate in active negotiations with the County of Riverside to seek approval as an in-network provider for the Riverside County Healthcare  (RCHC) program. D.A.P. began negotiations as soon as we became aware of the new low-income health plan. If you have been enrolled in RCHC by the County, please contact your Medical Case Manager until the outcome of negotiations is known. This will ensure support in linking you with resources outside the agency so that you do not run out of medications, miss a lab work deadline or fall out of routine medical care. Click here to learn more about how the program works. (rv) (sb)
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New HIV & Cancer Support Group meets next Monday, July 23
The new peer-led HIV & Cancer Support Group will meet again next Monday, July 23 at 3:30 PM and will be facilitated by D.A.P. client and cancer survivor Mike Wayne. Mike will be assisted as needed by Ray Robertson. The group will meet on second and fourth Mondays from 3:30 to 5:00 PM and is open to non-D.A.P. clients as well, provided they are HIV-positive. DAPCAN's editors congratulate Mike for taking on this project and having the courage to share his story. He deserves everyone's support! (jl) (sb) (rv)
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International AIDS Conference returns to U.S.
The return of the International AIDS Conference to the United States in July 2012 represents a significant victory for public health and human rights. The selection of Washington, D.C. as the site for the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) is the result of years of dedicated advocacy to end the United States misguided entry restrictions on people living with HIV - restrictions that were based on fear, rather than science. Thankfully, the restrictions were lifted in 2009 by President Obama (although, in fairness, we should mention that the process did start under President Bush). AIDS 2012 is expected to convene more than 20,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries, including 2,000 journalists. Follow this link to the conference website for more information and this link to sign up to receive conference bulletins from aidsmap.com. (jl)
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Investment by Obama Administration will eliminate ADAP waitlists
 While California hasn't had to deal with ADAP waiting lists, patients living in other states have not been as fortunate. Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced nearly $80 million in grants to increase access to HIV/AIDS care across the United States. The funding will ensure that low-income people living with HIV/AIDS continue to have access to life-saving health care and medications. Approximately $69 million will be sent to 25 states and territories through the Ryan White AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), and based on estimates provided by the states, will eliminate any waiting lists. The more than $10 million remaining will be distributed to Ryan White community-based health clinics nationwide to expand access to 14,000 new patients for essential medical and support services for people living with HIV/AIDS. A portion of this funding was made available through the Affordable Care Act. Read more here. (jl)
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FDA approves first In-Home HIV Test and approves Truvada as prophylaxis
 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been busy as of late recently approving the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, which will be sold over the counter and used without medical supervision and Truvada as a pre-exposure prophylaxis. However, these approvals are not without controversy.
Questions surrounding the In-Home HIV test include who will use it and whether or not it will make any difference in the epidemic. The FDA believes this home test could identify up to 45,000 new diagnoses and prevent nearly 4,000 new infections each year. One concern with the test is its 92% accuracy rate for HIV-positive results. What this potentially means is that it could miss 1 out of 12 people who are truly positive. Another concern is how an individual interprets his or her negative test result, as a negative result is only as good as the window period before it. For those who were infected just two weeks before taking the test, the negative result would be "inaccurate." You can read the FDA press release here and a piece by Project Inform here for more information.
Truvada as a pre-exposure  prophylaxis has created some controversy. Project Inform praises the decision and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, agrees. "The approval of Truvada to prevent HIV infection in uninfected individuals who are at high risk of sexually acquired HIV infection is a significant development, providing an important addition to our toolkit of HIV prevention interventions," Fauci says. AIDS Healthcare Foundation doesn't agree. "The FDA's approval of Gilead's Truvada as a form of HIV prevention today without any requirement for HIV testing is completely reckless and a move that will ultimately set back years of HIV prevention efforts," said Michael Weinstein, AHF's President. You can read more about Project Inform's position here and AHF's objections here. Time Magazine also ran a decent primer article covering some of the basics about Truvada's new role. (jl)
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Measure requiring condoms for porn films likely to go on ballot
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has led the campaign for requiring condoms in porn, announced that it has collected far more signatures -- 371,000 -- than the 232,000 it  needed to qualify for a measure on the November 6 ballot. The county measure is modeled on the County's health permit process for tattoo and massage parlors and bathhouses. The measure would require filmmakers to obtain a health permit from the county Department of Public Health, pay a fee, and face a suspended or revoked permit or even civil fines or misdemeanor criminal charges for violations. Read more here. (jl)
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Prostate cancer surgery shows no benefit for many men
 Finally, the results from a decades-long study that compared surgery for prostate cancer to careful monitoring have been published. Overall, the researchers found no difference in rates of death from any cause, including prostate cancer, among men who had their prostates surgically removed compared to those who didn't. Read more here. (jl)
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Potential stem cell cure for HIV to enter human trials
A team of Australian scientists is advancing towards a cure for conditions including HIV and diabetes using stem cells. Professor Alan Trounson, a world-renowned Australian stem cell expert and head of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, says their work towards HIV cure is about to progress to human trials. The approach is based on the case of an American, known as the Berlin patient, who was cured of HIV after receiving a life-saving bone marrow transplant to treat leukaemia from a donor who carried the HIV-immune mutation. However, even if the trials are successful it could be six to seven years before those treatments are widely available to patients. (jl)
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Potential cause of HIV-related depression and cognitive problems discovered
 Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center believe they have discovered a cause of depression and dementia-like symptoms in people living with HIV. They found that HIV interferes with the brain's production of a protein growth factor that neurons need in order to function correctly. This can lead to psychological and cognitive problems, such as those involving memory, learning and motor function. Read more here. (jl)
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IEHPC Priority Setting and Resource Allocations Summit 2012
Tuesday through Thursday, July 31 - August 2, 2012
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Grove Community Church
19900 Grove Community Drive
Riverside, CA 92508
There is still time for YOU to participate in local HIV/AIDS policy-making and funding allocation decisions. The IEHPC is the policy making body for HIV services which are funded by the Ryan WhiteHIV/AIDS Program in San Ber  nardino and Riverside Counties. The IEHPC will convene their annual Priority Setting & Resource Allocation Summit on
July 31 - August 2, 2012. At the annual Summit, IEHPC members follow federal guidelines to set priorities, allocate resources and develop directives for the upcoming grant year (March 2013 - February 2014). Members consider data about the spread of the disease, consumer needs, trends in utilization, and gaps in services to make evidence-based decisions about how best to serve people living with HIV/AIDS in the two-county area with the limited funds available. These decisions are then applied to the administration of grant funds when they are awarded next year to the local Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Providers like D.A.P. are awarded funds through contractual arrangements with the local Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program determined by a competitive application process.
While D.A.P. staff sit on the Council they are required to advocate equitably on behalf of ALL people living with HIV and AIDS throughout the two-county area. Because D.A.P. receives some of its funding through the Planning Council, D.A.P. staff are often prohibited for speaking up for the needs of the agency or the Coachella Valley because it would be a conflict of interest. Therefore community input from D.A.P. clients and other Coachella Valley residents is vitally important. There will be Public Comment periods during the Summit to allow community members (that's you!) to discuss obstacles, challenges, shortages, or any other experience or knowledge they may have as it relates to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program service categories. Information from the Public Comments will help the Planning Council in its decision-making process in setting service priorities, allocating funding and creating directives for the grantee on how best to help meet the needs of those affected by HIV/AIDS.
 In addition to seeking public participation in the Allocation Summit, the IEHPC is also actively recruiting consumer members interested in serving on the council on an ongoing basis. People living with HIV are currently underrepresented on the council, and our valley, in particular, needs a stronger voice to make sure our local needs are met. The Summit is a good time to observe the Council in action and meet members. All Planning Council meetings are open to the public. Call 909.388.0496 for more information, or visit www.iehpc.org. (rv) (sb) (jl)
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County of Riverside Cool Centers
As we head into the hottest part of the year it is important to remember that the Community  Action Partnership of Riverside County is coordinating Cool Centers to provide drop-in sites for vulnerable individuals, seniors, the disabled, and others in need of temporary relief from the heat. Cool Centers will open to the public, in affected areas, when the Riverside County Department of Public Health issues a "Heat Warning". Watch or listen for the "Heat Warning" on your television, radio, and local newspaper. Follow this link for more information. (jl)
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Nine reasons why you should no longer care about people's approval
Your editor stumbled upon this today and found it very interesting. As the author says, we  already know most of these reasons... but oftentimes knowing something and practicing it are two different things. I found this article to be a good reminder of some practices I could work on. Maybe you will too! (jl)
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Is it a scam or is it real?
While you editor doesn't normally spend a lot of time on AARP articles this one caught my eye. Do you think you're smarter than the con artis ts? Now is the perfect time to test yourself by taking this quiz. I took the quiz this morning and scored a 90% (although I'll admit I did have ti use the "hint" button on the bed-bug question!) Take the quiz here. (jl)
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How much do you know about HIV/AIDS?
Most of us living with HIV/AIDS consider ourselves pretty savvy when it comes to knowledge about the disease. While we may know our T-cell counts and safer-sex practic  es a new (5-minute) HIV/AIDS quiz from the Kaiser Family Foundation encourages people to see how much they know about the epidemic and the people it affects. Take the quiz and test your knowledge on subjects like: How many people are living with HIV/AIDS around the world? What percentage of the U.S. federal budget is spent to address HIV/AIDS? Which racial/ethnic group accounts for the greatest number of new HIV infections in the U.S.? The answers page provides links to resources for additional information on each topic covered in the 10 questions. You may find the results interesting. Follow this link to the quiz. (jl)
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"We can end this pandemic. We can beat this disease. We can win this fight. We just have to keep at it, steady, persistent -- today, tomorrow, every day until we get to zero. And as long as I have the honor of being your President, that's what this administration is going to keep doing."
--President Obama, World AIDS Day, December 1, 2011
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Ongoing Benefits & Resources
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Help with Medicare
 Whether you are newly eligible for Medicare or an existing beneficiary, you may need help navigating the system. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, is a national program that offers one-on-one counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families. It offers assistance with original Medicare, Medicare Health Plans, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, Medicare Supplemental policies and Long Term Care insurance. In California, the California Department of Aging (CDA) is responsible for the statewide administration of the SHIP which is delivered through the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). HICAP services can be accessed via a toll-free line 800.434.0222. The local HICAP office is located in Riverside and the phone number is 951.241.8723. Follow this link for more information. (jl)
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More help paying for prescription medications
 We recently reported on the City of Palm Springs Prescription Card that offers savings on prescription drugs to residents without health insurance, traditional benefits plan or need prescriptions not covered by insurance. Another resource to help pay for prescription medications is NeedyMeds. The mission of NeedyMeds is to make information about assistance programs available to low-income patients and their advocates at no cost. Go to the website, look up the medications you need and you'll be directed to the patient assistance program website for that manufacturer. The site also offers a free drug discount card that is accepted at more than 62,000 pharmacies. If you are having trouble paying for your medications this site is worth a look! (jl) (sb)
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D.A.P. toll-free number and website
 The Desert AIDS Project toll-free phone number is always available at 866.331.3344, as is the website at www.desertaidsproject.org. (jl)
 (in case you're wondering, these are
"Princess Telephones"--note both pink and blue--
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DAPCAN archives always available online
 Need another look at something you read in DAPCAN? You can find past 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. And we've recently updated these links to ensure that the very latest issues of DAPCAN are always available. (jl) |
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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 across the driveway, south of Desert AIDS Project, at the Palm Springs Family Care Center. 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)
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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)
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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)
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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:
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Additional Contacts/Social Networking
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