Sexual Wellness Clinic Coming to Indio

SEXUAL SEXUAL WELLNESS Wellness

Clinic coming to indio

On November 29, DAP Health signed a lease for a building in Indio to open a sexual wellness clinic. The organization hopes to open the new space by June 2022. Free services will include STI (sexually transmitted infections) testing and treatment (gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis), HIV prevention (pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP; post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP), and HIV and hepatitis C testing. If anyone tests positive for HIV, DAP Health’s sexual wellness clinic will provide that person with rapid start medication and linkage to care, an essential step in reducing new HIV infections and improving the health outcomes of the person living with HIV. While the cost of ongoing HIV treatment is not part of the free services, DAP Health offers financial assistance.

In 2019, 25% of all HIV-positive test results at DAP Health were in Hispanic men. “Many folks were driving from the East Valley to Palm Springs to utilize DAP Health’s sexual wellness services,” says C.J. Tobe, the director of Community Health and Sexual Wellness at DAP Health. “We noticed not only a high volume of patients but most of those patients were already having symptoms of an STI or testing positive for HIV.” Tobe believes free testing and treatment, with the convenience of not having to drive a great distance, will encourage more people to get tested.

DAP Health is Changing the System to Meet the Person

“We are proactively protecting the community’s health,” Tobe said. “Eliminating the cost barrier has proven to increase access to folks in our community for PrEP and STI services.

“One of those barriers is cost. DAP Health learned many people testing positive for STIs and HIV had limited incomes. For them, the prior $25 fee for STI testing and PrEP was an impediment to care. DAP Health decided to remove that cost barrier to improve health equity.”

DAP Health looks to make its services available to more people.

DAP Health continues to make sexual wellness a priority by providing more people with more access to health services. It also continues to expand its ability to treat more people.

“We welcome all people, period. And now we are eliminating more barriers to access sexual wellness services,” Tobe said. “We are changing the system to meet the person. We continue to do this, first by eliminating the cost barrier, and now by opening a free sexual wellness clinic for people most impacted by HIV/STIs. That is health equity.”

CULTURAL HUMILITY

HOW STAYING CURIOUS HELPS THOSE WE SERVE

Words by Jack Bunting Photo by Donato Di Natale

It takes more than good intentions to offer medical care that changes a person’s life. With an emphasis on listening, doctors and nurses can assess what their patients truly need. DAP Health is known for this, but the listening does not stop there. With a thriving Client Advisory Board (CAB), management at the health center is actively involved in a dialogue about what is going well, and what can be improved.

“There are more than 10,000 other people getting care right now at DAP Health, and on the CAB, we are just like each of them,” says Michael O’Neill, CAB cochair and DAP Health patient. “We speak through the experiences we’ve had.”

Accessing everything that DAP Health offers can be a challenge. Few are accustomed to the number of services and health care options offered under one roof.

“I did not know the breadth and scope of services available to me when I got to DAP Health,” O’Neill says.

But members of the CAB are determined to make it easier for other patients and clients to have it all. They say their gratitude motivates them to help others fully take advantage of DAP Health.

“After the journey we’ve all been on for years at DAP Health, we’d like to offer shortcuts to other patients seeking better health.” O’Neill says.

Management says the relationship is a vital part of understanding the community it serves.

“The CAB brings opportunities to the table in the patient experience that we do not always see,” says C.J. Tobe, community health director. “We take their advice seriously as we keep patient care and experience at the forefront.”

Besides the complexity of the health care system, Tobe says he and his team consider any social determinants of health that a patient or client may be facing. Understanding a patient’s life circumstances is important for offering the best care and services, and the CAB offers a telling sample of all DAP patients.

Each person is on a unique health care journey, and every voice offers valuable insight about patients and clients at DAP Health. To Tobe, the CAB is extremely important for maintaining quality within DAP Health.

“What seems like a great idea could actually have ripple effects on a select set of patients or clients,” he says. “For example, the CAB helped us determine our after-diagnosis packet for HIV felt too clinical, and so we improved it to make it feel more personal.”

Thanks to CAB input, the guide is even better suited to offer support for anyone with HIV, including their family and friends. It includes education on HIV, resources, and the enduring message that with DAP, it is not necessary to be alone with HIV.

The CAB also influences marketing and patient information programs by sharing its viewpoint with management. In agreement with DAP clinicians, the CAB loudly supports U=U messaging for helping destigmatize HIV. With many long-term survivors from the worst years of the AIDS crisis, the DAP CAB knows HIV stigma can have deadly effects. They consult closely with management on new opportunities to spread this important message.

Service Motivated by Gratitude

O’Neil is well suited to his co-chair position on the CAB, he says, because he has benefited so much from an array of important services at DAP. He knows first-hand how much better life can be with DAP.

“I wanted to give back to DAP,” O’Neill says. “And I’m grateful to be involved.”

Surviving with pancreatic cancer was not enough to make O’Neill want to stop working, and neither was having HIV.

“Everyone at DAP opened their arms for everything I needed, and also for my husband, who did not have HIV.”

But when his beloved husband passed away unexpectedly, O’Neill needed the support of a community that understood him and could help him continue thriving with HIV. He says he benefited greatly with bereavement counseling through DAP’s mental health services.

O’Neill wanted to do more, and the CAB offered him an opportunity.

“I could tell the skills I’d learned throughout my life and career could benefit this organization,” O’Neill says.

“When you’ve lost your sense of self, giving back can be the best medicine.”

Making sure that DAP is keeping its patients informed is one of O’Neill’s favorite things, but it is all part of the DAP paradigm for him.

“DAP has worked on my teeth, my body, my mind,” he says. With his work on the CAB, “Now, DAP’s given me goals and some sense of self again.”

If you would like to find out more about the Client Advisory Board at DAP Health, visit our website or contact Curtis Howard at choward@daphealth.org.

Wellness Center Manager Corina Lujan; Kimmi Miller, LVN; Michael O’Neill, CAB co-chair; and Mike Hartley, Client Advisory Board member

FRIENDSHIPS FOUND IN A PARK

G-FORCE WORKOUT CREW CREATES COMMUNITY.

Words by Steven Henke

Anyone trying to understand how a fitness class in Ruth Hardy Park can blossom to more than 100 participants per day and almost 600 members on Facebook first needs to understand it is not just a fitness class.

It is a community that continues to grow because it doesn’t only help people physically, it helps them emotionally. It gives them a place to feel connected and affirmed.

G-Force Workout Crew meets weekdays at Ruth Hardy Park. The class is led by the charismatic Ted Guice. G-Force in the park was born during the pandemic when gyms were forced to close, leaving people without a place to work out.

“We were at a loss for what to do with ourselves,” said Guice, who has described his class as a cross between CrossFit and Jane Fonda’s Workout. He began holding classes outdoors, adapting the gym class he had taught for ten years.

At first, there were ten people at a friend’s house, working out by the pool. Then Guice moved it to Ruth Hardy Park, where Crew members wore masks and practiced social distancing. In those early days, it was hard to see the growth potential. “It was hot and humid, and there was smoke from the fires that were raging,” Guice said. “They were real troopers to get out there with me.” The energy of the class was hard to ignore. People walking or biking through the park took notice. “I heard music and people laughing and saw people working out and having the best time,” said Tracey Engleking. “I just bee-lined towards them. I was like, ‘this is it.’ This is what I was looking for. These are my people. I found them.”

Engleking had been coming to Palm Springs with her husband for years, but she never embraced the city like her husband. Through G-Force, she says, “I finally found what would make Palm Springs home for me, fun people getting their health on and having a daily mini party doing it. And that bulldoglooking instructor — the biggest heart of gold I’ve encountered in a long time. He could not be more encouraging that this class is for everyone of all levels, and he sets a tone every morning to come, have fun, do your best and support each other!

Engleking’s experience is not unique. We asked members of the G-Force Crew about their experience in class. What Guice found was that G-Force was providing people with what they needed during the pandemic. Forced to shelter alone, people suffered from isolation that sometimes turned to depression. G-Force helped feed the soul.

New Yorker Rose Berger and her husband spent the pandemic in Palm Springs. “Being able to continue my workouts in the park and getting to know more about the G-Force Crew was very important and definitely helped me get through the pandemic,” she said. “I was away from my home, friends, and family

but I had something to look forward to each day. Even though we had to stay six feet apart and wear masks, we all became a close-knit group.”

John Gordon explained how connection changed how he feels. “G-Force workouts in the park have been a lifesaver during the pandemic with gyms being closed,” he said. “The exercise is secondary to the friendships that have been created. My muscles are the same as the day I started, but my heart is way bigger now.”

Jeff Brand agreed: “I’ve never had a real circle of friends in San Francisco,” he said. “I knew a lot of people but not many that I connected with on a regular basis on a more personal level. I heard about G-Force from a local friend and found out very quickly that it’s a great way to start the weekday, getting to see people that I can now call friends.”

When Judy Hurwitz found G-Force workout, it was at her lowest point during the pandemic. “It was summer, hot, and the gyms were closed,” she said. “I felt like I couldn’t get off the couch. I tried Ted’s workout and loved it.”

“The most common thing I hear is that when people were in their darkest place, Ted gave them a space where there was light,” said Jim Weigert, who taught a similar class in Phoenix before moving to Palm

Springs. “There’s comradery, there’s a sense of community. There’s a sense of just overall goodness and positive (vibes) and an outlet for everyone to experience something that is not offered anywhere else.” G Weigert describes what happens when Ted invites new members to the front of the class to lead a segment. “It might be intimidating for someone who has never been in front of a class, but the environment is affirming, and everybody feels empowered. Everyone claps and cheers them on because they’ve all been pulled up there at some point and they get it.” John Lewis believes the group is so much more than a workout. “While the focus of the class is fitness, it has also become a social experience,” he said. “Friendships have formed, we’ve had theme days, birthdays have been celebrated, and social outings have been planned. I don’t think any of this would be possible without Ted... his energy, his sense of humor, and yes, even his jibber-jabber — all make this much more than a workout class.” See for yourself how Ted Guice and the G-Force Crew can help start your day with energy, friendship, and fun — oh, and a workout, too. Join the Crew on weekdays at 7:30 a.m. in Ruth Hardy Park.

EAT. DRINK. GIVE. END HIV.

THURSDAY APRIL 28

DININGOUTFORLIFE.COM/PALMSPRINGS

NAVIGATING NEW WATERS

BLACK GAY MEN GATHER IN PALM SPRINGS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND THE FUTURE.

Words by Lorenzo Taylor

Over the years, Black gay men have gotten together to celebrate, to party, to mourn, to produce art, and to share wisdom. For the past three years, a local group called Brothers of the Desert has held an annual one-day meeting to discuss the health and wellness of their community. The latest was a gathering in the fall of 2021 of 140 Black men and a few allies to listen to medical practitioners and wellness experts serving this community and to share their own stories of survival and resurgence. Twelve speakers presented interactive workshops and led discussions throughout the day. Although predominantly local men attended, it drew men from many parts of the region.

According to BOD President Tim Vincent, “Our group was determined to move beyond the limitations of the COVID pandemic and envision ‘new waters’ of futures that are as rich and diverse as we are. The Summit was a chance to talk among ourselves about hard things that other folks don’t get or care about that are based on our shared history.”

Dr. Leo Moore, a Black, openly-gay physician was the keynote speaker and he spoke on the epidemic of premature death among Black men with startling statistics showing a significantly shorter life expectancy for Black men than any other population group. Heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injury were the leading causes. He linked this disparity to the residual trauma of racism while urging attendees to counter this trend through healthy practices like physical exercise, age-appropriate health screenings, timely immunizations, routine mental health care, and social support. He also stressed the importance of open communication with a health care practitioner who understands Black culture and who invites discussion of the medical aspects of sexual practices.

Local activist Wes Rankin led a candid workshop on sexual practices that acknowledged the historical trauma of “buck breaking,” a horrific practice where rebellious enslaved men were raped by white masters in front of the slave community as a form of discipline. He connected it with modernday fetishism of the Black male body. Another workshop by motivational speaker Jared Simpson highlighted the negative impact of hypermasculinity on the ability of Black gay men to express a broad spectrum of feminine and masculine traits. It focused on how competitive sports, the media, and Black families suppressed or ridiculed images of Black men that show their sensitive side. Other topics included healthy aging, financial planning, spirituality, interracial dating, intersectionality, HIV/AIDS, and healing historical trauma.

The closing speaker was renown Black gay filmmaker Nathan Hale Williams, who discussed the positive impact of meditation and journaling in a presentation called “My Wellness Practice Saved My Life.” He discussed his personal journey of coming out and dealing with homophobia and racism and how it informed and expanded his creative endeavors. With help from the audience, he generated a list of survival tips for Black gay men, including: • Leave shame behind • Focus on self-care • Don’t shrink away from being seen • Grow through participation with community • Remember that “I am enough” • Remember that the “village” is strong and can support you

Brothers of the Desert will host its fourth annual Wellness Summit in November of 2022 and invites Black gay men and advocates to participate through attendance or sponsorship.

Resources that Black gay men might find useful: Brothersofthedesert.org — A support network for Black gay men and allies in the Coachella Valley. BEAM Community — Black emotional and mental health collective with resources and meetings for Black queer men. Yourblackdoctor.com — A metasearch engine that locates Black medical practitioners throughout the country.