DAP Health

On this day in 1984, a dedicated group of community volunteers founded DAP Health to protect and expand access to health care for some of the most marginalized and forgotten among us. Four decades later, still guided by the voices and needs of the diverse communities we serve, we provide medical and social services to some 85,000 people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, orientations, and socioeconomic statuses at 25 fixed locations and eight mobile units from the Coachella Valley to the San Diego coast. Read more about our incredible journey here https://www.daphealth.org/40-years/

Saturday, August 17 is National Thrift Store Day, and to mark the occasion, all four of DAP Health’s Revivals Stores (in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, and Indio) are getting in on the fun all weekend with a “Shop Like It’s 1984” 40% off sale. Why 1984? Why 40 off? Because DAP Health was founded on August 20, 1984, and we’re celebrating our Big Four-Oh (next week) a little early. https://revivalsstores.com/re-love-the-pre-loved/national-thrift-store-day/

Did you know Covered California gives you the flexibility to pick a plan that best fits your health care needs? Your health, your coverage, your choice! Call 760-457-3775 to schedule an appointment with one of our certified enrollment counselors (CECs) for free and confidential help today! https://www.daphealth.org/covered-california/

With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a global emergency over a new mpox strain, the disease is again in the news. But at DAP Health, we know it never went away. Cases keep popping up throughout Southern California. We have vaccine doses to prevent infection.

If you’ve never had either of the series of two shots, get your first one. And 30 days later, get your second one. If you’ve had the first shot, and it’s been 30 days, get the second.

Call 760.992.0492 to schedule an appointment at either of DAP Health’s sexual wellness clinics, at Stonewall Medical Center in Cathedral City, or at The Orange Clinic at DAP Health Sunrise in Palm Springs.

Our Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Aquilina spoke to News Channel 3 yesterday. Watch the segment here https://kesq.com/news/2024/08/14/local-health-agencies-respond-to-who-declaring-mpox-a-global-health-emergency/

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. It’s not just about kids, but about those young and old. It’s about shots to prevent everything from the flu and COVID-19 to mpox and hepatitis A & B. One thing every parent needs to know is that every child (age 9 and up) needs the HPV vaccine, which prevents cancers caused by the human papillomavirus. Adults can get it too! Read all about it here --> https://www.daphealth.org/every-child-needs-the-hpv-vaccine-you-can-get-it-too/

We are in the middle of National Health Center Week, and DAP Health boasts 25 such locations throughout Southern California. Tuesday, August 6, was Agricultural Worker Health Center Day, and our Centro Medico Oasis in Thermal, in the Eastern Coachella Valley, caters to a vast population of migrant farmworkers. Read about the plight of this underserved minority in this article from the pages of DAP Health magazine’s last issue, #4. https://www.daphealth.org/the-plight-of-the-migrant-farmworker/

DAP Health’s 2024 Health Equity Walk — brought to you by Presenting Sponsor Desert Care Network — kicks off at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 26 at Ruth Hardy Park in Palm Springs. Celebrating its 40th anniversary of protecting and expanding health care access for every member of all the diverse populations it serves, DAP Health looks forward to another popular and profitable Walk, whose slogan this year is “Because Health Care is a Human Right.” Read about all the fun details here https://www.daphealth.org/the-2024-health-equity-walk/

Though one is gay and the other is straight, Dr. Halperin and Dr. Barbour’s partnership is a medical marriage made in heaven, where their strengths unite for the better — dare we say like Deadpool and Wolverine — to create a unique model of HIV care at Stonewall Medical Center in Cathedral City. Read their Q&A here https://www.daphealth.org/an-hiv-a-team/.

DAP Health Associate Chief Operating Officer Nedy Terrazas was born into a tribe of strong women and girls that nurtured her desire to reach for the stars. For 20 plus years, Borrego Health was all she knew. “But CEO David Brinkman made it very easy to want to be part of DAP Health,” she concludes. “I know my voice is being heard, and I’m the voice of so many others.” Read her story here: https://www.daphealth.org/from-a-tribe-of-strong-women-and-girls/

DAP Health is proud to host beloved, internationally renowned, and award-winning children’s counselor Jerry Moe as part of its “Pathways to Healing: A Learning Series for Individuals and Families Touched by Addiction.” Moe is the former national director of children’s programs at the Betty Ford Center. His latest book is “Through a Child’s Eyes: Understanding Addiction and Recovery.”

Please join us on Wednesday, August 7, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in DAP Health’s Library Room on the Sunrise campus at 1695 N. Sunrise Way in Palm Springs. Parking is ample and free. RSVP by calling 760-656-8414.

August 2024 marks the inaugural Transgender History Month throughout California. In 2021, the city of San Francisco declared August Transgender History Month, celebrating transgender history and contributions. In 2023, California's state assembly followed, establishing the same recognition statewide starting in 2024. San Diego also recently joined the effort. The statewide and city observances foster awareness and honor the transgender community. The monthlong celebrations promote inclusivity, education, and respect across California. Why August? Read on at https://www.transgenderhistorymonth.com/

Today, all of us at DAP Health—patients, employees, volunteers, and board members—celebrate David Brinkman’s 18th anniversary as the beloved CEO of our organization. That’s nearly half of DAP Health’s 40 years!

Landmark achievements under his impeccable leadership include onsite affording housing complex Vista Sunrise (for people living with HIV) on the Sunrise campus in Palm Springs, the first adult HIV specialty dental clinic in Riverside County, an official visit to the White House to celebrate the pioneering Get Tested Coachella Valley initiative, a sexual wellness clinic in Indio (eradicating barriers to accessing free STI testing and treatment in the Eastern Coachella Valley), the absorption of the Borrego Health system and its 24 locations and 70,000 patients, and the recent unveiling of second onsite affordable housing complex Vista Sunrise II (for unhoused individuals and those suffering from chronic illness) on the Sunrise campus.

To read more about David’s fascinating journey, please visit this link: https://www.daphealth.org/meet-dap-health-ceo-david-brinkman/

Due to a number of questions surrounding the Universal Basic Income Pilot Program (UBI) in Palm Springs, DAP Health has created a landing page community members, partners, and local media can turn to for answers to their questions. This page will be updated as DAP Health proceeds with its ex*****on of the UBI program. https://www.daphealth.org/universal-basic-income-pilot-program/

August is National Breastfeeding Month. World Breastfeeding Week — held every year from August 1 to 7 — is also celebrated in more than 120 countries. Both observances are dedicated to advancing advocacy, protection, and promotion of breastfeeding to ensure that all families can reap its benefits.

https://www.daphealth.org/august-is-national-breastfeeding-month/

Meet DAP Health Chief of Retail Dane Koch. From a Marine family's roots in 29 Palms to overcoming the closet to live authentically and find his true purpose, Koch's story is one of transformation and dedication to a cause greater than himself. Oh, and the man also happens to be a merchandising genius!

https://www.daphealth.org/things-go-better-with-koch/

Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult can be both illuminating and overwhelming. This article explores the steps you can take to navigate your new reality, from understanding your diagnosis and seeking support to embracing self-acceptance and finding resources to enhance your well-being and quality of life. (And if you suspect you might have autism, a primary care physician at DAP Health can refer you to a behavioral health specialist. Our Sunrise location is currently accepting new primary care patients.)

https://www.daphealth.org/receiving-a-new-autism-diagnosis-as-an-adult/

DAP Health will also host a chat with Dr. David Morrison, Psy.D., who will lead an informative session about autism spectrum disorder in adults. To RSVP, please visit: https://ASD-informational.eventbrite.com

Sunday, July 28 is World Hepatitis Day.

Learn about the disease’s many forms. DAP Health’s three sexual wellness clinics — in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Indio — offer free hepatitis C testing. To be tested for other types of hep, for vaccination, or for treatment, please see your primary care physician — at DAP Health or elsewhere. (And please note that our Sunrise location is currently accepting new primary care patients.)

https://www.daphealth.org/july-28-is-world-hepatitis-day/

At DAP Health’s Centro Medico Oasis in Thermal, Dr. Ebony King dedicates herself to improving the health and well-being of families in the Coachella Valley. She loves seeing and treating the entire family—parents and their children. Learn how her commitment to holistic care and her passion for underserved communities are making a lasting impact. https://www.daphealth.org/creating-change-and-giving-back/

From life in the closet as a child starved for style on the hot, dry North Dakota prairie, to completing marketing tours of duty around the globe for such brands as Target—not to mention coming into his own as a longtime gay married man who has been fabulously sober for more than 15 years—DAP Health Chief of Brand Marketing Steven Henke wants to share the wisdom he’s learned, and sees giving back to his community as a must. Read about the road he’s traveled. https://www.daphealth.org/one-day-at-a-time/

Meet Chris Boone: From surviving a life-altering childhood accident to leading a nonprofit health care revolution! 🌟 Dive into the inspiring journey of a Pacific Northwest native who transformed personal adversity into a mission to uplift others. Discover how his resilience, authenticity, and passion are making waves at DAP Health. https://www.daphealth.org/for-the-greater-good-always/ 🌊💪

We know behavioral health issues cross racial and ethnic lines, but fewer people are aware that — due to a lack of health insurance, less access to treatment, and/or stigma — minorities are at a distinct disadvantage when seeking help. National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, observed every July, seeks to shed light on the issue. Read on... https://www.daphealth.org/july-is-national-minority-mental-health-awareness-month/

Did you know July is Disability Pride Month, or that people with disabilities are the largest minority in the U.S. (one in four adults, or 61 million total)? Read on to challenge stereotypes, empower individuals, build inclusive communities, foster cultural expression, and promote broader social justice. Celebrate the unique identities and contributions of people with disabilities and advocate for their rights and inclusion. Embracing Disability Pride is a vital step towards creating a society that values diversity and respects the dignity and humanity of all its members.
https://www.daphealth.org/july-is-disability-pride-month/

Many thanks to The Desert Sun health writer Ema Sasic — plus DAP Health board members and WOI co-chairs Karyl E. Ketchum, PhD and Eve E. Fromberg-Edelstein, Esq. — for the amazing coverage of our Women of Impact women’s health initiative, which was the cover story of Sunday’s newspaper. https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/health/2024/06/30/dap-health-initiative-helps-palm-springs-area-women-from-underserved-areas-thrive/73974974007/

Mpox is rearing its ugly head again. While no new cases have yet been documented in Palm Springs, we know the city and the desert in general are a magnet for people living in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties, especially in the summer. Cases have been documented there. Mpox crosses boundaries of age, race, gender, and sexual orientation. Any close contact—not just sexual—can transmit it. Be on the lookout for painful lesions and have them tested at an urgent care or by your primary care provider. If you have not received your series of two mpox vaccines, get them ASAP. Visit one of DAP Health’s three free sexual wellness clinics—in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Indio—to get the shots. Here’s an important news segment about it all. https://kesq.com/news/2024/06/26/riverside-county-reports-new-cases-of-mpox-local-health-officials-encourage-vaccinations/ via KESQ News Channel 3

Did you know July is National UV Safety Month — a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative whose goal is to raise awareness about the dangers of UV rays to the skin and eyes? This issue is especially important for all of us living in Southern California. So please, read on… https://www.daphealth.org/july-is-national-uv-safety-month/

How wonderful to see that the cover of Palm Springs Life Magazine, Palm Springs California's July issue is devoted to the late, world-renowned interior designer Steve Chase and the fact that his historic desert home is on the market. Not only that, but in the lavishly illustrated article, writer Heather Shoning makes ample reference to the ties that bind Chase to DAP Health as an early volunteer, benefactor, and board member of the nonprofit. We are moved that Steve’s legacy shines on some 30 years after his death from AIDS complications. Rest in peace, beloved hero.

Designer Steve Chase’s Rancho Mirage “Micro-Resort” Remains Original As scene-shifting designer and art collector Steve Chase’s historic residence hits the market, we reflect on his enduring impact in the desert.

DAP Health Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Silas Gyimah says, “My goal is to cultivate a culture of growth, and to share love.” From humble beginnings in Ghana to a pivotal role as DAP Health's associate chief medical officer, Dr. Gyimah embodies dedication and compassion. Explore how his love for medicine, faith, and community has shaped his journey, inspiring growth and positive impact at every step. https://www.daphealth.org/a-man-of-medicine/

Yesterday was National HIV Testing Day, and DAP Health team members were out in force, not only at our three sexual wellness clinics (in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Indio), but at six area Walgreens, where they performed free HIV tests for a total of 54 people across all nine locations. They interacted with some 200 others, handing out printed information and encouraging them to use DAP Health as a sexual wellness resource. If you’d like free HIV testing, please call one of our sexual wellness clinics to make an appointment or to arrange for a self-test to be discreetly mailed to you. https://kesq.com/news/2024/06/26/june-27-is-national-hiv-testing-day-dap-health-shares-rapid-testing-locations/

National HIV Testing Day is today, June 27, and we’re reminiscing about our collaboration with beloved Palm Springs artist Trevor Wayne. Trevor created four stunning art pieces to promote DAP Health’s free HIV self-test kits, which were featured in our advertising campaigns and social media, then showcased at the popular Trevor Wayne Pop Art Store. Testing has never been easier with free HIV self-tests that can be discreetly mailed to you. Request your free kit today at https://www.daphealth.org/free-hiv-test/