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He Ain't Heavy

by suelowe

He Ain’t Heavy

Brothers of the Desert President Tim Vincent says the organization’s wellness summit allows gay Black men to connect to community and health

Words by Trey Burnette • Photo by Aaron Jay Young

The Coachella Valley likes to pride itself on diversity. However, attending community functions, programs, or gatherings could lead one to believe the desert community is less diverse than it considers itself to be.

At a 2017 New Year’s Eve gathering, a group of friends — all of whom were gay Black men — realized they all shared similar feelings of isolation and disconnection from much of the greater Palm Springs community. They knew men like them were out there, living productive lives, but they didn’t always see one another partaking in the many activities the valley had to offer. They felt isolated not only as individuals but also as a smaller community within the larger desert family.

Tim Vincent was one of those men at the party. To meet him, it’s hard to imagine he would feel isolated and disconnected from any community, but he says after moving to Palm Springs with his partner about six years ago, they had “the only people in the room” moments. At first, he didn’t notice it; he was used to being different. “But it can be hard being the only Black person in the room,” he says. Then he discovered others were experiencing the same feeling he and his partner were, and suspected there had to be more men he didn’t know out there facing the same feelings. 

The men were having a James Baldwin flash — the challenge was in the moment and the time was right. So, they acted by reaching out to the other gay African American men who felt isolated and disconnected, and formed Brothers of the Desert (BOD). Their mission was “to nurture and support gay Black men and allies through education, advocacy, social networking, volunteerism, and mentorship.” 

Today, Vincent serves as the president of the nonprofit, which was formalized as such in 2020. He has more than 30 years of experience working in the HIV and health care fields, including work with the CDC and the University of California San Francisco. His understanding of health care and patient engagement was beneficial as BOD grew and formed partnerships with DAP Health. 

Vincent explains that BOD started with monthly meetings where members could discuss concerns affecting them and the community. The leading members realized the community needed more than meetings, so they formed their first outfacing event, their Wellness Summit, in November of 2019, originally held at the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. DAP Health became a sponsor in their third year.

“We were building and investing in the health and wellness of our community,” Vincent says. “We wanted to take a holistic and comprehensive approach, addressing community members’ physical, mental, spiritual, financial, and social health.” And they did. What the Wellness Summit offered was tailored to the needs of the Black community. They incorporated the intersection of being Black and gay and how the stressful effects of racism and homophobia affect the individual’s and community’s health. 

Four years later, the annual Wellness Summit has grown and is now held at Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs. DAP Health is still a sponsor, and the November 2022 summit had about 200 guests — twice the size of the first event. The Wellness Summit hosts speakers who are medical doctors, spiritual practitioners, business leaders, yoga instructors, and other experts offering education in their specialized fields. It creates a space where people feel comfortable asking wellness questions. Workshops are also available for guests to get hands-on experiences with wellness practices. Vincent has received positive feedback from attendees, and hopes the event will grow into a multi-day affair. 

BOD also provides a quarterly speaker series throughout the year. Guest lecturers are thought leaders and experts who give educational talks that support and maintain what is learned at the Wellness Summit. Participants can engage and discuss topics like mindfulness, systemic racism, microaggressions, and mental health for Black queer people. Furthermore, those chats also act as a gateway for BOD to steer members to DAP Health, where they can find similar wellness opportunities to the ones they learned about at the Wellness Summit. Acupuncture, yoga, massage, sex and intimacy groups, stress-management groups, and building-positive-life groups are just some of the opportunities attendees can take advantage of to maintain a holistic approach to wellness.

As the partnerships between BOD and DAP Health grow, Vincent hopes Black community members will deepen their knowledge that both organizations can help them find health resources and solutions.

For more information, please visit brothersofthedesert.org and follow the group on Insta @brothersofthedesert.

DAP Health Continues to Fight for LGBTQ+ …

by Daniel Vaillancourt

DAP Health Continues to Fight for LGBTQ+ Health Equity

 At the 2023 Greater Palm Springs Pride Festival, the organization will celebrate its long history of championing health care access for the queer community.

As it has done since the first Greater Palm Springs Pride in 1986, DAP Health will raise its rainbow flags high in the air and proudly participate in the 37th annual iteration of the event, to be held November 2 to 5.

With the recent integration of Borrego Health, DAP Health’s team now consists of 850 dedicated health care professionals serving 100,000 diverse patients in 240 of Southern California’s rural and urban zip codes, from the Salton Sea to San Diego.

In addition to hosting its DAP Health Wellness Pavilion along Palm Canyon Drive (directly across the street from Lulu California Bistro) — from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 4 and from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 5 — more than a hundred of the organization’s employees, patients, donors, volunteers, board members, and other supporters are expected to march shoulder to shoulder in the Sunday morning Pride Parade.

“Participating in Greater Palm Springs Pride is always a personal highlight of the fall season, not just for me, but for everyone who calls DAP Health home in one fashion or another,” says longtime CEO David Brinkman. “At DAP Health, we have always fought for the LGBTQ+ community, championing health care access for nearly four decades. Our acquisition of Borrego Health hasn’t weakened our commitment; it’s fortified our resolve.

“With our expanded size and reach, we pack a mightier punch in our quest for health care justice. Our unified voice, advocating for our communities alongside elected officials, is now louder than ever, and our team of dedicated care providers has grown threefold. We believe health care should know no boundaries. Our goal is to continue to honor the memory of those lost to HIV/AIDS by removing barriers, and by creating a more just world through equitable access.”

Employees from the nonprofit’s 25 clinics will carry signs emblazoned with the name of their home location. Others will carry placards sporting such slogans as “Mental Health is Health Care,” “LGBTQ+ Care is Health Care,” and “Drag is Love” (the catchphrase printed on DAP Health’s official 2023 Pride Parade T-shirt).

Riding in a vehicle just ahead of the group will be Donald Beck, one of the founders of Desert AIDS Project (as the nonprofit was originally known) who is this year’s recipient of Greater Palm Springs Pride’s Spirit of Stonewall Lifetime Achievement Award.

Loudly announcing DAP Health’s presence will be a large assortment of blue/robin’s egg, purple/lavender, and orange/red balloons respectively spelling out the D-A-P of the organization’s acronym and hoisted high above a banner that will read “Together for Better Health,” a nod to DAP Health recently absorbing the Borrego Health system.

Also part of the DAP Health delegation, riding in a vintage convertible in glorious full drag, will be Les Dames du Soleil Dottie & Maude (AKA Douglas Woodmansee and Marshall Pearcy). The tribute is designed to honor the longtime married couple of entertainers — who were at the forefront of early HIV/AIDS efforts, raising much-needed funds for DAP at the dawn of the epidemic, when other resources and supporters were scarce — for their vital role in DAP Health’s history of LGBTQ+ activism.

“Long before our community had the economic and political strength we now proudly possess, before the emergence of LGBTQ+ advocacy or health care organizations, drag queens were tirelessly raising funds for our cause, one dollar at a time,” says DAP Health Chief of Brand Marketing Steven Henke. “They courageously championed our rights and well-being until we found the strength to fight for ourselves. We should never forget the legacy they forged in high heels.”

As for the Wellness Pavilion, it will be staffed with employees and volunteers from DAP Health’s community health department, who will be providing full, free sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, harm reduction services, and general outreach. Representatives will also be talking with attendees about the free pregnancy testing and birth control consultations now available at its sexual wellness clinics.

The Pavilion will also be home to a Recovery Oasis, where revelers can pick up information about DAP Health’s host of recovery services, including various meetings and its Outpatient Drug-Free (ODF ) program.

DAP Health Receives $1 Million from Cali …

by Daniel Vaillancourt

DAP HEALTH TO RECEIVE $1 MILLION FROM GOVERNOR’S 2023-2024 STATE BUDGET 

 
The appropriation spearheaded by Assemblymembers Greg Wallis and Eduardo Garcia is earmarked for the expansion of the nonprofit’s Sunrise campus in Palm Springs, and for the hiring and training of much-needed additional providers in various disciplines.

At 8:00 a.m. on Monday, October 23 at DAP Health’s main Sunrise campus at 1695 N. Sunrise Way in Palm Springs, California State Assemblymembers Greg Wallis (R-Bermuda Dunes) and Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) will present the nonprofit with a check for $1 million. This generous contribution, secured through Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2023-24 state budget, underscores the elected officials’ commitment to DAP Health’s goal of providing comprehensive, judgment-free health care to more than 100,000 residents at a total of 25 Southern California clinics located within 240 rural and urban zip codes from the Salton Sea to San Diego. At the ceremony, DAP Health Chief Operating Officer Corina Velasquez will welcome guests and reiterate the organization’s innovative, patient-centered, whole-person approach, which includes the offering of a host of wraparound services. Velasquez will then introduce longtime DAP Health CEO David Brinkman and the esteemed assemblymembers. “I look forward to expressing my deep gratitude to Assemblymembers Wallis and Garcia in person,” says Brinkman. “During this unprecedented period of growth for DAP Health, this funding will be instrumental as we hire more than two dozen new physicians and train them at our Sunrise campus so that our unique model of care can become the standard across all 25 of our sites. This show of faith from the assemblymembers — as well as from Governor Newsom and Assembly Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting — means the world to us as we continue to seek financing for our growth in health markets both within and beyond the Coachella Valley.” Last July, Assemblymembers Wallis and Garcia announced the $1 million appropriation for DAP Health in the 2023-24 state budget, and earlier this year, Assemblymember Wallis recognized DAP Health as the 47th Assembly District’s Nonprofit of the Year, highlighting its outstanding contributions to the community. “I am truly inspired by the efforts of the dedicated professionals and over 400 volunteers associated with DAP Health,” says Assemblymember Wallis in a statement. “The funds we were able to secure from the state will support their endeavors to serve a diverse range of patients across various fields, encompassing HIV care, primary care, women’s health, and essential social programs. These initiatives play a crucial role in improving the well-being of some of the desert’s most medically underserved residents.” “The well-being of our medically underserved community relies on health centers like DAP Health,” adds Assemblymember Garcia in a statement. “Delivering this $1 million state budget investment will help DAP Health to expand health care services and support our region’s urgent workforce training needs.” 

Behavioral Health Resources for the Lake …

by Daniel Vaillancourt

Behavioral Health Resources for the Lake Arrowhead and Surrounding Mountain LGBTQ+ Community

At DAP Health, we recognize the profound impact trauma can have on individuals. Whether it’s the aftermath of a hate crime, perceived threats, or other distressing experiences, we understand that the effects of such events can be long-lasting.

It’s crucial to remember that healing begins with sharing your thoughts and feelings with someone who understands and cares. Even in a virtual setting, DAP Health’s dedicated professionals are here to support you every step of the way and provide a safe and empathetic space for you to process, heal, and reclaim your mental and emotional well-being.

We will continue to reach out to partner organizations to update this list of mental health resources that can be accessed in person or virtually. If you are a partner organization that can support the community, please use the form below to submit your organization’s information, and a DAP Health team member will contact you to validate your information before adding it to this list.

Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ (lakearrowheadlgbtq.org)

From the nonprofit’s website, its mission: We will create an all-inclusive, safe community for everyone. Our goal is to raise funds to create a LGBTQ+ Center for resources, recreation, learning, counseling, and health care. Our building will be available to anyone who needs it.

Furthermore: Lauri Carleton was not only a beloved mother, wife, and friend but a founding member of our Mountain Provisions Co-op community and a fierce advocate for love, equality, and human rights. Her tragic death has left a void in our hearts, but her vision for a more caring, inclusive, and engaged community lives on.

Lauri’s vision for a better world: Lauri was a pillar in our community, an unwavering champion of values that sought to break down barriers and build bridges. Her dedication to equality and her courage in flying the LGBTQ+ flag exemplify her commitment to creating a world where love knows no boundaries. The Lauri Carleton Memorial Fund aims to keep her spirit alive, by supporting local and inclusive community-building initiatives that reflect these same values.

SAC Health (sachealth.org)

A dedicated Lake Arrowhead support line was established at 909.219.6880 on 9.14.23 and will be available Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for as long as needed. After-hours, the line accepts messages. Behavioral health offerings include individual in-person counseling for adults and youth (IEHP, Molina, Risk Management, Medicare, Medical). Virtual options are available (except for Medicare). Group counseling is available, with coverage requirements. Appointments for one-on-one counseling are available at the end of the month. Group sessions will be held virtually once a roster is developed.

DAP Health (daphealth.org)

DAP Health’s department of behavioral health provides services focusing on treating mental health and substance use with individual therapy or medication management, as necessary, and specializes in serving the LGBTQ+ community. Appointments are in person or virtual via phone, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Call 760.992.0450 to schedule.

 

Queer Works Therapy (queerworks.org/freetherapy)

Appointments can be requested online, with intake within 48 hours and the first appointment within a week. Behavioral health services include LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy (virtual sessions open to all California residents, with fees based on income level), LGBTQ+ trauma-informed therapy (specializing in care for victims of hate crimes or perceived threats), trans-affirmative therapy (focused on transgender, gender-diverse, and intersex care).

The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert (thecentercv.org)

Affirmative, virtual, low-cost therapy is available to all California residents. For more information, or to be added to the waitlist, call 760.416.7790, Ext. 3.

 

Photo courtesy of Mountain Provisions Cooperative, Lake Arrowhead.

When to Serve is your Life’s passi …

by Yurema Arvizu

When to Serve is Your Life's Passion

Director of Social Services Zayda Welden celebrates 27 years at DAP Health in 2023

Words by Rory Taylor

Photo by Donato Di Natale

 

“I’ve always wanted to work with chronic illness,” reveals longtime DAP Health employee Zayda Welden. “So, when I had the opportunity to work with this group of individuals with this horrendous disease at that time — HIV/AIDS in the early ’90s — I was very interested.” Today, after more than 27 years, Welden is one of DAP Health’s most senior employees, and is still doing what she loves — caring for other people. 

An Ecuadorian native, Welden had been working previously at a farmworkers’ clinic — El Progreso Del Desierto — in the Coachella Valley.

“No one wanted to run this subcontracted program to manage HIV-positive individuals,” she recalls. “Everybody was afraid. So, I told my boss, ‘Let me run it.’”

Through that position, Welden was introduced to the Desert AIDS Project (as DAP Health was then known), and when her previous clinic closed, the nonprofit offered her a job as a case manager. Welden remembers her first day on the job. “When El Progreso closed, I brought all these clients with me so they wouldn’t end up without care. I remember it was February 20, 1996.”

Since then, she’s had the chance to see DAP Health grow and change along with cultural attitudes toward queerness and HIV stigma. Welden’s also moved up the ranks, from case manager to director of social services — a role she helped reshape so as to better allow for time with her family. But over the years, the biggest change she’s seen has been in patient outcomes. “HIV infection, for the most part, is now a very manageable condition,” she says, “if you partner with your primary care physician and stick to your treatment.”

As with any chronic condition, the goal of treatment is quality of life. Now, as director of social services, that’s the mission Welden oversees:

“Food equals health, housing equals health, transportation equals health. We need to address all the determinants of health that negatively impact our patients.”

Food services for HIV-positive patients and clients has been a staple of DAP Health for years, but as the organization’s clientele has expanded, clinicians and case managers have encountered more and more food insecurity. Now, through a partnership with the local FIND Food Bank and other funders, immediate food distribution and referrals to other food banks is a default part of DAP Health’s care. “Every single patient that gets to see a clinician is asked a series of questions,” says Welden, “including, ‘Have you eaten today?’ ‘Do you have food for today?’ ‘Would you like to have a bag of basic staples for the next couple of days?’” Every patient who’s in need of food leaves the clinic with a grocery bag to last for the next two or three days, along with other community food resources information.

For HIV-positive patients and clients, even more resources are available. One such patient is Brett Ward, a Palm Springs resident who went to DAP Health for information and medical care after his partner passed away from AIDS complications. With two kids to care for and his own disability, his case manager helped him find access to more than just food assistance. “At the holidays, they would give gift cards to my children,” says Ward. “They give gift cards for the beginning of school, for school supplies. They’ve helped me a lot, as far as the extras and now the costs of being a single dad… I was using [a program] where they reimburse you for gas mileage and such. I use them for dental because I don’t have dental insurance.”

Lack of health insurance is unfortunately not an uncommon problem in the Coachella Valley, with 15% of those 16–94 years of age living without, compared to the 10% state average. Combating that kind of disparity, with everything from sliding scale payments to providing housing, is the core of DAP Health’s social services programs. Welden says everything they do is to keep clients in care. “Treatment adherence is so important,” she maintains. “We’re trying to help them with rent, with a bus pass to come to the doctor, and with food so they can keep taking their medication.”

Welden adds that housing insecurity is also one of the major roadblocks to consistent and effective care. “Just 20 miles east of Palm Springs, we have one of the poorest areas in our state. We have migrant workers who live under trees who are not housed, who have to go to work the next day.”

To better aid those individuals, the Vista Sunrise I housing complex, with 80 units, was opened for HIV-positive clients in 2007. With the success of that first initiative, Vista Sunrise II is now underway, which will make 61 more units available, not only to HIV-positive individuals, but to anyone who meets the low-income threshold.

On top of that, Welden says she has something new in mind for Vista Sunrise II: “I’m planning to hire a housing case manager who will be able to do the same things case managers do with an HIV-positive caseload. They’ll oversee the residents of those 61 new units and improve their social determinants of health, whether it’s providing service or assisting in other ways. We’re not just going to drop people in the housing and say, ‘Okay, pay your rent on time, keep it clean, and see you later.’”

Clearing roadblocks to health care is at the core of DAP Health’s mission. “We are here to improve the well-being of every member of our community,” Welden concludes. “Our mission has not changed. Before, it was focused on HIV/AIDS. Now, it’s open to whoever needs us. Providing the widest safety net possible. That’s what DAP Health is all about.”

DAP Health Co-Presenting Sponsor of 8th …

by Daniel Vaillancourt

DAP Health Co-Presenting Sponsor of 8th Annual Conference on HIV & Aging 

Positively Aging Project, the annual Coachella Valley conference aimed at providing practical information and inspiration for those living long-term with HIV, will bring together community leaders to improve the lives of older adults living with HIV for a hybrid in-person and virtual conference on September 23, 2023. 

The conference will feature top experts in HIV research on a panel discussing HIV and aging issues in our community with a focus on “Mind, Body & Soul” and the integration and importance of each in thriving with HIV.  

Historically, the conference is held on or around National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day on September 18th — a day to call attention to the growing number of people living long and full lives with HIV, and to aging-related challenges of HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care.  

The virtual conference is free to attendees and open to the public. Co-presented by DAP Health and Mr. Bruce Purdy & Mr. Barrett Shepard, this year’s event is a result of a unique collaboration among local service providers and organizations focused on improving the shared experience of older adults living with HIV.

People with HIV are living longer lives, thanks to advancements in scientific research and medical treatments: Today, 50% of people living with HIV in the U.S. are age 50 and above. That number is expected to rise to 75% by 2030.

Individuals aging with HIV have experienced tremendous loss, stigma, and discrimination throughout their lifetime and within the health care system. In comparison to similar HIV- negative populations, individuals aging with HIV may experience an early onset of aging complications, such as neurocognitive decline, impaired physical function, frailty, and psychosocial challenges like isolation, depression, and PTSD from living through the early HIV pandemic.

Keynote Speaker: Peter Staley

Peter Staley has been a long-term AIDS and gay rights activist, first as a member of ACT UP New York, then as the founding director of the Treatment Action Group (TAG). He was a 2016 fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, and is a leading subject in the Oscar-nominated documentary “How to Survive a Plague.” More recently, Staley co-founded the PrEP4All Collaboration and the COVID-19 Working Group-New York, and is the lead named plaintiff in Staley v. Gilead, a major federal antitrust case against big pharma set for trial next year. Staley recently published his memoirs, titled “Never Silent: ACT UP and My Life in Activism.”

Other Speakers Include: 

HIV Research Update Panel

▪           Bios Clinical: Golkoo Morcos, PharmD

▪           Desert Oasis: Brook Yates

▪           Eisenhower Health: Ann Stapleton, MD

▪           Palmtree Clinical Research: Carlos Martinez, MD

▪           HIV+ Aging Research Project: Jeff Taylor, Executive Director

Ted Guice, personal trainer focusing on HIV & fitness after fifty

Jack Newby, presenting the Brain Game Program offered at the Joslyn Center

David Grelotti, MD, UC San Diego Medical Cannabis Research, and Ruth Hill, RN, speaking on the use of medical cannabis

Thomas Roth, certified instructor, Transcendental Meditation, and director of the David Lynch Foundation HIV Wellness Initiative

The Roundtable - Conversations that build friendships and communities

 

What: 

The Positively Aging Project 8th Annual HIV Conference is a collaboration between the HIV+ Aging Research Project and other nonprofit community partners. It is a hybrid (in-person and virtual) conference consisting of a mix of facilitated discussions, panels, and presentations led by key researchers, advocates, and long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS.

Date:

September 23, 2023

Time:

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Where:

The Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 ... and online via Zoom 

How:

Registration is free and now open here ... or through the HIV+Aging Research Project site.

Participants may also attend via Zoom by using this link.

 

PRESENTING SPONSORS

Mr. Bruce Purdy & Mr. Barrett Shepard

This is the second year in a row that Mr. Purdy and Mr. Shepard are presenting sponsors for the Positively Aging Project. Together for 38 years, they actively support and serve organizations that focus on gay health and the gay community. They reside in both Maryland and Palm Springs.

DAP Health

DAP Health is an internationally renowned humanitarian health care organization and federally qualified health center (FQHC) whose goal is to protect and expand health care access for all people — especially the disenfranchised — regardless of who or where they are, their health status, or whether they have health insurance.

In 2023, the nonprofit made a successful bid to acquire the Borrego Health System, enabling it to serve a total of more than 100,000 patients of all populations, genders, and ages — from newborns to seniors — at a total of 25 Southern California clinics located within 240 rural and urban zip codes from the Salton Sea to San Diego.

Founded as Desert AIDS Project in 1984 by a group of volunteers, and thanks to nearly 40 years of experience caring for those affected not only by the HIV epidemic but by various other public health emergencies (COVID-19, mpox), DAP Health has the physical and intellectual resources, the drive, and — most importantly — the vision to effect even greater change by positively impacting its diverse patient populations’ social determinants of health (SDOH).

According to the World Health Organization, SDOH are “the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.”

The next epidemic hasn’t surfaced — yet. But just as DAP Health met earlier community health crises decisively and successfully, its experts stand at the ready. (daphealth.org)

 

HOST SPONSOR

Eisenhower Health 

Eisenhower HIV Clinic: Recognizing the complex health care needs of the LGBTQ patient population, Eisenhower Medical Center offers a comprehensive range of clinical, research and education resources — starting with a team of dedicated primary care doctors and infectious disease specialists who have exceptional experience and expertise.

Eisenhower HIV Clinic Primary Care Services: Providing state-of-the-art care for HIV patients requires knowledge of the latest treatments and best practices in the detection and treatment of HIV. Eisenhower’s HIV primary care program is focused on the overall health of each patient, including:

  • Appropriate utilization of advances in HIV care to sustain the best possible quality of life, including appropriate STD and cancer screening as well as healthy aging.
  • Best practices to prevent the spread of HIV.
  • Compassionate access to new medicines for highly drug-resistant patients.

Our team includes HIV primary care doctors board-certified in internal medicine or family medicine, with an additional certification as an HIV specialist with the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM).

Eisenhower Health is proud to collaborate with many nonprofit organizations here in the Coachella Valley providing HIV and related health care services, through partnership connectivity of services, referrals, and education. (eisenhowerhealth.org)

 

CONFERENCE SPONSOR

Desert Oasis Healthcare

Formed in 1981 as one of the first medical groups in the desert communities of Southern California, Desert Oasis Healthcare (DOHC) continues to advance with changes in the health care market. DOHC provides primary and immediate care, home health, palliative care, clinical research studies, and other services to more than 60,000 members/patients living in the Greater Coachella Valley and the Morongo Basin of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The multidisciplinary and comprehensive care programs of DOHC are committed to educating individuals on preventive health care in their daily lives, reflected in the DOHC motto, “Your Health. Your Life. Our Passion.” (mydohc.com)

 

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPONSORS

Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association has been serving the Coachella Valley for 24 years and works to provide care and support for all those affected by Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. We are here to help. We provide caregivers and families with comprehensive resources and information, including care and support services, education, and social engagement opportunities. Our office is located at 74020 Alessandro Drive, Palm Desert. Reach us at 760-996-0006. We conduct face-to-face and virtual support groups and education programs throughout the Coachella Valley, and work to ensure that these services reach diverse and underserved populations. All programs offered by the Alzheimer’s Association are completely free of charge to our desert community. (alz.org)

Brad Fuhr - Moderator

As owner of KGAY 106.5 and 103.1 MeTV Music radio, as well as “The Gay Desert Guide,” all of which are media sponsors of The Positively Aging Project, Brad will be moderating our event for the fifth year in a row. Brad also operates OMGPSP (Oasis Marketing Group), a digital and social media agency.

GayDesertGuide.com is a top digital destination for locals and visitors alike, with a robust online events calendar; attractions, bar, and dining guide; and tips for travelers. Brad’s weekly blog and newsletter is read by thousands as they plan their Palm Springs weekend.

KGAY 106.5 is one of the top radio stations in the Palm Springs market, with award-winning personalities, dance hits, and community service elements, including the “KGAY Cares” program, which donates airtime to local nonprofits.

MeTV Music radio 103.1 is a soft rock radio station featuring timeless and memorable music spanning the decades from the ’60s through the ’80s. 

Brad was recognized by the Desert Business Association as 2015 Business of the Year, and in 2018 as Businessperson of the Year. The city of Palm Springs Human Rights Commission honored him with its Community Service Award for “Promoting Universal Human Rights Closer to Home” in February 2018. He used the award to springboard into starting a Gay4Good community service organization chapter in Greater Palm Springs. He serves on the board of the LGBTQ+ Archives Project and the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast committee (GayDesertGuide.com)

Brothers of the Desert

Brothers of the Desert (BOD) is a nonprofit organization formed in 2017 that provides a growing network of support for Black gay men and allies in the Coachella Valley. Its mission is to “Nurture and support Black gay men and allies through philanthropy, volunteerism, mentorship, education, advocacy, and social networking.” Some relevant activities include:

  • Annual Wellness Summit meetings focused on physical and mental health issues affecting Black gay men, including HIV/AIDS.
  • A Black HIV/AIDS Awareness broadcast program providing testimonies on HIV in the Black gay men’s community.
  • Participation in and fundraising for the DAP Health Equity Walk. (brothersofthedesert.org)

HIV+Aging Research Project-Palm Springs

The HIV+Aging Research Project-Palm Springs is a community nonprofit that conducts research and provides education to improve the quality of life for long-term HIV survivors here in the Coachella Valley.

We collaborate with academic partners throughout Southern California and nationally to conduct socio-behavioral research on issues like resiliency & COVID affecting HIV survivors.

HARP-PS was the first organization to take the lead on the mpox (MPX) epidemic by conducting biweekly town hall meetings with community members, state, county, and city public health officials and providers, as well as a weekly task force meeting with the state, county, and city.

We provide the monthly Positive Life HIV Education Series, with topics and speakers tailored to the unique needs of our HIV survivor community.

HARP-PS conducts monthly provider/clinician education programs to educate them on advances in HIV treatment and relevant care topics for our unique aging HIV+ population. This is the only cross-institutional program for clinicians in the valley, and they value this opportunity to meet and interact with their peers.

We created the annual Positively Aging Project (formerly the Aging Positively Reunion Project) daylong regional seminar to bring together the HIV and aging community in Southern California which is held each year on or around HIV & Aging Awareness Day. (HARP-PS.org)

Jewish Family Service of the Desert

JFS is a nonsectarian, nonprofit, social service agency serving the needs of Coachella Valley residents. JFS offers services for all, in the areas of mental health counseling, case management and community programs.

Since its inception as part of the Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and Desert Area in 1982, JFS has grown, not just in size, but in its ability to serve the people of the Coachella Valley.

Beginning as a small group of volunteers who checked in on seniors and disabled people who lived alone, JFS Desert has evolved into an organization of professionals and volunteers who provide a broad range of support and services to thousands of Coachella Valley residents each year.

Our experienced case managers can assist in exploring potential resources. They will assess clients’ eligibility for services and programs and can help facilitate the application process to obtain benefits and support. 

Our case managers are a resource for the Coachella Valley, providing emergency financial assistance to prevent homelessness. JFS also works with local and county organizations to advocate for the rights of seniors in the valley. 

The JFS case management team takes a holistic service approach, collaborating with internal departments to ensure clients’ needs are addressed. 

We are dedicated to making sure that mental health issues and affordable housing stay front and center for our valley citizens (JFSDesert.org)

Joslyn Center

The Joslyn Center is dedicated to leading the way in enhancing the well-being of adults 50+ through innovative programs and services. We help older adults and seniors live healthy and fulfilling lives through a variety of classes, activities, social services, and counseling. Join us and take a look at our calendar with over 65 classes and activities to keep you active and engaged. (JoslynCenter.org)

Let’s Kick Ass

Let’s Kick Ass Palm Springs is an inclusive social group seeking to reduce the stresses of AIDS  Survivor Syndrome. We welcome members regardless of HIV status, race, gender, age, or sexuality, believing that the individual is the best judge of the impact of HIV on their life. 

We organize social functions providing opportunities to develop friendships and community.

We support education and advocacy to raise awareness of AIDS Survivor Syndrome, long-term survivors, and the challenges they face. 

People feel better when engaged in social activity. LKA Palm Springs helps long-term survivors overcome isolation by creating social opportunities — from our popular monthly potlucks, twice-monthly coffee socials, the bowling team, and our movie nights, to now establishing annual events such as our June 5 Long-Term Survivors Day reception and our Thanksgiving Day feast. 

LKAPS benefits its members through engagement with our local community of HIV survivors. (Lkaps.org) 

PALS 

PALS (Planning Ahead for LGBTQ Seniors) is a volunteer-led community initiative based in Palm Springs that helps LGBTQ+ adults and friends to plan ahead before a health or other life-altering situation arises. Having a plan in place mitigates stress and anxiety, ensures that you are in control of your future care and legacy, and relieves the burden on family and friends.(palsinthedesert.com) 

The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert

At the Center, our goal is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all members of our vibrant LGBTQ community.

Our vision is to create a vibrant community of love and support that stretches beyond our Center’s doors, where we strive to meet all members of the LGBTQ community where they are and provide them the services they need to thrive.

Our mission is to provide an open and welcoming environment for all members of the LGBTQ family. Through the use of our individual lived experiences and collective power, we host community events, assistance programs, and various other forms of support in our efforts to create a loving community where everyone belongs.

Come join us at The Center, a space where you can belong and be unconditionally you (thecentercv.org)

DAP Health Announces Date For Its 2023 H …

by Daniel Vaillancourt

DAP Health Announces Date For Its 2023 Health Equity Walk

 

The popular event, formerly known as the Desert AIDS Walk, kicks off at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 28

at Ruth Hardy Park in Palm Springs.

 

Consistent with DAP Health’s almost 40-year history of protecting and expanding access to health care, the organization has renamed its perennially popular Desert AIDS Walk the DAP Health Equity Walk as an affirmation of its mission to remove all barriers to care.

Presented by Desert Care Network, the event will take place throughout Palm Springs — kicking off from Ruth Hardy Park at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 28 — and will feature a Health & Wellness Village sponsored by Walgreens.

The pet- and kid-friendly affair is an opportunity for all residents across the Coachella Valley to walk out loud so that every member of the community — regardless of who or where they are — can achieve optimal health in a more just system.

“When we were founded as Desert AIDS Project almost 40 years ago, there were no HIV medications, advocacy was in its infancy, and the prognosis for those sickened by the disease was inevitably grim,” says DAP Health CEO David Brinkman. “Four decades later, our work to end HIV continues through prevention and education, but our measurable successes have enabled us to also create a unique patient-centered model of care we can replicate in other marginalized communities, removing barriers for those who need it most. Honoring our past to create health equity is part of our history and how we plan to continue making history for decades to come.”

With the recent acquisition of the Borrego Health system, a total of more than 100,000 patients of all populations, genders, and ages — from newborns to seniors — at a total of 25 Southern California clinics located within 240 rural and urban zip codes from the Salton Sea to San Diego now fall under DAP Health’s protective umbrella of care.

“Because DAP Health now works on behalf of such a large swath of individuals, it makes sense to broaden our walk’s mission to reflect the totality of our patient population,” continues Brinkman. “While compassionate, state-of-the-art HIV care and prevention is in our organization’s DNA, and will forever be at the heart of our work, the truth is that today, our lifesaving efforts are carried out on behalf of everyone in disciplines that include primary care, OB-GYN, pediatrics, gender affirmation, mental health, harm reduction, and recovery, to name but seven. The walk, one of our biggest annual fundraisers, is now representative of the incredible diversity of services we offer.”

Participants and supporters of the 2023 DAP Health Equity Walk are being asked to do the following:

Walk Out Loud to End HIV. HIV/AIDS care, testing, and prevention have always been at the heart of DAP Health’s mission, and that simple fact will never change. The organization’s clinical expertise has been hard-won from its vast experience, and is what has enabled it to expand as it has. 

Walk Out Loud For LGBTQ+ Care. Every stripe of the rainbow, including those seeking gender-affirming care, have continually found a safe haven here, free of shame and stigma.

Walk Out Loud For Women’s Health. The recent acquisition of the Borrego Health system has brought a multitude of clinics that serve women (and their children) into the DAP Health fold. The nonprofit is very proud to now boast robust OB-GYN and pediatric services, among many others.

Walk Out Loud to End Epidemics. This has forever been DAP Health’s superpower, with the organization swiftly and successfully addressing a number of community health crises. For instance, its on-campus COVID-19 clinic was the first to open in the Coachella Valley, and the agency successfully lobbied the powers that be for the community’s fair share of the much-needed mpox vaccine.

Walk Out Loud For Mental Health. Thanks to the 2022 opening of the Marc Byrd Behavioral Health Clinic — which offers in-person and telehealth individual psychotherapy, as well as medication management — this long-held DAP Health dream is now a reality.  

Walk Out Loud to Care For Everyone. Health equity means all people have the same access to health care, no matter what social determinants of health negatively impact them. At DAP Health, everyone is welcome, with no one ever turned away due to their lack of health insurance.

Of note, the Ryan White Western Regions Provider Meeting — which brings together nearly 50 peers who specialize in HIV care, and who receive the Ryan White Western Regions Provider Meeting — which brings together nearly 50 peers who specialize in HIV care, and who receive Ryan White Part C and Part D funding — will take place October 26 and 27 in Palm Springs. At the event, these like-minded colleagues, from Denver to Hawaii, will share best practices to improve the quality of care and services they provide to their patients.

healthequitywalk.org

DAP Health and Borrego Health Become One …

by Daniel Vaillancourt

DAP Health and Borrego Health Become One Integrated Health Care System

The acquisition’s goal is to protect and expand local access to culturally competent care.

DAP Health is happy to announce that its acquisition of Borrego Health’s assets has been approved by both the Bankruptcy Court and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The two health care systems will now operate as one integrated system, with some 850 employees serving 100,000 patients of all ages, genders, ethnicities, orientations, and socioeconomic status at a total of 25 Southern California clinics located within 240 rural and urban zip codes from the Salton Sea to San Diego.

Pre-acquisition, DAP Health’s programs and services included primary care, infectious diseases, gender-affirming care, LGBTQ+ care, mental health, dentistry, harm reduction, recovery services, affordable housing, and social services. The Borrego Health disciplines now under DAP Health’s vast umbrella include family medicine, women’s health (including OB-GYN), pediatrics, veterans’ health, geriatrics, urgent care, and pharmacy services.

“It’s an honor to unite Borrego Health and DAP Health’s missions, as well as our region’s most exceptional, dedicated, and passionate health care professionals,” says DAP Health CEO David Brinkman. “Together, we will build a brighter future where every individual — regardless of who or where they are — has equal opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

“We will achieve this by replicating our time-tested, holistic, patient-centered care model, which addresses all applicable social determinants of health (SDOH) negatively affecting the patient population at each of our clinics. By addressing these SDOH — whether they pertain to language and literacy, housing, nutrition, transportation, education, employment and income, addiction, violence, and/or racism and other discrimination — we remove barriers to care, increase our patients’ quality and length of life, and create true health equity.”

Of note:

  • Every DAP Health and Borrego Health location will remain open, retaining its original name, branding, and signage for the time being.
  • All Borrego Health employees have been offered employment at DAP Health, and 99% have accepted to join the combined entity.
  • Any patient at DAP Health or Borrego Health can now make appointments at any of our locations in this expanded system.
  • FAQs for patients can be found here.
  • Alliance members (and fellow FQHCs) Innercare and Neighborhood Healthcare — with regional and cultural expertise in Riverside and San Diego Counties, respectively — will offer guidance, support, and community connections on an as-needed basis.

The Next 12 Months

Over the next 12 months, DAP Health’s fortified executive leadership team — consisting of individuals from both organizations — will analyze all SDOH negatively impacting the varied patient populations served by our larger combined entity. It will actively engage fellow community organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses to improve health outcomes for all, whether that be by adding programs and services or improving physical facilities. By combining a plethora of strengths, DAP Health will achieve new levels of excellence in delivering comprehensive, accessible, and culturally sensitive care to its diverse patient populations.

DAP Health Executive Team Members

David Brinkman, Chief Executive Officer

David joined DAP Health in 2006. He has led the organization through a period of unprecedented expansion, increasing the number of patients and volunteers, diversity and volume of services, number of staff, and size of the budget by 1000%. Under his leadership, DAP Health established a dental clinic, a permanent supportive housing complex, a community center, a department of community health, two sexual wellness clinics, and a vocational program. During this period, DAP Health was awarded full Federally Qualified Health Center status. David has served the nonprofit community for over 25 years. He previously worked as executive director of a nonprofit resource center for homeless youth and as development director for a nonprofit employment center for developmentally disabled adults. David earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from Lewis & Clark College and completed his MBA with emphasis in ethical business management at Pepperdine University.

Judy Stith, Chief Administrative Officer

Judy will be stepping up from her current role as DAP Health’s chief financial officer to serve as the chief administrative officer for our combined organization. Judy was hired in February 2019, coming to DAP Health with extensive experience, including spending the last two years as the CFO for Horizon Health and Wellness, an FQHC in Arizona. Her position as controller at Goodwill Industries, combined with her health center tenure, makes her well-suited to lead DAP Health’s department of finance, where we benefit from diverse income streams such as our health center, fundraising (including grants), and a chain of resale stores. As CFO, Judy implemented and monitored systems of internal control for accounting functions to ensure the safeguarding of our assets and resources. She also oversaw the financial component of the 340B program. Judy earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Wright State University. She maintains memberships in the Arizona Society of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs. 

Corina Velasquez, Chief Operating Officer

Corina Velasquez, who first joined Borrego Health in 2007, has a history of success in health care operations. Corina moves into her role at DAP Health after serving as the chief operating officer and executive vice president of Borrego Health, where she has managed patient access and process improvements, overseen multiple departments, and led clinic operations throughout California. Prior to advancing to COO and executive vice president at Borrego Health, Corina served as the chief operating officer for Riverside County, where she managed medical clinics while introducing policies, procedures, and best practices in line with the CEO’s agenda. Corina holds a bachelor’s in business administration and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She has also completed executive leadership programs with the UCLA Anderson School of Management and the Clinic Leadership Institute.

Dr. David Morris, Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Morris joined DAP Health in January 2016, bringing over 30 years of outpatient clinical and hospital experience. He is board-certified in family medicine and credentialed with the American Academy of HIV Medicine. In his role as chief medical officer, Dr. Morris serves as the lead clinician in charge of all aspects of medical patient care services, including monitoring clinical quality improvement, developing clinical protocols, and supervising all medical providers. During the 16 years prior to joining DAP Health, he served as medical director and attending physician at Atlanta’s Pride Medical, Inc., an agency specializing in LGBTQ+ health and HIV specialty medical care. He previously served for over a decade as medical director and staff physician at the FQHC center at Georgia Highlands Medical Services, where the majority of the 8,000+ patient population is made up of very low-income individuals. Dr. Morris earned his Doctor of Medicine at Atlanta’s Emory University in 1984. 

Brande Orr, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer

Brande will soon rejoin DAP Health after previously serving as director of grants and then director of strategic initiatives from 2010-2019. She brings more than 25 years of experience serving nonprofit organizations in the health, equity, education, social justice, and human service sectors. Through collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders, she has led strategic planning, fundraising, outreach, and quality improvement initiatives for organizations seeking to improve community well-being. Brande earned her MBA with emphasis in ethical business management at Pepperdine University. In her position as chief growth and strategy officer, she will lead the brand marketing and development departments at DAP Health.

Dana Erwin, Chief Compliance Officer

Dana joined Borrego Health in November 2021 as an interim chief compliance officer, and accepted the position of chief compliance officer in March 2022. As part of Borrego Health’s executive leadership team, Dana has assisted in developing an approachable and trustworthy quality and compliance team, and has worked with departmental leaders to support, educate, and build a collaborative quality and compliance department. Dana has an extensive health care background, beginning her career as a lead nurse in neurosurgery, and transitioning to labor and delivery for more than a decade. This foundational health care experience eventually led to a career in quality/risk and compliance in hospitals, ambulatory care, and FQHCs. Dana is certified in health care risk management and has a master’s in nursing leadership.

Sheri Saenz, Chief People and Places Officer

Sheri joined DAP Health in 1998. After serving as human resources assistant, human resources administrator, and director of human resources, she was promoted to her current role in November 2013. Sheri ensures compliance with state, local, and federal employment laws; advises on employment issues, including emergency preparedness, professional development, and cultural competency; oversees agency reception, facilities, and security; and manages employee benefit programs and agency insurance policies. Sheri earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University San Bernardino, and an associate degree in business administration and an accounting certificate from the College of the Desert, Palm Desert. To enhance her education and expertise, Sheri has certifications in SHRM (senior certified professional) and HRCI (senior professional in human resources). She is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management, Professionals in Human Resources Association, the Crisis Prevention Institute, and the National Notary Association.

Planning Your Next Visit to DAP Health

by Steven Henke

Planning Your Next Visit to DAP Health? 

Here's what you need to know about current construction projects

We Are Closing the Vista Chino Entrance

On July 10, construction on DAP Health’s Community Pavilion, provided by Desert Care Network, will start with the driveway realignment, which will close down the Vista Chino entrance and exit. This closure makes it necessary to move the Barbara Keller LOVE Building’s main entrance to the side of the building, an access point previously used to gain admittance to The Dock and the COVID Clinic. We will have DAP Health-branded flutter flags drawing your attention toward this new entrance.

Entering and Exiting the DAP Health Campus

Patients and visitors can enter via two southbound driveways off of North Sunrise Way. The first entrance is between the Barbara Keller LOVE Building (home to Walgreens Pharmacy, Urban Yoga, the Marc Byrd Behavioral Health Clinic, Client Wellness Services, Social Services, and Labcorp) and the Annette Bloch CARE Building (home to the Blue, Green, Yellow, and Orange Clinics). The second is between the Annette Bloch CARE Building and the new Vista Sunrise II affordable housing complex currently under construction.

Where to Park

The entire patient parking lot will remain open during construction, with the exception of spots directly off of Vista Chino. This area will be fenced-off for the duration of construction.

DAP Health Patient Shuttle

For those needing extra assistance, look for the patient shuttle vehicle circling campus. It will make its way from the parking lot to the entrances of both main buildings. If you do not see the shuttle, you can call the driver at 760-422-9528 for pickup.

Handicap Parking

There will be a total of 18 handicap spots reserved for patients in front of the Annette Bloch CARE Building.

Arriving by Bus

The bus stops on Vista Chino and North Sunrise Way will remain in operation during construction. Look for wayfinding signage directing you to the nearest entrance — plus additional information — at the bus stop and throughout campus.

Palm Springs Entertainer Keisha D. Rises …

by Daniel Vaillancourt

I Know Where I’ve Been

Even when she was sure she was about to lose everything, beloved desert entertainer Keisha D kept on giving

Words by Kay Kudukis

Photos by Matthew Mitchell

 

Keisha D Mimms has played many roles in her life — daughter, sister, wife, mother, businesswoman, actress, chanteuse — but the one she was unwittingly cast in five years ago might be her most challenging.

More than a decade ago, when Mimms stepped on the stage at McCallum’s 2008 Open Call, she and the Coachella Valley instantly began a fierce love affair. No one else stood a chance. She is a powerhouse singer with a soulful, richly textured voice and a smart, playful stage presence. She doesn’t steal hearts, they’re offered.

“I remember being so impressed and so awestruck when she performed,” says local entertainer Brian Wanzek, perhaps better known by his drag queen alter ego Bella da Ball. “I sent — I think it was an email — to the person involved with the Open Call and asked, ‘Is it possible that you could either give her my number or you could give me her number?’ I just wanted to chat and talk about opportunities to work with this fabulous, talented superstar.”

Not only was Wanzek playing multiple clubs around town with his drag extravaganza, Delicious Divas, he was involved with multiple charities. Mimms was interested in giving back too, and a beautiful friendship and symbiotic working relationship coalesced. She sang for LGBTQ+ charities, including Palm Springs Pride, the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, The L-Fund, and many more.

Billed as Keisha D Sings, she’s got a big voice, which came in handy in choir, and on the mission-based tours where her pastor father preached, and her mother and she sang. Anyone who’s heard her belt out gospel knows she can get an “Amen!” out of a diehard heathen.

Mimms attended Christian high school but, “I started singing in nightclubs when I was 16, I was sneaking in,” she says, chuckling at her cheekiness. “We were just sitting in with the band. [I sang] ‘Summertime,’ ‘Come Rain or Come Shine.’ Anything Ella Fitzgerald.”

She received a vocal scholarship to Azusa Pacific, an evangelical Christian university where she did musical theater and opera. In fact, her favorite musical memory is not jazz, gospel, or Motormouth Mabel in “Hairspray.” It’s the titular character in Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly.” “That was just the highlight because I nailed it,” she says without a drop of ego. “This is something I never thought I could do.”

She moved to Palm Springs from Riverside for a position with a mortgage firm, but Wanzek wasn’t the only one who’d seen her perform at Open Call. Mimms was immediately in demand: The Purple Room, Vicky’s of Santa Fe, PS Underground, some clubs that have come and gone. But one thing remains the same. Her philanthropy.

“She’s been working with me and the Club probably for 12 years,” says Jan Darlington of the Palm Springs Woman’s Club. “She’s performed at benefits for us many, many times.” The charitable organization has been raising money for scholarships for Palm Springs High School students for the past 85 years.

Five years ago, Mimms began an unplanned journey: she started losing weight. Quite suddenly, she was half of her former self. She was performing, but her appearance was alarmingly delicate. Fans asked, “Is Keisha OK?” What they didn’t know — but what her best friends David Bader and Michael Shiplett knew — was that Mimms was very much not OK. The once energetic performer could barely drag herself out of bed. She was in constant, excruciating pain, and had recently stayed 14 days in the hospital with neither relief nor answers.

“When I got out, [Bader and Shiplett] took me back to my house,” she softly recalls, her voice catching. “They were with me on the phone in the middle of the night. I would be just crying in so much pain. It’d be 11:30 at night, they’d knock on the door, and then put me in the hot shower — that helped. I couldn’t shower alone.”

Bader and Shiplett suggested she try DAP Health, but Mimms demurred. She wasn’t unfamiliar with the great work the nonprofit was known for — she had donated her time as a performer for fundraising events, and for silent auctions for private concerts. It was a demographics issue.

“I’m not a guy and I’m not gay. And I don’t have AIDS. I know it’s not AIDS. We already ruled that out,” Mimms says.

Like countless others, Mimms misconstrued the breadth of DAP Health’s services. Many aren’t aware DAP Health is also a Medi-Cal and Medicare provider through Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), the largest not-for-profit Medi-Cal and Medicare health plan in the Inland Empire, and one of the fastest-growing health plans in the nation. Those who have fallen on unfortunate times can apply and choose from DAP Health’s exhaustive menu. The organization has programs and employees that cover virtually everything, including mental health and chiropractic care.

Bader and Shiplett called DAP Health and explained Mimms’ condition. “Within two hours: ‘Hello. I’m from DAP. I’m an intake nurse and we want to schedule you for an appointment for tomorrow,’” Mimms recalls. When she arrived, Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Morris was waiting.

“The first thing I said was, ‘Just help me die. That’s all I’m asking you to do. I don’t need your medicine. I need you to help me die. Please.’” There is no drama in Mimms’ voice, but the memory of the moment is absolutely palpable.

“He took my hand and said, ‘I know who you are. I know what you do in this community. And if there’s one thing I’m not going to do, it’s help you die. You will live under my watch. We’re gonna figure out what it takes to help you live.’”

If the horrors of the AIDS epidemic taught anyone anything, it’s that it takes a village. Morris secured an appointment for Mimms at the world-famous Loma Linda University Medical Center. After some rigorous testing and diagnostics, Mimms had a diagnosis: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease. From the CDC’s website: “The immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. There is no cure for lupus, but medical interventions and lifestyle changes can help control it.”

Mimms’ illness spurred her to develop a scholarship fund with Palm Springs Unified School District. That journey began years ago when her daughter took dance classes at Palm Springs High School. Her young teacher was having a tough time with some students. Mimms had credentials, and volunteered to help. “So, I started working with these kids,” she says. Not just her daughter’s dance class, but all the classes. “Then it went to working with the orchestra, and teaching vocals to the jazz kids. So, I was singing with the kids, dancing with the kids, and talking to the kids. They called me Mama K. I couldn’t get to the counter [without], ‘Mama K, Mama K’ and hugs, hugs, hugs.”

Budgets were tight for some families. Instruments, uniforms, and bus tickets for events were a low priority. So, Mama K provided. “As a kid, I had everything. If I was in cheer, I got a cheer outfit: the shoes, the jacket, the letter. I’m seeing these kids trying to get to college. That’s why I started the Keisha D Music Scholarship. Every year, seniors can apply for funds. I have a friend, he’s a philanthropist as well. He said, ‘I’ll match dollar for dollar up to $35,000 every year, but you gotta raise it.’ Every year since, I’ve raised … maybe a little less than $30K. He matched it.”

In 2020, Mimms received a star on the Walk of the Stars Palm Springs and recalls the shock at seeing pictures of herself at the unveiling. “I looked like Skeletor,” she says, grimacing.

Today, Mimms’ all-around care is monitored by Dr. Morris and his handpicked Keisha D team. “They’re keeping me comfortable,” she says, “and they’re keeping me well. They’re doing a fabulous job.”

Even though the last five years have been challenging, Mimms has still supported DAP Health by participating in its “Hope Begins with Health Care” televised special and by serving as a storyteller at the weekly IMPACT Hour tours (a by-invitation-only backstage visit of the facilities for prospective donors).

With her new regimen, Mimms is looking and feeling much better. Her pain is regulated so well that she recently did a show with her band, Hearts of Soul, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (PSCC). Part of a series celebrating Black female singers, the first featured Chaka Khan and Tina Turner songs. “We had dancers and everything,” says Mimms. “I can’t believe I was able to do that.” She also has Soulful Sundays at PSCC; Wednesdays at Mr. Lyons; Thursdays, Roost in Cathedral City; and Fridays at the kitschy PS Air Bar. She stays busy.

Mimms sings a song from “Hairspray” that is Wanzek’s favorite. Sung by Motormouth Mabel, it’s the title of this article, and seems to encapsulate Mimms — past and present. In fact, it seems to speak to her core being. Here’s Mabel talking: “What do we do when we see something wrong? We fix it. And I’m here to tell you, I’m going to keep on trying!” And then, singing: “There’s a struggle that we have yet to win. And there’s pride in my heart, ’cause I know where I’m going, and I know where I’ve been.”

Amen, Mabel. Amen!