DAPCAN - December 13, 2012

pos life The next Positive Life program on January 8 will be on HIV and Your Heart Health, focusing on preventing cardiovascular disease for PLWHA. The speaker will be Dr. David Shamblaw of San Diego. As always, a light supper is served at 6:00 PM, generously provided by Walgreens, and the program begins 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 Service of the Desert, is always free. ASL translation is provided. Questions? Email positivelifeseries@gmail.com. Plan to attend--and bring a friend!

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.

Second and third Wednesday each month, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Community Center Presents - ACUPUNCTURE FOR CLIENTS!

Suffering from headaches, insomnia, anxiety, stress or depression? Having neck pain? Pain in lower back or shoulders? Askat Ruzyev, L.Ac., MSTCM, Dipl.O.M.Licensed Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture & Herbology, Nationally Certified by the Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) will be Dr.

providing free acupuncture treatments twice monthly at D.A.P. Contact Ray at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or rrobertson@desertaidsproject.org to schedule your appointment. Registered D.A.P. clients only. (jl)

Improve your quality of life through new ideas!

Friday, December 14, Noon - 1:00 PM - PRESENTATION LUNCHEON!

Community Center Presents: NEW PREZISTA REGIMEN

Joseph Leahy will present information about the new one-a-day Prezista regimen, and will also answer questions about HIV issues. Lunch starts at 11:45 AM. Registered DAP clients only. ASL interpretation available upon request. Contact Ray at least 48 hours in advance. Sponsored by Janssen Therapeutics. RSVP to Ray Robertson at 760.323.2118 ext. 295 or rrobertson@desertaidsproject.org. (jl)

Improve your quality of life through education!

Tuesday, December 18, Luncheon! Noon - 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents - HIV & Substance Abuse

Speaker Mike Roy will discuss HIV & substance abuse prevention and treatment. Lunch starts at 11:45 AM. Registered D.A.P. clients only. For ASL interpretation please contact Ray at least 48 hours in advance. Sponsored by Gilead Sciences Inc. RSVP to Ray Robertson @ (760) 323-2118 ext 295 or by email to: rrobertson@desertaidsproject.org

Improve your Quality of life through education!

Third Friday of Every Month, 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Community Center Presents: HAIRCUTS BY MITCH!

clippers The D.A.P. Community Center is pleased to announce free HAIRCUTS FOR CLIENTS, the third Friday of each month from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Sign up outside the Walgreens room in the Community Center. Six slots are available--first come, first served. NO appointments or reservations taken by phone ahead of time. Please show up with clean hair. (jl)

Look your best with a clip 'n snip!

Thursday, December 20, 1:00 PM

Community Center Presents: MOVIE & PIZZA

Four Christmases (2008) Great Comedy!
Director: Seth Gordon. Actors: Vince Vaughn: Brad · Reese Witherspoon: Kate · Robert Duvall: Howard · Sissy Spacek: Paula · Jon Voight: Creighton ·

LET'S GET OUT TO A MOVIE!

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Ongoing Client Community Center activities include:

Support groups
Hepatitis C therapy education
Diabetes education
Stitch in Time (needlecraft) - Third Wednesday of each month
Community Center Computer Lab
Lending Library
Free films, Thursdays, 1:00 PM
Afternoon tea, every Wednesday, 3:00 PM

Follow this link to see recurring activities on the Community Center Calendar.

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D.A.P. News

Bill Quinn sets higher bar for mix of HIV/AIDS healthcare and prevention

On September 17, William "Bill" Quinn joined Desert AIDS Project in the new position of Chief Program Officer. With responsibility for overall development, expansion, integration, and implementation of D.A.P.'s program strategy, Quinn oversees more than 30 staff members, in D.A.P.'s medical and dental clinics, and its prevention education, social services, and home health care departments. "Bill has more than 20 years of experience in HIV healthcare settings, most recently with institutions whose futures will be most affected by the Affordable Care Act," said David Brinkman, CEO of D.A.P. "His primary goal will be to develop D.A.P. as a center of excellence, so that we are on the cutting edge of care, and ensure that we offer the best mix of essential services, to best meet the needs of our clients." With a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Quinn has dedicated his career to supporting health and social services in traditionally underserved communities. In the 1980s, he was part of a pilot program in Santa Clara County that later became the model for future HIV early intervention clinics. Immediately prior to joining D.A.P., Quinn was Director of Health Services at FoundCare Health Center in West Palm Beach, FL, where he was instrumental in helping it to achieve status as a Federally Qualified Health Center. (rv)

Cozy up with our Fall Progress Report

fallprogram Every quarter Desert AIDS Project writes, designs, and publishes a new Progress Report to keep our clients and supporters in the know with current Desert AIDS Project news. This fall's new issue includes:

a letter from CEO David Brinkman,
The Heart of D.A.P.
Employee Spotlight on our new Medical Director and Chief Program Officer
One employee's trip to the recent United States Conference on AIDS
AIDS Walk recap in photos
Recent Revivals Stores news and updates
Upcoming Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Follow this link to read the report. (jl)

HIV & Other Health News

HIV and syphilis a dangerous combination

Trend data released today in CDC's 2011 STD Surveillance Report show that primary and secondary syphilis rates are increasing among gay and bisexual men, who now account for more than 70% of all infections. According to this AIDS.gov blog, there is a disproportionate burden of disease among gay and bisexual men. While the health problems caused by syphilis in adults are serious in their own right, it has been shown that the genital sores caused by syphilis make it easier to transmit and acquire HIV infection sexually. There is an estimated 2- to 5-fold increased risk of acquiring HIV if exposed to that infection when syphilis is present, and studies have also shown that syphilis will increase the viral load of someone who is already HIV infected. Talk openly with your doctor or health care provider and ask to be tested for syphilis. With timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, syphilis is curable. (rv)

Barebacking: freeing or foolish, men take risks for many reasons
bb3

Human sexuality is extremely complex psychological territory. Despite years of pro-condom campaigns, many people--especially gay men--make the choice to indulge in unprotected sex. The reasons are myriad: condom "fatigue," desire for greater intimacy, feelings of "getting it over with," the "I'll just take the pills" school of thought, the "under the influence" situation, "serosorting" and especially, an increasing lack of concern and experience among younger generations of gay men who have never known anyone with full-blown AIDS. Whether one is HIV-positive or negative, it's likely we have all considered this issue. Whatever your serostatus and position on unprotected sex, this article (click here), while several years old, remains a comprehensive,important compilation of various points of view from people within the HIV/AIDS community. It was recently republished at TheBody.com and is worth a review, especially since barebacking seems more prevalent than ever. We make no judgments here; the article may simply raise issues you haven't considered and enable you to draw your own more informed conclusions. (sb)

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Podcast/video of "Berlin Patient" Timothy Brown at SoCal cure forums

With special thanks to Jeff Taylor, for those who couldn't make it to the presentation, here is a podcast of the Palm Springs Positive Life cure forum with "Berlin Patient" Timothy Brown. It includes Timothy's speech, some interviews with him, and a talk by transplant researcher John Zaia from City of Hope. The podcast is courtesy of Nicholas Snow, who has his own snowbiznow.com website. The San Diego forum was video-taped, and the video is available on the ACTG youtube channel here. The program is still being edited and more of it will become available in upcoming weeks. (jl)

Women and HIV

Are you HIV positive and pregnant, or know someone who is?
Monica Gandhi, M.D., M.P.H. directs the AIDS Consult Service at San Francisco General

Hospital and is an HIV and primary care provider in the Women's HIV Program at the University of California, San Francisco. She's also a research investigator with the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a large, multisite prospective cohort. Olivia Ford of TheBody.com interviewed Dr. Gandhi for this informative article and Q&A that provides critical information for any woman who is HIV positive and pregnant. (rv)

Advocacy

Joint brief issued about fiscal cliff impact on HIV/AIDS programs

As the deadline for reaching an agreement that would avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" grows closer, Congressional Republicans and the White House continue their tense negotiations around potential spending cuts and revenue increases. If the Congress and the White House fail to reach an agreement, a series of tax increases ($500 billion) and spending cuts ($200 billion) are set to take effect on January 1, 2013. As outlined in an AmFar Foundation for AIDS Research and NMAC National Minority AIDS Council joint brief, many of these cuts, set up under the Budget Control Act of 2011, could impact critical HIV/AIDS programs. NMAC has been working to educate Congress on the real-life implications of these cuts, while also working with them to ensure that any potential "fiscal-cliff" compromise protects critical HIV/AIDS programming and funding. (rv)

HIV activist Sean Strub argues for changes in the law for HIV + persons

Creating a different law for people based on an immutable characteristic has created a viral underclass in the law. Every person with HIV now is one disgruntled ex-partner away from finding themselves in a courtroom, argues activist Sean Strub. Read Laura Flanders' interview with Straub here. (rv)

HIV/AIDS "stigma" is still with us
stigma3

Since the very earliest days of HIV, many people who were diagnosed and especially those who became ill with full-blown AIDS immediately experienced a sense of distance and isolation from others. Fear of infection and the unknown, judgmental attitudes from some self-righteous types and even family rejection helped to create a stigma against those with HIV/AIDS, much of which still exists in some quarters. Indeed, addressing stigma was a major topic at last summer's AIDS 2012 Conference in Washington and remains a huge problem for therapists who counsel PLWHAs. "Despite campaigns to address it, there continues to be no safe refuge from stigma and in fact, in some ways the situation is deteriorating," writes psychotherapist David Fawcett, who has years of experience in working with AIDS patients. "Societal attitudes actually appear to be backsliding, a growing divide is separating negative and positive gay men, and the critical chatter of self-talk and self-judgment keeps the pain of stigma alive among those living with the virus." Click here to read the article and compare it with your own experience, and click here to read about gay and HIV stigma issues worldwide. (sb)

Wisdom for the Season

Ongoing Benefits, Resources & Information

Desert AIDS Project holiday closings for remainder of 2012 and 2013

sorryclosed5

2012

December 24-25 - Christmas

2013

January 1 - New Year's Day

January 21 - MLK Jr. Day

February 18 - Presidents' Day

April 1 - Cesar Chavez Day

May 27 - Memorial Day

July 4 - Independence Day

September 2 - Labor Day

October 14 - Columbus Day

November 11 - Veteran's Day

November 28-29 - Thanksgiving

December 25 - Christmas Day

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Contact information for D.A.P. comp8

phonesmart The Desert AIDS Project local phone number is 760.323.2118. The toll-free phone number is 866.331.3344 and the website can be found at desertaidsproject.org. (jl)

Help with Medicare
The State Health Insurance medicare9

Assistance Program (SHIP) offers one-on-one counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families. This includes information about original Medicare, Medicare Health Plans, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, Medicare Supplemental policies and Long Term Care Insurance. The California Department of Aging (CDA) is responsible for statewide administration of SHIP, which is delivered through the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). HICAP services can be accessed via a toll-free line at 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) (sb)

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More help paying for prescription medications

Among the resources available to HIV-positive people 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 www.needymeds.org, 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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DAPCAN archives always available online
filecab3

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 at www.desertaidsproject.org/newsletter. And we've recently updated these links to ensure that the very latest issues of DAPCAN are always available. (jl)

Medically Indigent Services Program (MISP)

AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)

*Note: MISP has changed its scheduling policy and now recommends that applicants call for their appointments no sooner than four weeks before their ADAP expiration date. (Our previous recommendation of six to eight weeks is no longer valid.)

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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Riverside County Healthcare System (RCHC)

rchc If you are a member of RCHC, you know that D.A.P. recently negotiated a contract with it to become an in-network provider for medical care. Since then, D.A.P. Medical Case Managers have worked to reduce barriers transitioning to this health plan, in switching your provider assignment to D.A.P.'s HIV Health Center and linking you to RCHC benefits.

If you have questions or difficulties in linking to care at D.A.P. through RCHC, contact your Medical Case Manager, who may advise you on navigating the system. Be aware, however, that D.A.P. has no jurisdiction over RCHC operations and that you may need to deal with RCHC directly. If you continue to face barriers or have concerns about RCHC's service provisions, call the following numbers to file a grievance: 888-860-1303 or 1-888-860-1304 (TTY/TDD). You can also mail the grievance to:

Riverside County HealthCare

PO Box 8957

Moreno Valley CA 92555-8957

RCHC Website: http://riversidecountyhealthcare.org

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)

Call 211 for essential human services in Riverside County

riv211 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)

To contact state and federal officials click on name:

President Barack Obama
Senator Diane Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (we'll provide contact information for Rep.-elect Raul Ruiz in January)
Congressman Jerry Lewis
Governor Jerry Brown
State Senator Bill Emmerson
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:

For questions, comments, or unsubscribe contact us at: DAPCAN@DesertAIDSProject.org

Additional Contacts/Social Networking