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Health Insights Posts

Raising Our Voices at The Chase and Addi …

by Dustin Gruber

Raising Our Voices at The Chase and Adding a Revivals 

DAP Health Insights – Monday April 12, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO 

Entertainers We Know and Love at Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards

This year’s entertainment lineup for the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards is bringing Broadway and a lot of heart as we honor women, mothers, and all our frontline workers. 

Broadway stars Shoshana Bean and Sheryl Lee Ralph will hit a high note for health equity. And hometown favorite Keisha D will bring humanitarianism with heart and soul from our local music community. You can read more here.

Revivals Indio Is Opening 

We heard it loud and clear that our community wants more of what Revivals Stores has to offer. We are opening Revivals at Indio Plaza on May 15. This popular shopping center has ample parking and will meet increased demand from the community for the thrill of the hunt.  And with stores like Food 4 Less, Sally Beauty, and dd’s Discounts, visiting Revivals Indio will be easy when shopping for the family. Read more here.

RELATED: Advancing Our Values for Impact 

RELATED: Through Empathy, Uplifting and Healing is Possible

Raising Our Voices at The Chase and Adding a Revivals 

DAP Health Insights – Monday April 12, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO 

Entertainers We Know and Love at Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards

This year’s entertainment lineup for the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards is bringing Broadway and a lot of heart as we honor women, mothers, and all our frontline workers. 

Broadway stars Shoshana Bean and Sheryl Lee Ralph will hit a high note for health equity. And hometown favorite Keisha D will bring humanitarianism with heart and soul from our local music community. You can read more here.

Revivals Indio Is Opening 

We heard it loud and clear that our community wants more of what Revivals Stores has to offer. We are opening Revivals at Indio Plaza on May 15. This popular shopping center has ample parking and will meet increased demand from the community for the thrill of the hunt.  And with stores like Food 4 Less, Sally Beauty, and dd’s Discounts, visiting Revivals Indio will be easy when shopping for the family. Read more here.

RELATED: Advancing Our Values for Impact 

RELATED: Through Empathy, Uplifting and Healing is Possible

Advancing Our Values for Impact

by Dustin Gruber

Advancing Our Values for Impact 

DAP Health Insights – Monday March 29, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO  

Coping with Recent Violence in the News 

Recent reports of gun violence across our country leave many struggling to cope with feelings of helplessness and grief, and experts tell us there are steps we can take to get through the painful feelings.  Dr. Jill Gover, our Behavioral Health manager, urges everyone to acknowledge how they feel, and offers helpful insight and practical steps that can help everyone. You can hear / see her talk to KESQ’s Peter Daut here.  

Mobile STI Testing with Care Begins 

To increase health equity, we are bringing services to patients who face barriers with traditional healthcare settings, including for STI testing and treatment. After almost two years of planning and help from a grant from Direct Relief and Pfizer last winter, our Mobile STI unit launched testing off-campus for the first time last week. 

In just one day, we were able to see 12 patients for vital testing and treatment, including linkage to ongoing medical care. You can read more here.    

Celebrating Carol Wood’s Advancement to Chief of Clinical Operations 

DAP Health is delighted to share the advancement of Carol Wood to Chief of Clinical Operations, after she served as Director of Clinical Administration since 2017. Carol’s decades of experience in healthcare, coupled with her dedication to the mission of DAP Health, have enabled her to lead operations during this pandemic so that we could continue serving our 9,700 patients without fail. You can read more here. 

 

Through Empathy, Uplifting and Healing i …

by Dustin Gruber

Through Empathy, Uplifting and Healing is Possible

DAP Health Insights – Monday March 22, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO

Before there was crowdfunding, there was Les Dames du Soleil

It has been decades since Steve Chase designed DAP Health’s first patient reception area, and since then we have continued to create welcoming and vibrant spaces, understanding the connection between physical surroundings and wellness.  We recently unveiled a new lobby in our Barbara Keller Love Building, transformed to pay homage to the fine art of drag, comedy and humanitarianism.

Clients and visitors at DAP Health’s Wellness Wing will experience a space with a life-size photographic mural of the drag troupe Les Dames du Soleil set amidst warm colors and vintage cabaret posters.  To read more and to watch video, click here.

Artist Trevor Wayne: HIV Self Testing Looks Good

Almost half of the Coachella Valley have never been tested for HIV, but when members of our community care, we can help more people get tested, even during this pandemic. The Trevor Wayne Pop Art Story and Gallery is helping to make sure everyone knows they can get a free HIV self-test kit mailed to them.

DAP Health is using Wayne’s art to promote the test kits on bus shelters and through dating services, online ad networks, social media and email.  You can read more here.

Milestones Created by Listening

by Dustin Gruber

Milestones Created by Listening 

DAP Health Insights – Monday March 15, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO  

Increasing Access Takes a Commitment to Cultural Humility   

Health disparities in our Valley keep growing, but we can bring more people into the vital care they need if we are willing to listen closely to what they tell us they need. Cultural humility calls for us to be more curious, and much less set in our ways. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare, getting to know the cultural and social realities of our patients and clients is helping us increase health equity for our community.  You can read more about health equity and the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards here.  

Blue and Green, Plus COVID Clinics Turn One Year Old 

The fanfare and celebration at opening our new Blue and Green Clinics last March was cut short by COVID’s arrival the same month. But all of the work they required had primed us to come through for the community quickly and almost overnight. By opening the COVID Clinic and hotline at a time when little was known about the virus, we saved lives and kept many out of intensive care units.  

Our staff have provided care for our patients in more than 15,528 in-person visits so far in the Blue and Green Clinics. And our COVID Clinic has tested more than 4,524 patients and vaccinated 1,277 patients.  

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Carrying on Traditions of Togetherness

by Dustin Gruber

Carrying on Traditions of Togetherness

DAP Health Insights – Monday February 8, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO 

Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards 2021 Are Here 

Registration is open: The 27th Annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards is Sunday, May 9, 2021.  Click here to register and keep up to date on all the details, celebrity entertainment, online auction opportunities and more.  

To keep making health equity a priority in this Valley during COVID, we are inspired by the spirit and lessons we learned from Steve Chase. DAP Health continues to be guided by his example of activism and giving, responsible for saving and changing lives today.  

Coming Together for Housing Access 

Keeping everyone safer during COVID means the County cancelled its yearly unsheltered homeless point-in-time count, but we know the numbers are rising when it comes to people in our community who need help.  

Shortages and outsized rents keep many from accessing stable and affordable housing, and the pandemic’s effect on our economy is going to make this get worse. 

Our work with the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition to soon build 61 affordable housing units on our campus shows us that we can make bold changes by coming together. You can read more here. 

Accessing Health Opens Doors of Hope

by Dustin Gruber

Accessing Health Opens Doors of Hope

DAP Health Insights – Monday, March 1, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO 

Including Sex Workers for Health Equity 

Stigma and criminalization have always created barriers for sex workers seeking safety, healthcare, and services, and DAP Health is increasing outreach to this community for care and a variety of ongoing services. The Community Health department has started recruiting for community health educators with sex worker experience, a move to continue building cultural competence in a community growing more desperate for relief as the pandemic continues. You can read more here.  

Vaccination Locations Opening Up 

As we continue to work towards a rollout based in health equity, the County of Riverside, plus select pharmacies, are starting to schedule for vaccinations as supplies become more available. We have updated our Questions and Answers on Coronavirus with links and information that can help you or someone you know make an appointment choosing from several locations.

Lifted by the Will to Help

by Dustin Gruber

Lifted by the Will to Help  

DAP Health Insights – Monday, February 22, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO  

Widening Resources Assistance at DAP 

More people face poverty daily because of this pandemic, and their own fear of seeking assistance threatens them and their communities. DAP Health is taking the stigma out of asking for help with our new Resources Navigator, a service for people who have been affected by COVID and who might not usually be seeking this kind of resource.  

Help with food, utilities, and Internet service will help many affected households, and we will not stop there. Assistance with unemployment, legal and tax services are additional ways we are working to provide people in our community hope and some relief from the stress of living in this new normal. You can read more here.  

Allied with Lift to Rise  

Not everyone is accessing affordable housing and economic opportunities, and COVID is making the disparity even worse. That is why we have answered the call from our friends at Lift to Rise, pledging to continue this work in the Coachella Valley. The We Will Lift: Regional Pledge for Housing and Opportunity represents our shared vision and commitment to radically change the trajectory for our community by acting now.  

DAP Health in the News 
Our brand evolution represents our pledge to serve the Coachella Valley in the future, and it was built upon our learned experiences as we found solutions for improving health equity for this community. The Standard magazine covered our new logo’s inspiration, our commitment to ending HIV, and the timeline of DAP through the years, showing how our Valley and our mission have been expanding since 1984. You can read more here. 

Masking for Safer Spaces and Health Equi …

by Dustin Gruber

Masking for Safer Spaces and Health Equity 

DAP Health Insights – Monday, February 15, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO

Protection While We Wait  

Waiting for enough COVID vaccine doses to offer everyone who needs it is difficult, and we are working closely with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to be ready when that day comes. We all can protect each other better, whether we have been vaccinated or not.  

In accordance with CDC guidelines, all DAP Health workers who have received the vaccine will still be required to follow all PPE requirements.  

While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic. 

To protect yourself and others, follow these recommendations: 

  • Wear a mask over your nose and mouth 
  • Stay at least 6 feet away from others 
  • Avoid crowds 
  • Avoid poorly ventilated spaces 
  • Wash your hands often 

You can find out more about vaccines and safety by visiting our Questions and Answers on Coronavirus. 

DAP Health in the News 

Direct Relief on Our HIV Experience Shaping COVID Response 

DAP Health is deeply committed to our history because it explains why we continue to expand our role in public health and health equity.  Direct Relief has come through for us during this pandemic, and we are so grateful to have them as a partner. They sat down with DAP co-founder George Sonsel to learn about the humanitarian crisis during the early AIDS epidemic, and how our response then is helping us address the COVID threat to public health today. You can read more here. 

The Community-Led DAP Health Brand Evolution: NBC Palm Springs Silver Linings 

Inclusion is the framework that DAP Health is built on, and we took that seriously with this rebranding. The change came after months of internal and external surveys, focus groups, and conversations with thousands of patients, staff, donors, volunteers, and community leaders. The amount of input enabled us to choose our new logo and expand our mission with confidence. You can watch as Sandie Newton talks with Steven Henke here.  

Meet Lessons from History with Action To …

by Dustin Gruber

Meet Lessons from History with Action Today

DAP Health Insights – Monday February 8, 2021, from David Brinkman, CEO

Honoring Black History with Health Access

As we pay tribute to generations of Black Americans who struggled for a place at the table in American society, we must call attention to serious health inequities threatening them today around COVID.

According to the CDC, only five percent of all COVID vaccines so far have gone to Black Americans, who continue to suffer from unacceptable gaps in healthcare access in the U.S.

Too often we see data showing that Black Americans experience poor health outcomes more than whites, and this is a further sign that this inequity is getting even worse.

DAP Health works to address healthcare inequities caused by racism and poverty through our inclusive model of services. COVID has pushed us to do even more to reach people living in minority neighborhoods, so that African Americans know DAP is a committed BLM partner and here to help. Click here to read more.

Local Holocaust Survivor Can Teach Us

Welcoming local survivors of the Holocaust to DAP Health for COVID vaccinations, we met Jerry Moses, who says he is convinced receiving the vaccine is saving his life.

“My utmost gratitude goes to DAP Health and to the Jewish Family Service of the Desert,” Jerry says. “I got my vaccination and it probably is saving my life because I'm 86 years old and I have COPD.”

Jerry’s outlook on life is also likely keeping him alive. He married, raised a family, and built a business. In recounting his experience as a survivor, he told us about saying no to vengeance, and how things can change for the better. I encourage you to listen to this wise man’s words. You can watch here.

DAP Health in the News

KESQ

Everyone is feeling the stress of finding a COVID vaccine, and for people over the age of 65 and older, it can become impossible. DAP Health understands COVID and the needs of seniors in this community, so when our longtime partner Jewish Family Service of the Desert (JFS) told us their senior clients who had survived the Holocaust were facing extra barriers, we stepped forward. You can watch Julie Hirsh of JFS talk to Peter Daut on KESQ here.

John McMullen Show on iHub Radio

Julie Hirsh told John McMullen even more about our collaboration, in addition to unique services JFS offers its clients year-round. You can hear more here.

Honoring Black History with Health Acces …

by Dustin Gruber

Honoring Black History with Health Access 

 

As we pay tribute to generations of Black Americans who struggled for a place at the table in American society, we must call attention to serious health inequities threatening them today around COVID.  

According to the CDC, only five percent of all COVID vaccines so far have gone to Black Americans, who continue to suffer from unacceptable gaps in healthcare access in the U.S.  

DAP Health’s vaccine framework is rooted in health equity, ensuring communities and populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 have priority access to the vaccine. Outreach to our patients age 65 and over has already begun.   

In 2021, we are increasing opportunities for health in Black neighborhoods with enhanced mobile services that offer linkage to ongoing medical care, vital during this pandemic.  

“COVID has pushed us to do even more to reach people living in minority neighborhoods,” said David Brinkman, CEO.  “so that African Americans know DAP is a committed BLM partner and here to help.” 

We welcomed a specialized nurse to assist the mobile team, and we added Virtual Visit technology to our Mobile Testing Van so DAP Health doctors can beam in during visits when helpful.  

Accessing care and services will be easier in 2021 because we are offering case management (traditionally reserved for our HIV-positive clients) to a broader segment of the community who may be needing help getting into care. 

We are also providing smartphones and WiFi access to clients unable to afford them so that telehealth visits can continue and grow. 

“Increasing health services via our mobile unit for patients in Black neighborhoods will help anyone who may be fearing racism or stigma from traditional healthcare,” said C.J. Tobe, Community Health director. “Our clinics are welcoming, but DAP Health is also willing to meet people where they are at, especially during this pandemic.” 

DAP Health's holistic model aims to address social determinants that lead to negative health outcomes, especially those related to the pandemic — this includes food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation and access to health care.  

Read more about DAP Health, plus its expanding role in public health and health equity here.  

To become a patient, click here. 

About DAP Health  

DAP Health (DAP) is an advocacy-based health center in Palm Springs, CA serving over 8,000 patients, offering medical and mental healthcare, STI testing and treatment, dentistry, pharmacy, and lab. A variety of wraparound services enable patients to experience optimal health, including social services, support groups, alternative therapies, and other wellness services. Excellent HIV care is provided by the largest team of specialized clinicians in the area.      

DAP opened one of California’s first COVID clinic and hotlines to offer screening, testing, and treatment. DAP is also working to address social determinants of health that are causing negative health outcomes during this pandemic, like food and housing insecurity, joblessness, isolation, and access to ongoing healthcare.  

DAP’s sexual health clinic offers STI testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that DAP exceeds industry standards in terms of financial health, accountability, and transparency.      

Visit www.daphealth.org to learn more.