DAPCAN
Desert AIDS Project Community Action Newsletter
April 11, 2013
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Awareness Week
April 14 - 20
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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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Thursday, April 25: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner!
Dining Out For Life
 Last year, more than 40 restaurants participated in and contributed to Dining Out for Life. For breakfast, lunch, dinner, bagels or a drink at the bar, these restaurants and diners like you supported client services at Desert AIDS Project! We're thrilled and wowed by all the community support. Do Good. Eat Well. And remember, all you have to do is go out to eat to fight AIDS! Click here for more information and make some reservations now! (jl) (rv) (sb)
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Tuesday, May 7, 6:00 - 8:00 PM: Positive Life Series
CROI Update
 Updates on latest in HIV treatments and cure research from the Retrovirus Conference (CROI), with D.A.P. medical director Dr. Homayoon Khanlou, and local treatment activist Jeff Taylor. As always, a light supper is served at 6:00 PM, 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. No need to RSVP. Questions? Email positivelifeseries@gmail.com. Plan to attend and bring a friend! Upcoming Programs: June 4: HIV & Sex--What You Need to Know About STDs, with Dr. Rick Loftus. In July and August, we'll be on hiatus--have a great summer! September 3: HIV & the Law--What You Need to Know, with local attorney Andrew Alder.
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Desert AIDS Project's Community Services Wing, also known as the Community Center, houses many activities and programs including arts and crafts workshops, bingo, movies, lending library and drop-in hours when clients may come in to just hang out with friends. The Community Center also hosts educational programs and classes designed to increase health literacy and empower clients to participate more in their own care. Follow this link to see details about next week's featured events listed below. If you would like to attend any of these events, please RSVP to Ray Robertson at 760.323.2118, ext. 295 or email rrobertson@desertaidsproject.org.
Upcoming Community Center featured events:
Tuesday, April 16, Noon - 1:00 PM
Luncheon presentation: FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HEP C
Every Thursday, 1:00 PM (no RSVP needed)
Ongoing Community Center activities:
- 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
Check out the complete Community Center Schedule for all programs and drop-in hours.
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D.A.P.'s Annette Bloch Cancer Center offers free cancer screening during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week 
The new Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center at Desert AIDS Project invites anyone in the community to receive a free screening on Friday, April 19, from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at 1695 N. Sunrise Way in Palm Springs. The Comprehensive Cancer Care Center at Desert Regional Medical Center and City of Hope both join D.A.P. in offering this service. Oral, head and neck cancer can occur in nasal cavities, sinuses, lips, mouth, thyroid glands, salivary glands, throat or larynx. Besides skin and thyroid cancers, it is the sixth most common form of cancer in the world, with more than 50,000 cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. resulting in more than 12,000 annual deaths. Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, especially common in HIV-positive gay men, is a primary risk factor for oral, head and neck cancers, as well as tobacco use and excessive consumption of alcohol. Popular film critic Roger Ebert, who died last week, is the latest high-profile victim of oral and neck malignancies. Others include p residents Ulysses Grant and Grover Cleveland, Babe Ruth, George Harrison, Sammy Davis Jr. and Humphrey Bogart. Last year during Awareness Week, more than 10,000 people were screened at 337 sites nationwide; 263 of those people were referred for immediate consultation for suspected developing cancers. Please call 866.866.2645, 24 hours a day to RSVP. Walk-ins without appointments will be accommodated as quickly as possible. And click here for a good summary article about HIV and cancer from the American Cancer Society. (sb)
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Inland Empire HIV Planning Council Empowerment Committee meeting at D.A.P. on April 25
 The Inland Empire HIV Planning Council (IEHPC) is the local policy-making body in charge of prioritizing services and allocating funds granted from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part A to Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Desert AIDS Project is a grant recipient. Last year, more than 2,000 clients benefited from services funded by this program. Usually convening in the City of San Bernardino, IEHPC is holding meetings at D.A.P. this month. The Planning Committee met today and the Empowerment Committee will meet on Thursday April 25, 10:00 - 11:30 AM in the D.A.P. Situation Room and is open to the public with opportunity to comment. This is a unique opportunity for you to learn more about allocation of HIV/AIDS services funding that affects you directly as a D.A.P. client. For more information, including agenda packets, visit www.iehpc.org or call 909.693.0750. (jl) (sb)
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Have extra time and need to get out more? Volunteer at Revivals!
 Our area Revivals stores can always use volunteers and the Palm Desert location needs some helpers right now! If you have extra time and would like to contribute to the efforts that help fund D.A.P. client services, call Melanie Jones, Volunteer Coordinator at 760.413.6613.  It looks like fun!
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In case you missed it, check out D.A.P.'s Spring Progress Report
 The Spring Progress Report is a concise and comprehensive look at everything that's going at Desert AIDS Project. Click here to learn about the donors, events and activities that help maintain client services. (sb)
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HIV/AIDS and Other Health News
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Update on New York City meningitis outbreak--should you get immunized?
 We've been monitoring the outbreak of bacterial meningitis among gay men in New York City. Authorities there now recommend vaccinations for local gay men who are HIV-positive or HIV-negative but not monogamous. The vaccination warning also includes men who have visited New York at any time since September 2012. Symptoms can come on quickly and the disease can be fatal if not treated immediately. The outbreak has only been seen in men, and seems most likely transmitted through anonymous sexual encounters with other men, which makes it difficult to trace the infection's path. The good news is the standard meningitis vaccine is effective against the new strain. The NY health department is advising it for men regardless of HIV status who regularly have contact with other men they meet online, at a bar or party. Click here to read a good Q&A about this outbreak and don't panic! It may not yet affect people in California but if you have intimate contact with anyone from New York or are traveling there soon, it's worth asking your doctor about immunization. (jl) (sb)
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New term to learn about: "non-AIDS defining cancers" 
As the HIV population ages and confronts some of the same health problems the general population experiences, we're now dealing with a new front. What was once a struggle against AIDS-defining opportunistic infections has increasingly become a war on "non-AIDS-defining cancers" (NADCs). It has become clear in recent years that those of us living with HIV/AIDS are at markedly higher risk for a wide array of malignancies and will tend to experience them at much younger ages than those who are HIV-negative. Two factors stand out: general damage to the immune system over time and cellular inflammation. Regardless of overall health, most long-term HIV-positive people have a significant degree of both these conditions, although it doesn't mean they all will develop cancers. And it's no reason to panic--just one more thing to be aware of and to discuss with your doctor. The relationship between cancer and HIV is one of the newer and increasingly important branches of research so we all need to learn about it. Click here for a good summary article and other links. The above chart published last year in Clinical Infectious Diseases shows data collected on HIV patients. Cancer Risk SIR (standardized incidence ratio) shows whether the number of observed cancer cases in a particular geographic area is higher or lower than expected, given the population and age distribution for that community. (sb)
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Undetectable? Maybe not, especially in semen
 This has been suspected for a long time and now research shows that men with HIV who test undetectable (less that 50 copies/mm3) in blood samples may have detectable levels of virus in their semen. A new study of 101 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), conducted in Boston and published in the medical journal AIDS, showed approximately one quarter of participants had detectable HIV in their semen samples. However, this study also included many variables such as virus detectability in blood, length of time with HIV infection, ethnic background, sexual habits, other HIV-related conditions and other factors. Certainly more study needs to be done but this research seems to prove that semen may be one the "reservoirs" of HIV that somehow eludes antiviral treatment. Click here for more on this study. (sb)
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Testing underway toward a cure for crystal methamphetamine addiction
 As we all know, crystal methamphetamine (variously known as "meth," "crystal," "ice" and "tina") is a devastatingly addictive drug that not only ravages one's health (and teeth), but also has contributed to more seroconversions among gay men than anyone can calculate. Now, researchers are testing a relatively common anti-inflammatory drug called Ibudilast for its potential to block the cravings of methamphetamine addicts, and the first round of results shows promise. Current treatment for meth addiction does not offer drug-based therapies, such as drug replacement strategies that can be effective with heroin addicts. The use of Ibudilast could change that. Click here for the full story. And remember, if crystal meth is an issue for you or someone you care for, click here for treatment and support group information via the D.A.P. website and here for Crystal Meth Anonymous of Riverside County. Incidentally, did you ever wonder why addiction is so prevalent among people with HIV? "Substance use is a coping reaction for many people with HIV," says Perry Halkitis, PhD, a New York University professor, HIV specialist and author of forthcoming book, The AIDS Generation. "Living with HIV isn't just a medical condition. It's an emotional and social reality, and substance use ameliorates the negative feelings around it. People who have been HIV-positive for decades often have a lifetime of trauma. Using is an easy fix to confront those negative states." And here is a good summary article and another more personal story on why crystal meth remains such destructive factor among gay men. Living with HIV is hard enough, but you're not alone. Recovery is possible--you don't have to live with addiction and lose your teeth as well. (sb)
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Palm Springs needs volunteers for City boards and commissions
 If you are a Palm Springs resident, have some time on your hands and would like to serve your community, the City always needs volunteers to fill positions on various boards and commissions. While the spring deadline for new applications has just passed, vacancies can occur at any time, so there is always a need for interested volunteers. Click here for information about all Clty boards and commissions, their mission statements and scheduled meetings, which are always open to the public. If you are interested in one particular commission, now is the time to start attending meetings. Your editor served three years on the Palm Springs Human Rights Commission and found it a rewarding experience even if public comment periods can bring out all sorts of people along the scale of peculiar. (sb) |
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Ryan White Program survey may be coming your way
 This month, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program--one of D.A.P.'s largest funders--will mail a satisfaction survey to most clients, asking that it be returned by April 30. A postage-paid envelope will be included with the survey. The survey will be sent only to clients who have indicated they accept mail on their intake or update forms. So if your mailing preferences have changed, please contact your medical case manager, so we can update records accordingly. For clients who don't receive mail, hard copies will be provided upon request at D.A.P. Surveys in Spanish are also available. If you have visited another agency funded by the Ryan White Program in Riverside or San Bernardino Counties, you may receive multiple surveys. Please look for the agency name at the top of the survey before completing it. Although the Ryan White Program will provide D.A.P. with a cumulative summary of comments and ratings, your responses to the survey will be completely anonymous. D.A.P. is eager to learn where improvements can be made and this survey is a great opportunity to contribute your thoughts. (sb)
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Tell President Obama not to cut Social Security  In an effort to assuage Republicans and entice them to support long-term deficit reduction with increased revenues, President Obama has apparently been forced to include cuts to Social Security cost of living adjustments (COLAs) and Medicare in his budget proposal (see above article). And he's getting plenty of static from progressives, Democrats and other supporters who are vocally expressing their disapproval. This week, lliberal groups, including MoveOn, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Democracy for America, have mounted emergency online campaigns against the proposal, accusing Obama of turning on the very supporters who helped re-elect him to office. Click here for a good roundup article. While we've been generally supportive of the president here at DAPCAN, we vehemently oppose these cuts as they are potentially disastrous for many in the HIV community who have no other income, assets or insurance. Click here to sign the MoveOn petition to add your voice calling for preservation of Social Security COLAs and current funding of Medicare. (sb)
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Why we should not accept the "chained CPI" as a solution to deficit reduction
 As budget negotiations continue to grind on in Congress, we have been monitoring proposed cuts to cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) in Social Security and veterans benefits. The $146 billion proposed cuts may go toward deficit reduction but would also hurt seniors, veterans, and disabled Americans, including those with HIV/AIDS, who already live on tight budgets stretched by rising utility costs, grocery bills, and health care. The "chained CPI" (consumer price index) would change how goods and services are calculated in federal spending. It's essentially an accounting invention (some claim "reform") built around drastic spending cuts and increased revenues. Click here for an explanatory video by leading economist Robert Reich. Click the following for more information:
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"The general population doesn't know what's happening and it doesn't even know it doesn't know." --Noam Chomsky
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Ongoing Benefits, Resources & Information
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Keep track of healthcare reform changes
 The Affordable Healthcare Act is being implemented and it's important to keep track of changes in coverage and payment options. Regardless of your current insurance situation, click here for a government website that provides some guidance regarding Medicare, Medicaid and other possible insurance options (albeit limited) for those living with disabilities and/or chronic health issues (pay particular attention to the Medicare and Timeline tabs). And click here for an even more detailed summary. (sb)
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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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Help with Medicare
 The State Health Insurance 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 counselor is located at the Mizell Center in Palm Springs and can be reached at 760.323.5689. Follow this link for more information.
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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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Help paying for private health insurance premiums
If you or someone you are close to is HIV positive and paying for private health insurance, there may be help in paying premiums. The California Department of Public Health, Office of AIDS ( OA) administers the Health Insurance Premium Payment ( OA- HIPP) Program. OA has expanded OA- HIPP to make this program available to more individuals with health insurance who are at risk of losing it, and to individuals currently without health insurance who would like to purchase it. You do NOT need to be a D.A.P. client to access OA-HIPP. Follow this link to see if you qualify, and also check out the above links in the Healthcare reforms article. (jl) (sb)
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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.* Find out if you qualify: schedule an appointment by calling the numbers below. You can schedule your MISP and ADAP appointments together for Moreno Valley office ONLY. Call no sooner than four weeks before your ADAP qualifying expiration date (usually around your birthday). If you qualify for ADAP only, the local ADAP office is right across the driveway, south of D.A.P., at the Palm Springs Family Care Center. Specify the Palm Springs office when you call. Here are the numbers:
877.501.5085 - toll free 951.486.5375 - English
951.486.5400 - Spanish 951.486.4635 - fax
*NOTICE: Faxed MISP/ADAP applications can get lost in the process. 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 uninterrupted services with your D.A.P. medical doctor visits. Otherwise, follow up your annual meeting with ADAP with a call to ensure all your paperwork was received and is complete.
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D.A.P. contact information 
 The local phone number of Desert AIDS Project is 760.323.2118. The toll-free phone number is 866.331.3344 and the website is desertaidsproject.org.
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Back issues always available online
 Need another look at something you read in DAPCAN? 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 here. And we've recently updated these links to ensure that the very latest issues of DAPCAN are always available. (jl)
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D.A.P. holiday closings for 2013
 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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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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Contact information for state and federal officials--click on name:
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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