Progress Report - Spring 2012

Make a Difference, Save a Life : The award-winning PSA campaign featuring clients, staff, donors, and community leaders

2012 SPRING PROGRESS REPORT

SPRING 2012 PROGRESS REPORT

Board of Directors Curtis Ringness Jr., Chair Hon. Steve Lachs, Vice Chair Tammy Fox, Secretary Fred Drewette, Treasurer Ted Briggs Kathie Browne Jim Casey Robert Karl Jr. DDS Steve Kaufer Barbara Keller Teri Ketover Garry Kief Bruce Purdy Gary Riley Russ Russell, Chair Emeritus Lanny Seese, MD Gregory Seller Karolee Sowle Sheila Williams Stephen Winters

D.A.P. Directors

David Brinkman, MBA CEO Barry Dayton Director of Marketing and Communications Joy Hamilton, MD, MBA Director of Clinical Services Robin Johnson Director of Social Services Sue Knollenberg, CFRE Director of Resource Development Brande Orr, MBA Interim Director of Programs Mary Park, CPA Chief Financial Officer Sheri Saenz Director of Human Resources Mike Scarff Director of Retail

Short of a cure...

winning the battle against HIV At the 2012 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards in February, I was delighted to report that the journal Science announced its 2011 Breakthrough of the Year – that people who begin taking the correct medications soon after being infected with HIV are 96% less likely to spread the virus to others!

Armed with this knowledge, equipped with the skill of our staff and volunteers, inspired by the strength of those we serve, and fueled by your support, D.A.P. is positioned to play a role in what we hope will be the final chapter of this devastating epidemic. Quite simply, if we can link everyone who has the virus to proper medication and medical care, we can stop the spread of HIV. Finally, once and for all … in our lifetimes … it seems possible that we can stop the spread of new infections of HIV. Moving forward, it’s a two-step process for making that happen:

1. We need to make sure everyone who doesn’t know their HIV status gets

tested – and continues to get tested at least once a year.

2. We need to make sure that everyone in our service area testing positive is linked

to D.A.P., in order to receive appropriate medical care, access the right

medications, and become 96% less likely to spread HIV.

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DESERT AIDS PROJECT

L etter from the CEO

The CDC estimates there are as many as 240,000 of the 1.2 million Americans living with the virus who don’t know they are infected. Of those, it’s estimated that there are 2,000 people living with HIV who don’t know it, right here in the Coachella Valley. That’s why we remain committed to offering free and confidential HIV testing, with more than two dozen sites locally right now. We will continue to grow that number as much as necessary to help everyone get tested.

Bringing those 2,000 HIV-infected people into care at Desert AIDS Project would almost double our current case load … but it could mean the beginning of the end of AIDS in our community.

If every community reacts by “thinking globally, acting locally” we will, ultimately, defeat AIDS worldwide.

D

..A.P. is positioned to play a role in what we hope will be the final chapter of this devastating epidemic.

Back in November, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said:

“Instead of falling behind year after year, we will, for the first time, get ahead of the pandemic. We will be on the path to an AIDS-free generation. That is the power of combination therapy.”

Clinton’s reference to “combination therapy” is to ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy,) which has helped to transform HIV disease from a death sentence to a chronic condition for many in the U.S. However, there is still much left to be done, if we are to rid the world of HIV/AIDS once and for all.

You continued to show your commitment at the 18th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards as we raised more than $1.4 million (highlights on pages 12-13) for client services … not including the amazing $1 million gift, establishing the Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center (pages 14-15) for those co-infected with HIV and cancer!!

Your support makes it possible for us to keep improving our standards of excellence … so that we can finally, once and for all... stop the spread of HIV. Until there’s a cure …

David Brinkman Desert AIDS Project CEO

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OUR SHINING SPRING 2012 PROGRESS REPORT

Condom Club As the primary HIV/AIDS education and prevention organization in our region, D.A.P. is committed to promoting safe sex among the general public and high-risk groups. That is why every month, a group of 15-30 volunteers known as the “Condom Club” come assemble thousands of safer-sex kits that are distributed to 32 different venues across the Coachella Valley, including local bars, hotels, and other hotspots in an effort to promote condom usage. The safer sex kits include a condom, lubricant, and instructions on their use, as well as important health information on being tested and other STDs, including syphilis. Last February, the Condom Club made 4,300 safer sex kits!

The Condom Club is committed to HIV prevention, and they have a good time doing it. As one volunteer, Ray Perea notes, “It’s a nice group of people and it’s a lot of fun.”

Even though funding for HIV education and prevention from the State of California halted in 2009, with the help of our determined volunteers, D.A.P. has been doing its thing for 15 years.

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VOLUNTEERS Board Additions DESERT AIDS PROJECT

Combining years of D.A.P. support with his experience as a successful sales strategy consultant to chair the Partners for Life Committee.

Robert Karl, Jr., DDS

Bringing decades of experience as a dentist to D.A.P.’s HIV-specialty dental clinic, the first of its kind in Riverside County.

Psychologist and devoted philanthropist now expanding her involvement chairing our successful Steve Chase auction committee.

Garry Kief

Terri Ketover, PhD

Twenty-plus years working with causes including HIV/AIDS care, LGBT rights, education, homelessness, and more.

Offering 35+ years of fiscal experience as an accomplished economist and urban planner to help D.A.P. maintain sound budgeting and strategic planning.

Sheila Williams, JD

Ted Briggs

Bruce Purdy

Practicing lawyer, former law professor and judge, veteran of 11 New York City marathons, and devoted HIV/AIDS advocate.

Over three decades of domestic and international experience as a corporate attorney and executive supporting AIDS charities, LGBT causes, and arts organizations.

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Steve Winters, JD

SPRING 2012 PROGRESS REPORT

I. Jean Davis

PhD, PA, DC, MS, HIV SPECIALIST

EMPLOYEE A typical day for Jennifer Calderon, LVN includes seeing about 25 patients at the Wells Fargo HIV Health Center at D.A.P.’s main campus in Palm Springs. As a health center nurse, Jennifer works very closely with D.A.P. provider I. Jean Davis and patients in relaying health information confidentially and compassionately manner.

For many of our patients, HIV is only the tip of a range of health issues like kidney failure, cancer, dementia, and more, as well as psychosocial needs. Jennifer helps link clients to other D.A.P. services and staff members for things like nutritional assistance, substance abuse counseling, support groups, and financial assistance through patient assistance programs. When patients voice their fears and concerns, Jennifer is there to listen and provide a blend of science and caring to best serve them. As Jennifer likes to say, she “closes the loop” between patient to provider.

A graduate of the California Nurses Educational Institute, Jennifer brings her vigor and enthusiasm for healthcare to each of her interactions with D.A.P. patients. Before coming to D.A.P. full-time, Jennifer also worked as an LVN II at the ABC Recovery Center in conjunction with her work here.

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DESERT AIDS PROJECT

One of our local providers at the main Palm Springs campus, I. Jean Davis brings decades of experience to D.A.P. as an educator, clinician, and researcher. Her extensive education includes a BA in Psychobiology, a BS in Human Anatomy, a Doctoral degree in Chiropractic Medicine and a PhD in Preventative Medicine. She is widely known and recognized for her research and expertise as an HIV specialist, having held faculty positions as such colleges and universities as Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science and UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine.

Currently a consultant for the AIDS Education and Training Center National Multicultural Center (AETC NMC), her focus has been on getting individuals into care and keeping them there. Demonstrating her passion and dedication to treating HIV/AIDS patients, she maintains a membership with the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, the American Academy of HIV Medicine, and the National Medical Association, among others.

Jean Davis is well-respected among her staff at D.A.P., who see her as very hands-on and thorough when it comes to the dozens of patients she treats on a daily basis at D.A.P. clinics in Palm Springs and San Bernardino. Her patients further sing their praises about their satisfaction with Davis - we know of one such occasion in line at Stater Brothers! We are lucky to have her!

SPOTLIGHT Jennifer Calderon LVN

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SPRING 2012 PROGRESS REPORT

National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day February 7th marked the 12th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day across the country. To target the ever-increasing rates of HIV infection among African-Americans in the U.S., our health educators provided HIV education and testing at the First Baptist Community Church in Desert Hot Springs. We tested 26 individuals for HIV, free and confidentially, in one afternoon. Later that month, our health educators also manned an education table at the Black History Town Fair held on February 25th at the Palm Springs Stadium, following the Black History Parade.

Black Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States. Although they account for only 12% of the population, they represent 44% of new HIV infections.

Awareness days such as this provide AIDS service organizations and other agencies with a unique opportunity to send targeted messages to these populations about the importance of getting tested and practicing safe sex.

See how we marked National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day -8-

DESERT AIDS PROJECT

Budget and Funding

This spring, important state and federal budget and funding decisions will be made in California and US federal legislative bodies. As the national debt accumulates and the economy ever-so-slowly climbs steadily up towards recovery, maintaining services and programs at all levels has become increasingly more difficult, with pressure to cut assistance to those populations most in need, including people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

State Under the Governor’s proposed budget for 2012-2013, there are General Fund reductions proposed for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) due to projected transition of clients to county-administered Low Income Health Programs (LIHP) and a client cost-sharing policy. These funding decreases and cost-sharing increases will threaten the ability of some HIV+ individuals to obtain their medications, which could lead to decreased adherence, patients falling out of care, and HIV infections. D.A.P. and other agencies are participating in advocacy efforts to urge our representatives to reject these cost-sharing proposals and maintain funding levels for ADAP.

Federal U.S. Congress is also beginning funding discussions for the next fiscal year, and we are asking all our constituents to contact their representatives to advocate for funding for domestic HIV programs. These range from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, comprehensive sex education, housing for people living with AIDS, and minority-focused AIDS initiatives. As the Affordable Care Act continues its implementation across the nation, it is imperative that HIV/AIDSfocused measures receive adequate attention and the funding necessary to maintain the health of HIV+ individuals, as outlined in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

POLICY & ADVOCACY -9-

SPRING 2012 PROGRESS REPORT

For people living with HIV/AIDS, the stigma associated with the disease can become debilitating and overbearing. Role models and instances of people living and thriving with the disease might be hard to come by. Here, we shine a light on just a few of our favorite POSITIVE EXAMPLES showcasing strength, resilience, and inspiration for anyone affected by HIV/AIDS.

DAPCAN Rick Vila Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “When it is dark enough, you can see the stars”. Those words inspired me early on in those dark and confusing days following my AIDS diagnosis and life in the epicenter of the epidemic in San Francisco’s Castro district, nearly 25 years ago. Now, as an HIV/AIDS “elder”, when I’m in the dark, I look for the stars and I value the dark all the more for letting me see them.

While up north, I graduated from the University of San Francisco with degrees in English and organizational behavior, and years later, retired from United Airlines, where I worked for three decades. I had a long history of volunteering for other AIDS service organizations in San Francisco, so when I moved to Palm Springs in 2002, I became a DAPCAN editor. Now, I also currently serve as President of Racquet Club Estates Neighborhood Organization, and consider myself an active writer, investor, and traveler. I live in Palm Springs with my husband Ken, and our 8-year-old greyhound, Lily.

John Lewis I have been a volunteer editor for DAPCAN for the past four years. My friend Rick Vila knew I was looking for a volunteer opportunity and recruited me. What I like most about editing DAPCAN is the feeling that I am actually doing something that helps other D.A.P. clients. Just one example of this was when a friend told me that thanks to a link I sent him he is now getting his private health insurance premium paid by the State, saving him $7500 a year! I also enjoy editing because it keeps my mind active and forces me to stay informed about HIV/AIDS and advocacy issues.

Steve Bolerjack I’ve lived in Palm Springs for 10 years, semi-retiring here after almost 30 years in New York City in PR, and some time on Capitol Hill as a staffer for the House of Representatives. I was the resident columnist for The New York Blade for four years, and recently published my collected columns under the title Pride, Politics & Plague: Gay Life in Millennial New York City. My work has also appeared in The Washington Blade, POZ, The Bottom Line, The Desert Sun, and other publications.

I became a DAPCAN editor about a year ago when my friend and colleague Rick Vila approached me. I like to think I’m a fairly typical survivor of the “AIDS generation” which is now coping with learning how to age as best we can while living with HIV. That’s one of the most important topics we cover in DAPCAN.

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POSITIVE EXAMPLES Positive DESERT AIDS PROJECT

Pedalers

Their mission is simple: Eliminating stigma through positive public example. The Positive Pedalers exists as a support group for HIV positive people while also maintaining awareness about HIV/AIDS causes and keeping fit at the same time. The main goals of Poz Peds (Positive Pedalers) are to expand awareness and encourage support to find a cure. Riding together as a group with their identifying flags streaming in the wind, Poz Peds are empowering advocates for people living with HIV/AIDS. The organization began in 1995, after Jonathon Pon participated in the first California AIDS Ride. Pon felt that there was a need to recognize and support HIV-positive riders. Many Positive Pedalers participate in the annual AIDS/LifeCyle riding event, while also supporting HIV positive cyclists in other cities and even a few internationally.

The Coachella Valley has its own chapter in the works. Currently, D.A.P. client Stefen Burchard heads the Palms Springs Positive Pedalers chapter. He urges both HIV positive people and their supporters to get involved with the local chapter. Burchard’s goal is to have enough people to hold monthly rides/socials while also preparing for community events like the Tour de Palm Springs as well as the main AIDS/LifeCycle ride. Any questions or comments regarding Positive Pedalers can be sent to Stefan Burchard at srburchard@gmail.com. A Facebook page for the chapter can also be found by searching ‘Positive Pedalers of Coachella Valley’ on Facebook. The organization maintains a website at www.pospeds.org where more information and contact info can be found.

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18th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Presenting Sponsor Integrated Wealth Management will donate $1 million over 5 years

The Honorees The Co-Chairs See the sizzle of why our 2012 gala raised more than $1.4 million for client services at Desert AIDS Project!

Thanks, Jim Casey & Barbara Keller!

DESERT AIDS PROJECT

Donated FIAT car sells for $20,000 at Live Auction

The Entertainment

Annette Bloch announces $1 million gift for cancer and AIDS - 13 -

Thanks a

SPRING 2012 PROGRESS REPORT

Even though antiretroviral drugs offer the prospect of a longer life, HIV still makes patients vulnerable to a host of life-threatening diseases, including a variety of cancers. Even before it’s detected, cancer may be lurking within a person’s body for a long time – its cells often multiplying and spreading long before the cancer makes its presence known. While liver, cervical, oral and anal cancers are all significant dangers to people living with HIV/AIDS, lung cancer is their #2 most likely cause of death.

Fortunately for the clients of Desert AIDS Project, Annette Bloch feels passionate about what she’s learned from her many years of experience with cancer – first, her husband’s battle with lung cancer and later, her own experience with breast cancer. When Annette Bloch’s husband, Richard – the “R” in “H&R Block” – was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1978, he was given three months to live. Instead, he lived another 25 years, beating cancer not once but twice.

I

felt this gift might extend the compassionate care I saw at D.A.P. During those years, Annette and Richard Bloch devoted their energies to helping other cancer patients educate themselves and learn more about their options for not only living with the disease in its many forms … but also taking charge of their futures. Meanwhile, the Blochs did more than “talk the talk.” They also “walked the walk” by writing three books about battling cancer, built more than two dozen cancer survivor parks across North America, and established the RA Bloch Cancer Foundation and toll-free cancer hotline.

Since Richard’s death of heart failure in 2004 and her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2008, Annette Bloch has remained committed to cancer care. Her work on behalf of heart and cancer patients established the Richard

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million!!

DESERT AIDS PROJECT

and Annette Bloch Heart Rhythm Center, the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, the Radiation Oncology Pavilion at the University of Kansas Cancer Center … and now

The Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center Established with a gift of $1 million presented at the 2012 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards – where she also sponsored the Pioneer Arts and Activism Award for the third consecutive year – the Annette Bloch Cancer Care Center at Desert AIDS Project will provide a new hope for clients who are co-infected with HIV/AIDS and cancer.

As a member of 100 WOMEN, the D.A.P. annual giving program dedicated to helping women and children affected by or at-risk for HIV/AIDS …

Annette Bloch presented the 100 WOMEN Award to Tammy Fox at the 2011 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards.

The 2012 winner of the 100 WOMEN award was Karolee Sowle, CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center, a long-time community health care partner to Desert AIDS Project.

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