Fall 2012
Progress Report
Fall 2012 Progress Report
Board of Directors Curtis Ringness Jr., Chair Hon. Steve Lachs, Vice Chair Tammy Fox, Secretary Fred Drewette, Treasurer Kevin Bass Ted Briggs Jim Casey Robert Karl Jr., DDS Steve Kaufer Barbara Keller Terri Ketover, PhD Garry Kief Bruce Purdy Lanny Seese, MD Sheila Williams, Esq. Stephen Winters, Esq.
D.A.P. Directors
David Brinkman, MBA CEO Barry Dayton Director of Marketing and Communications Robin Johnson Director of Social Services Sue Knollenberg, CFRE Director of Resource Development Dr. Homayoon Khanlou, MD, AAHIVS Director of Clinical Services Brande Orr, MBA Director of Grants and Quality Assurance Mary Park, CPA Chief Financial Officer Bill Quinn Chief Program Officer Sheri Saenz Director of Human Resources Mike Scarff Director of Retail
Contact
David Brinkman, CEO at the 2012 AIDS Walk
info@desertaidsproject.org (760) 323-2118 -2-
Desert AIDS Project
25 years! That’s a LOT of walking!!
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hat’s what D.A.P.’s friend, Scott Nevins, said when he appeared in the public service announcement as the host of our 25th Anniversary Palm Springs AIDS Walk. Whether this was your first Walk with us … or your 25th … we are so grateful to have the support of our community. It’s you who makes it possible for us to continue providing a full range of HIVspecialty and primary care and social services. Your support also helps us offer free and confidential HIV testing at locations throughout the Coachella Valley, so that we may connect to care the estimated 2,000 people who are unaware they are infected with the virus. Knowing your HIV status is more important than ever, now that it has been proven that people who begin taking the correct medications soon after being infected with HIV are 96% less likely to spread the virus to others. Special thanks to … • Presenting Sponsor, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, for their donation of $25,000. • Our partners at Walgreens who, for the third year, supported our Walk with their Red Ribbon promotion throughout the month of September at 29 local area Walgreens stores, contributing over $10000 toward our Walk goal.
• Rick Draughon, who has raised more than a half million through his 15 years of Walking … with more than $50,000 again in 2012!! • Our Star Walkers, Patrick Jordan, Tammy Fox, John Wong, and Anna Malatin. • Greater Palm Springs Pride for naming the 25th Anniversary Palm Springs AIDS Walk as the inaugural winner of their “Spirit of Stonewall Advocate of the Year Award.” But what comes after this quartercentury of working to end AIDS? Anne and Kirk Douglas, along with former First Lady Betty Ford, chaired the very first Desert AIDS Walk – in a year that reported a total of 100,000 AIDS diagnoses. Today, about 1.1 million American citizens are living with HIV, of the more than 34.2 million around the world. In July, the International AIDS Conference gathered together nearly 24,000 members of the global HIV/AIDS community in Washington, DC. There was no end to celebrity support from attendees including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, Sir Elton John, Bill Gates, and many others who liberally used phrases like “AIDS-free generation” and “the end of AIDS.” But sessions at “AIDS 2012” highlighted -3-
the fact that the end of AIDS did not necessarily correlate with the end of HIV. Both preventive and therapeutic vaccines will be necessary – as well as a cure – to wipe HIV off the face of the earth. The essential questions remain unanswered: Will world governments work together to pay for and to implement the solutions that science believes will work? Can we secure the political will to change health care systems, policies, and laws so that we can apply the science? Here in the U.S., how will the Affordable Care Act help to provide services for people with HIV? As we are poised to once again mark World AIDS Day on December 1, what will President Barack Obama say about ongoing implementation of our National HIV/AIDS Strategy and its efforts to engage communities, increase access to care, and prioritize HIV in the federal budget? Will we see proof of his claim that “To extend lives and stem transmission, we need to make sure every HIV-positive American gets the medical care they need.” With your help, we will continue doing our part to being a part of the global solution … by providing the necessary HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and advocacy efforts right here in our local community.
Fall 2012 Progress Report
Bill Quinn Chief Program Officer-4- Desert AIDS Project
Desert AIDS Project
Dr
. Homayoon Khanlou joins Desert AIDS Project as the new Medical Director, overseeing the Wells Fargo HIV Health Center, as well as new research and partnership opportunities with local and worldrenowned health organizations. Dr. Khanlou comes to D.A.P. with extensive experience treating HIV patients, as well as researching the virus. He attended the University of Paris, School of Medicine for his undergraduate and graduate education, and completed his internal medicine residency at the Albert Einstein Medical
Center in Philadelphia. After 13 years at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Dr. Khanlou is excited to take the clinical helm at Desert AIDS Project. His expertise in HIV healthcare and treatment will ensure that our patients will continue to receive the very best and experienced care in our region.
Dr. Khanlou is currently in talks with a Los Angeles County medical center to bring clinical trials involving the CCR5 gene to the desert. This will allow our patients, many of whom have been longtime survivors, to access cuttingedge treatments that might otherwise be unavailable due to distance and travel costs.
D.A.P. welcomes Dr. Khanlou, and looks Furthermore, Dr. Khanlou’s keen interest forward to a brighter future of quality in HIV and AIDS research presents a healthcare and opportunities for our unique opportunity for D.A.P. to expand clients. into clinical trials and key collaborations with nearby health partners.
Staff Spotlight
Bill
Quinn knows HIV and AIDS organizations - he’s had over 20 years of experience in HIV healthcare settings, Ryan White-funded agencies, and most recently, institutions affected by the Affordable Care Act. His long career in healthcare operations and skillful management style uniquely equips him to manage programs at Desert AIDS Project, including the medical and dental clinics, and home health care. With a master’s degree in Social Work
from the University of WisconsinMadison, Bill has dedicated his career to supporting health and social services in traditionally underserved communities. In the 80s, Bill was a social worker in Santa Clara County as a part of a pilot program that later became the model for future early intervention clinics. Later, in Wisconsin, Bill served as the first Ryan White Title II Coordinator, where he also created and implemented the first RW Title III early intervention clinic in urban Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Immediately prior to coming to D.A.P., -5-
Bill was Director of Health Services at FoundCare Health Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was instrumental in achieving the first Federally Qualified Health Center status for a health center in the state. His primary goal at Desert AIDS Project is to “develop this site as a center of excellence; to be on the cutting edge of treatments and social services and meet patients needs through ongoing communication with patients”.
Fall 2012 Progress Report
The Heart of D.A.P. -6-
Desert AIDS Project
From left: Trista Baker, LVN; Coleen Earheart, LVN; Lisa Farmer, Referrals Specialist / Medical Assistant; Nancy Redler, RN; Esmeralda Marquez, Medical Receptionist
D.A.P. Health Center Staff
Julie Kim, Dental Hygienist; Kim Tollison, Dental Office Manager
Our core primary medical care and services embody the heart of Desert AIDS Project. From our medical receptionist, to our medical assistants, to nurse practitioners and HIV-specialist providers, our Wells Fargo HIV Health Center is the focus of our vision of healthy individuals, families, and communities despite the existence of HIV.
Watch our new PSA campaign, featuring D.A.P. client Mitch
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Fall 2012 Progress Report
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians was the Presenting Sponsor of the 25th Anniversary Palm Springs AIDS Walk
CEO David Brinkman, “The Berlin Patient” Timothy Brown, and Assemblymember Perez
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Assemblymember Manuel Perez with his wife Gladys and Palm Springs City Council Member Paul Lewin
Star walker and fundraiser extraordinaire Patrick Jordan get recognized for his team’s fundraising
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David and Mitch
PALM SPRINGS
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Desert AIDS Project
The “Angel of Hope” and the rainbow train was a sight to see in the AIDS Walk
D.A.P. Staff pose with one of the parade elements
2012
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Desert AIDS Project
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VE YEARS
Star Walker Rick Draughon The AIDS Walk in the Pride Parade
Walkers head down Indian Canyon
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Money raised from the AIDS Walk supports our mission
Fall 2012 Progress Report
D.A.P. at the 2012 U.S. Conference on AIDS
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his past October, the 2012 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) convened in Las Vegas at Caesar’s Palace, drawing nearly 2000 professionals combating the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the country, including our own early intervention specialist, Ralph Gonzalez. Working for D.A.P. for 4 years, this was Ralph’s first experience at the USCA. Participating in the sessions and workshops gave Ralph a new perspective for the work he does. Indeed, while four days filled with community-based responses to HIV/ AIDS through education, training,
networking, and collaboration is enough to fill any health educator’s head with knowledge, it was Magic Johnson’s appearance that nearly brought Ralph to tears. “Every presentation or session that I do, he’s always brought up, so hearing him speak in person made me almost cry.” Other highlights for Ralph include AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s protest over Gilead pricing of Stribild, the new Quad four-in-one pill; connecting with vendors bcondoms, wholesale condom distributors whom Ralph “met” online through Twitter; and meeting Jamar
Ralph Gonzalez, Early Intervention Specialist -10-
Rogers, a singer who publicly came out as HIV-positive on the show, “The Voice”. In addition to chance encounters and famous faces, Ralph attended several sessions and workshops ranging from topics like HIV testing in non-clinical public settings, to addressing HIV/ AIDS among Latino communities, as well as how changes in healthcare reform affect HIV and AIDS services. He hopes to take everything he’s learned at USCA and share with his fellow staff and senior management to determine the best ways Desert AIDS Project can continue to be a center of excellence amidst the sea of changes and best practices when it comes to HIV and AIDS care, prevention, and advocacy.
Desert AIDS Project
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Provider Forum
n Friday, October 26, Desert AIDS Project hosted a lunchtime Provider Forum for clients to ask questions to the experts that treat them. Moderated by new Chief Program Officer Bill Quinn, the forum was attended by nearly 60 D.A.P. clients, and addressed questions such as grievance processes, the best ways to communicate to providers about known health issues, and the changes in the medical center staffing. While there was not enough time to address all questions from attendees, CPO Bill Quinn announced a follow-up post will be sent out via D.A.P.’s various communications channels, including DAPCAN.
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Fall 2012 Progress Report
The new ‘Les Dames’-themed waiting room at D.A.P.
Dottie & Maude, with David Brinkman, Tim Hanlon and Curt Ringness cutting the ribbon
Presenting Sponsor and board member Steve Kaufer backstage with Les Dames du Soleil
Les Dames du Soleil
For their last show, Les Dames du Soleil raised over $200,000, adding to their total lifetime fundraising to D.A.P. of over $1 million
Last Dance -12-
Desert AIDS Project Host
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Honorees
Community Service
Partners in Activism
Presented by Paul Michael Glaser
Presented by Greg Louganis
Arts & Activism
100 Women Honoree
PFL Honoree
Jake Glaser
Mario Lopez
Annette Bloch
Julian diCiurcio
Lorna Luft
Entertainment
Queen Latifah
Melissa Etheridge
Stephanie Block
Watch the commercial>>
Saturday, February 9, 2013 -13-
Megan Hilty
Fall 2012 Progress Report
Revivals San Diego Now in its second year in the Hillcrest neighborhood, Revivals San Diego is thriving in the local community. Pictured here at the San Diego Pride Parade, Revivals San Diego and its fabulous champion, Candi Samples, have made a lasting impression among the locals by sponsoring well-known events like “Nightmare on Normal Street” for the LGBT Center and the 15th Annual Bourbon Street Wine Tasting benefitting Mama’s Kitchen, a community organization that provides nutritious food to people living with AIDS or cancer.
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Desert AIDS Project
Revivals Palm Springs Remodel This summer, the Revivals Palm Springs store closed their doors for 18 days to take on a grand project - completely remodel and reorganize the 19,000 sq. ft. store. With the help of over 20 volunteers, Revivals Palm Springs is looking better than ever!
Revivals Palm Desert: New 100 Women Boutique Opening This fall, Revivals Palm Desert opened a new section within its walls - the 100 Women Boutique! The Boutique will feature donated and consigned gently-used designer and high-end clothing and accessories, with many items coming directly from our 100 Women members. The Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce cut the ceremonial ribbon at 4:00 PM on Thursday, November 15 to mark the opening of this one-and-only boutique.
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Fall 2012 Progress Report
We Appreciate Our Volunteers!
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner 6:30 PM Wednesday, December 12 at the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel 888 Tahquitz Canyon Way -16-