Thursday, February 11
By Marissa Willman
Dr. Karen Mark, Chief of the California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS set to address Community Partners, advocates, and the public at this free event at UCR Palm Desert.
Get Tested Coachella Valley, a 3-year regional public health campaign aimed at making HIV testing a routine standard of healthcare, will share its exciting progress toward ending the HIV epidemic at its Annual Update on February 11.
Held at UCR Palm Desert from 8:30 – 11 a.m., the Annual Update will offer an overview of the tremendous progress Get Tested Coachella Valley has made in its second year.
“Our coalition of nearly 100 partners is gaining significant ground,” says Susan Unger, Project Director of Get Tested Coachella Valley. “Medical providers, social service agencies, and community leaders from every corner of the Coachella Valley are pulling together to end the epidemic.”
Featured speakers at the Update will include Chief of the California Department of Public Health Office of AIDS, Karen Mark, M.D., PhD., Riverside County Health Officer Cameron Kaiser, M.D., and William Grimm, D.O, President of the Board of Directors of Desert Healthcare District. Representatives of campaign partners Desert Oasis Healthcare and FIND Food Bank will also share success stories.
“The results so far are inspiring,” adds David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project, whose vision sparked the campaign and whose agency leads the coalition. “We’re honored to be drawing state and national attention, including from The White House. What great motivation to make 2016 our most productive year yet.”
Highlights from the campaign’s 2015 efforts include a 244% increase in the number of free community tests sites, a quadrupling of participating medical providers, and a nearly doubling in the number of Community Partners.
In addition to hearing about campaign milestones, attendees will also be the first to receive a copy of the 2015 Get Tested Coachella Valley annual report, including a broad range of statistics.
Details for the event are as follows:
Get Tested Coachella Valley Annual Update
Thursday, February 11
8:30AM Light breakfast; 9:00 – 11:00AM Program
UCR Palm Desert, Building B
75080 Frank Sinatra Dr., Palm Desert
Free parking in Lot B (enter on Berger St.)
RSVP: Contact Frank Roman at froman@gettestedcoachellavalley.org
