July 2, 2009
Celebrate Independence Day - Saturday July 4
Friday, July 3, 2009
D.A.P. offices closed
In observance of Independence Day, D.A.P. will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2009. There will be NO First Friday BINGO this Friday due to the holiday. Bingo will resume on August 7. LabCorp will also be closed. Walgreens will be open 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM on Friday, but closed Saturday, July 4th. (jl)
Tuesday, July 7, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
COMMUNITY CENTER PRESENTS –
HIV+ Women’s Gathering Luncheon/Presentation
Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for a luncheon/presentation on HIV and the “Well-Seasoned” Woman. Lunch will be served at 11:45 courtesy of Roche. Hope to see you there! Please RSVP to Johanna at 760.323.2118 ext. 709 or Ed at ext. 295. (jl)
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Tuesday, July 14, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
COMMUNITY CENTER PRESENTS – Luncheon/Presentation
Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for a luncheon/presentation on Adherence Strategies & Why They’re Important for YOU! Lunch will be served at 11:45 courtesy of Gilead. Hope to see you there! Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118 ext. 295. (jl)
Friday, July 17, 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
COMMUNITY CENTER PRESENTS - Luncheon/Presentation
Please join us in the D.A.P. Community Center for a luncheon/presentation on A Holistic Approach to HIV with Michelle Sherman, PharmD. Lunch will be served at 11:45 courtesy of GlaxoSmithKline. Don’t miss it! Please RSVP to Ed at 760.323.2118 ext. 295. (jl)
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Saturday, August 8, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Mid Summer Multi Mixer – See details below
Every Tuesday, 10:30 AM - 12 Noon
HIV+ Women’s Support Group
Meeting will be in the D.A.P. Community Center facilitated by Dr. Melanie Wolfe and Robin Johnson. No appointment necessary. For more information, please contact Robin Johnson at 760.323.2118, ext. 229. (jl)
Last Tuesday of every month, 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
TB Clinic at D.A.P. – See details below
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Third Wednesday, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00PM
Farmer’s Market in the Morris and Lila Linsky Annex Food Depot
Every Thursday, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Let’s go to the movies!
The D.A.P. Community Center presents free movie screenings each Thursday. JULY IS MOVIE MUSICALS MONTH!
7/9 - Grease (1978)
Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?
7/16 - Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
In the year before the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York.
7/23 - Hairspray (2007)
Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.
7/30 - Victor Victoria (1982)
A struggling female soprano finds work playing a male female impersonator, but it complicates her personal life.
Pizza, popcorn, candy, and soda provided and it’s all FREE! (jl)
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Mid Summer Multi-Mixer
Bring your friends – and meet some new ones – to the 2nd Annual Mid Summer Multi-Mixer benefiting Desert AIDS Project on Saturday, August 8, 2009 from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM at the new 5,000 square-foot Crystal Fantasy location at 266-268 N. Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs. Hosted by well-known community figures Kimberly Nichols and Scott Hines, the mixer will feature popular local DJ Luc Benech, great taste treats from the Hyatt, hosted bar by Leslie Barclay, and special guests, including a Master Astrologer, Psychics and Angel Readers. Rick Pantele from IncredibleArtist.com will install a special show for the evening. Free valet parking will be offered, as well as parking in the Hyatt lot right across the street. Last year’s Mid Summer Multi-Mixer drew more than 350 attendees. So, get your tickets now for only $25 each, available online at www.desertaidsproject.org/mixer or by calling 760.323.2118. (jl)
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TB Clinic at D.A.P.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that is spread from person to person through the air. This disease is particularly dangerous for persons infected with HIV. Worldwide, TB is a leading cause of death among persons infected with HIV[i]. This high level of risk underscores the need for TB screening and preventive treatment programs for HIV-infected persons and those at greatest risk for HIV infection. Everyone infected with HIV should be tested annually for TB. Everyone infected with TB should complete preventive therapy as soon as possible to prevent progression to TB disease. In order to combat TB in our community, Desert AIDS Project is starting a TB Clearance clinic. Beginning in July, clients of the Health Center will be able to access TB testing on the last Tuesday of every month from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. On the following Thursday, clients must return to have the test read. All clients will receive a letter in their birthday month reminding them it is time for their annual TB clearance. Clients who see doctors not in the Health Center will have to ask their providers for an annual TB clearance and provide that proof of TB testing to their Medical Case Manager. All clients must have an annual TB clearance on file. Clients without a current TB clearance on file will be suspended from services. (jl)
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Executive Director goes to Sacramento to fight cuts!
David Brinkman met on Monday with senior health care advisors in the governor's office in Sacramento, to discuss D.A.P.'s concerns over the proposed State Budget cuts to HIV/AIDS programs and services. They had a frank and pointed discussion about the "safety net" issues surrounding ADAP (AIDS Drugs Assistance Program) and other services that have been slated for significant reduction or total elimination under the governor's plan to slash $80 million from the budget. It's still VERY important that you make your views known. We urge you to call Gov. Schwarzenegger at (916) 445 - 2841. A message will prompt you for your language choice, and then ask you to press 2 to express your view on pending legislation. After pressing 2, we suggest you leave him a message such as: "While I understand your desire for a balanced state budget, I cannot support your $80 million cut to HIV/AIDS programs. It would place a death sentence on thousands of Californians and overburden our healthcare system even more in the future. Please approve the more moderate $33 million budget cut that will help us continue to get the federal funds necessary to take care of ALL Californians." This message is also on our website at www.desertaidsproject.org. When you finish your call, please call three of your friends and ask them to make calls with the same message. (jl)
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Negotiating a Fair Price for the Norvir Tablet
As reported in a recent AIDSmeds.com/POZ article, Abbott, the maker of two HIV drugs, Novir (ritonavir) and Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), has become the focus of community concerns about pricing again. This fall, the company will launch a new tablet formulation of Norvir that doesn’t require refrigeration and may cause fewer gut-related side effects, two downsides of the current capsule formulation. Activists are already worried about the new drug’s price, however. Their concern stems from Abbott’s decision, in December 2003, to raise the price of Norvir by 400% when it was determined that lower doses would be effective when used to boost the blood levels of other protease inhibitors. The AIDS Treatment Activist Coalition (ATAC) is already engaged in a vigilant campaign to ensure affordable access to all. (jl)
HIV travel ban may be lifted
The Advocate is reporting that the Obama Administration has taken the first step to ending the HIV travel ban in the United States. Under current regulations, non-U.S. citizens who are HIV-positive cannot travel to the United States unless they are granted a waiver by the Department of Homeland Security. Immigrants have also been required to be tested for HIV. The actual regulatory change, however, will not be available until next week, and advocates are waiting to analyze the exact language. You can read the entire article here. (jl)
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Life expectancy with HIV increases dramatically
POZ magazine is reporting that a 20-year-old HIV-positive person starting antiretroviral (ARV) therapy today can expect to live, on average, to the age of 69, according to new calculations published in The Lancet medical journal. The study authors say this is a life expectancy increase of 37% over projections for 20-year-olds starting ARVs during the early years of combination treatment. Follow this link for more information. (jl)
High percentage of U.S. residents still receive late HIV diagnoses
Receipt of testing, diagnosis, and medical care soon after HIV infection and before development of AIDS can prevent unnecessary morbidity and mortality and reduce further HIV transmission. According to new data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the June 26 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 45% of people newly diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States progress to AIDS within three years, The findings suggest that many people are being diagnosed late in the course of their HIV infection; the findings also underscore, according to the CDC authors, the need for expanded testing efforts in order to link people to necessary care as soon as possible. (jl)
New Clinical Trials available
New HIV/AIDS trials have been added to ClinicalTrials.gov in the last 30 days. For a list of trials click here. (jl)
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Baldwin Bill seeks to end LGBT health disparities
Last week, Representative Tammy Baldwin introduced the Ending Health Disparities for LGBT Americans Act (ELHDA), the first comprehensive approach to improving all areas of the healthcare system where lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans face inequality and discrimination. The bill would establish non-discrimination policies for all federal health programs, provide funding for cultural competence training for healthcare providers, extend Medicare benefits to same-sex domestic partners, create a new office of LGBT Health within in the Department of Health and Human Services, and provide funding for community health centers who serve the LGBT community. You can read more at Congresswoman Baldwin’s website. (jl)
Second-Line treatment for PCP a viable alternative
According to a recent AIDSmeds.com/POZ article, there is now another option for treating Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). Neutrexin (trimetrexate) combined with Leucovorin (folinic acid) is an effective and safe treatment option for people who don’t respond to their first treatment regimen for PCP, according to a study published in the June 19 issue of AIDS. (jl)
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Latest CDC hepatitis statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Viral Hepatitis recently updated its web site with new estimates of the disease burden for viral hepatitis in the U.S. in 2007, including estimates of chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C prevalence and hepatitis-related deaths. You can read more about it here. (lg)
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AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) phone numbers
Desert AIDS Project can no longer schedule your ADAP/MISP appointments. To sign-up for or renew ADAP/MISP you must now contact the County of Riverside directly at 951.486.5375 or 951.486.4600. After dialing, please wait for next operator to take your call. (ga)
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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 Javier Robles at 760.323.2118, ext. 283 for further information. (jl)
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"Do at least one thing every day that scares you." - Eleanor Roosevelt
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To Contact your D.A.P. Client Committee:
clientcom@desertaidsproject.org
To Contact State and Federal Officials Click On Name
President Barack Obama
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Congresswoman Mary Bono
Congressman Jerry Lewis
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Senator Denise Ducheny
Assembly member Manuel Perez
Assembly member John Benoit
Desert AIDS Project - CAN 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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Email: DAPCAN@desertaidsproject.org
