Five minutes with Dr. Tulika Singh

By Robert Hopwood

Dr. Tulika Singh is the director of research at DAP Health. She is a board-certified HIV specialist, infectious disease and internal medicine physician who has been working in HIV care since 2009.

Singh was born in India, where she went to medical school. She moved to the United States to enhance her education and completed her residency in Ohio. Her sister moved to Canada, but her mother still lives in India.

Before joining DAP Health, Singh completed an infectious disease fellowship in Wisconsin. She then worked at a couple of Michigan hospitals as a primary care, infectious disease specialist and an HIV specialist.

Since moving to California, Singh has settled into the Palm Springs lifestyle and has made the desert her home. People may be surprised to learn that Singh found her home on HGTV’s “House Hunters” show after moving to the Coachella Valley.

Learn more about one of the members of DAP Health’s care team.

Question: How did you get into HIV research?

Answer: I love doing research. That’s my newest passion. During my infectious disease fellowship from 2009 to 2011, I was awarded a prestigious award for my research. I then waited until I could do HIV-related research here at DAP Health.

Q. What did you want to do when you were young?

I wanted to be a dermatologist. But I started to see people with infections get better with the right antimicrobials and go on to live healthy lives. That’s when my passion shifted toward infectious diseases.

Q: Yoga is an integral part of your life. When did you start practicing it?

A: I started doing yoga in India when I was a toddler. Every morning I would do yoga with my father and sister before going to school. I continue to practice it for flexibility, peace of mind and its overall health benefits.

Q: You travel a lot. Where are your favorite places to visit?

A: I love traveling. I go to Mexico a lot, almost every three to four months. I have a timeshare there too, in Cabo. I also like vacationing in Hawaii. In summer I visit my sister in Toronto.

Q: How do you maintain an active lifestyle while traveling?

A: I used to travel quite a bit before COVID-19 happened. I was staying at hotels sometimes where there were no gyms or swimming pools. But I continued my lifestyle. I did yoga in my hotel room in the morning or went hiking or completed a seven-minute quick workout on my phone. I got my exercise out of the way, took a shower and was ready to start my day.

Volunteers essential to fulfilling DAP Health's mission

By Robert Hopwood

Volunteers are needed more than ever as DAP Health and Revivals Stores continue to expand across the Coachella Valley to meet the needs of the community.

DAP Health's sexual wellness clinic moved into a new space on July 6, 2021, and expanded its ability to treat more patients. Meanwhile, the health center's new Behavioral Health Clinic is set to open in September.

In May, Revivals Stores headed down Highway 111 and opened a new location in Indio, expanding into the east valley for the first time.

The new store, which needs about 40 volunteers, is expected to increase the resale chain's revenue. The profits from all four stores is sent to DAP Health, which uses the money to provide healthcare and other services to more than 9,700 people.

"The income from the Revivals Stores is an essential component of DAP Health's budgeting," Naishtut says.

Volunteers across DAP Health enable the health center to fulfill its mission of treating everyone who needs it with compassion, regardless of their ability to pay. 

Approximately 400 volunteers work at DAP Health and Revivals Stores, says Marcie Lerner, volunteer coordinator for Revivals. How many are active depends on the activities. During events like the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards or the Desert AIDS Walk, more volunteers are needed.

Where do these volunteers work? The answer is throughout DAP Health.

They staff both the welcome desk in the main building and at the health clinics. They work in finance and resource development. Volunteers work with community health and outreach; they assemble safer-sex kits; they help staff the food depot; and they do much more, says Larry Naishtut, volunteer services coordinator at DAP Health.

Volunteers also provide Reiki, sound baths, yoga, knitting classes and more, Lerner says.

Volunteers do about 80 percent of the staffing at Revivals Stores, Lerner says. 

They do all the processing, price items and work the cash registers, she says. They help stock the sales floor, sort donations and work in the dispatch office scheduling pickups and deliveries.

"At any given time, there may only be five staff members at the store on a shift and the rest would be volunteers," says Lerner.

Volunteers donate about 70,000 hours of their time each year to help DAP Health provide compassionate, integrated care, Naishtut says. So far this year, volunteers have only contributed about 33,000 hours.

Without them, DAP Health wouldn't offer or support as many services as they do, Naishtut says.

Revivals Stores about 175 active volunteers, says Lerner. Some of them have been there for 15,000 hours. They range from high school students to people in their late 80s. One volunteer is even in her 90s.

Lerner says the people who volunteer for DAP Health do it because they want to give back to the community. They feel it's important to help somebody. And they are passionate about the mission of DAP Health, and they want to contribute in some way.

"Not everybody can afford to write a check," says Lerner. "So a lot of people will volunteer their time, as opposed to just writing a check as a donor. "

DAP Health and Revivals need volunteers all year long, says Lerner. Many retirees have taken the summer off, and Revivals Stores needs more volunteers, she says.

"It's always a struggle to find enough volunteers," Lerner says.

Volunteer opportunities available right now include about 30 open positions at the Revivals Store in Indio.

In addition to other volunteer positions DAP Health has available, it's looking for a computer tutor and a Spanish-speaking person who can run a social support group (non-therapy).

For additional information or questions about volunteering at DAP Health or Revivals, please contact Larry Naishtut for information about volunteering at DAP Health at [email protected] and Marice Lerner at [email protected] for information about volunteering at Revivals Stores.

Meditate with Dr. G

By Robert Hopwood

If you want to clear your mind, get rid of stress and find a little inner peace, consider meditation.

It can be done anytime and is a great way to start the day or finish it. That’s because mindfulness helps bring balance to our hectic lives.

A healthy life includes meditation time, says Dr. Jill Gover “Dr. G,” a licensed clinical psychologist who leads DAP Health’s Behavioral Health department. Downtime and rest are as important as physical activity. They keep our lives in balance.

“Meditation is a way of calming the mind, and in our very fast paced, stressful world, it's important for us to have moments where we calmly settle down and ground ourselves and meditation is a marvelous way to do that,” she says.

Mindfulness also is good for our physical health.

Research suggests meditation can help reduce blood pressure, improve irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression and insomnia, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

Here are five meditation tips from Dr. G:

• Start by meditating for short periods of time. Long meditations, like an hours-long meditation, would be way too difficult for a beginner.
• Be compassionate and non-judgmental with yourself. Don’t worry about the self-talk in your head. It’s noise. Empty your mind. Imagine your thoughts are like clouds and watch them drift away. Then return your mind to what you were focused on, like your breath.
• Find a comfortable place to sit when you meditate. It should be quiet and free of distractions.
• Don’t worry about sitting still. If you sit in one position for too long, it’ll make you uncomfortable and start to hurt. It’s OK to move around.
• Start with something simple, like your breath or a simple mantra. Sometimes it’s helpful to play tranquil music or use a taped guided meditation.

'Mental health is health': Dr. Gover talks about behavioral health care in the Coachella Valley

By Robert Hopwood

Mental health care is a significant need across the Coachella Valley.

In fact, according to a past community assessment, mental health services were identified as the greatest need for the Coachella Valley's LGBTQ+ community, says Dr. Jill Gover, known as "Dr. G," a licensed clinical psychologist and the director of Behavioral Health at DAP Health.

“Anxiety, depression and mood disorders are the major issues facing the LGBTQ+ and underserved communities currently.  It has been a very difficult and challenging time," Dr. G says, referring to the recent pandemic.

For too many, COVID-19 painfully exposed how important it is to have competent mental health care available.

To have true wellness, a person needs to have both mental health and physical health, Dr. G says. They are integrated. Someone can't have one without the other.

"Mental health is health," Dr. G says.

“If someone breaks their arm, they go to the doctor,” she explains. “If they've got something going on emotionally, they also need to go to the doctor. It’s what you need to do to stay healthy," Dr. G says.

She strongly advises people to seek out mental health services if they need them. People should not let any stigma around mental health keep them from getting the help they need.

"It's so important for people to reach out and get the help they need when they need it," she says.

Don't let excuses get in the way of competent mental health care.

Clinicians and patients have many options available to help them overcome barriers and make treatment more accessible, Dr. G says. For example, people without reliable transportation can use telehealth for virtual visits.

"Wherever patients are, whatever they need, we're here to provide care and to help them," Dr. G says.

Dr. G likes to say that therapy is a gift people give themselves to promote their own wellbeing during times of stress. She describes it as a journey patients take with their therapist.

“Patients may start therapy with a lot of negative core beliefs that say, ‘I’m not good enough.’ Through the therapeutic process, they develop a new way of looking at the world and themselves,” she says.

"It is such a rewarding thing to witness," Dr. G says. "And therapy is truly transformational for many people, truly transformational."

According to Dr. G, DAP Health has a wonderful staff of well-trained clinical psychologists and licensed clinical social workers who provide compassionate, affirmative LGBTQ+ affirmative care. 

She also is excited to announce the opening of the new Behavioral Health Clinic scheduled for September 2021.  The new clinic will allow for additional staffing and expanded psychotherapy services.  In addition, a partnership with UCR is bringing psychiatric services back to DAP Health,  starting in July.   

Sometimes it's difficult for people to reach out for help, Dr. G explains, especially when they are in a deep depression, highly anxious, or struggling with multiple life issues. Some people may not think they are worthy of help or know where to turn to get it.

"It's really important to recognize that DAP Health is just one phone call away," Dr. G says. "Pick up that phone and make that first call. And once you get to the services and start on this wonderful journey that I call therapy, great things will happen."

DAP Health can be reached at (760) 323-2118.

Protect yourself from the sun to avoid skin cancer, premature aging; blindness

By Robert Hopwood

The sun, which draws so many to the desert to relax by the pool and work on their tans, also is a big health hazard. The desert is known for very sunny days and blue skies, which keeps companies like Airbnb happy. But at this time of year, when the mercury heads for the stratosphere, it's essential to protect our bodies from the sun's harmful rays.

The ultraviolet radiation coming from our favorite star can seriously harm us. The sun gives off three types of UV radiation, UVA, UVB and UVC. It's UVA radiation that causes the most harm. Earth's ozone layer completely absorbs UVC radiation, it absorbs most of the UVB radiation, but it doesn't absorb UVA radiation at all.

"We need to worry about it," says Dr. David Morris, chief medical officer of DAP Health.

We evolved on this planet, bathed in UV radiation. We need it. UVA radiation penetrates our skin and creates vitamin D, which helps our bodies absorb calcium and phosphorus. It also helps our bones develop, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Too much sunshine can cause more than a nasty sunburn. According to the CDC, UV exposure can cause skin cancer, premature aging, and eye diseases that can lead to blindness.

The CDC says skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and the most common types of skin cancer are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. But melanoma is the worst, says Morris. It kills thousands every year. Another hazard is actinic keratosis, which is a rough, scaly skin patch. It's slow to develop but can become cancerous.

"The big ones are actinic keratosis and melanoma," says Dr. Morris. "Those are the ones that we worry about."

How much sun is safe? "What we say is 30 minutes a day will give you all the vitamin D you need," says Morris.

July is UV Safety Awareness Month. And summer is the best time to think about UV radiation and how to protect ourselves. Below are ways to avoid getting too much sun and cut your risk of developing skin cancer.

Wear sunscreen

If you will be in the sun — even when the UV index is low — remember the sunscreen. Apply, reapply and apply again. Use sunscreen on every part of the body exposed to the sun, which includes your ears. Morris says in the desert, you should look for a sunscreen that's at least 30 SPF.

Dress properly

It's hot here but resist the urge to remove layers to stay cool. Instead, put them on. Watch people who work outside in the intense sunlight. They wear pants, long sleeve shirts and wide brim hats. Morris says they are doing it right.

Wear sunglasses

Wear sunglasses that offer 100 percent UV protection to avoid damaging your eyes. This is important because UV radiation can burn the cornea; increase your odds of getting cataracts; cause pterygium, in which a flesh membrane covers the eye; and lead to macular degeneration, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Stay in the shade

When you go outside, stay in the shade. Remember clouds aren't shade. "UV rays go through the clouds," says Morris. "People say, 'Oh, it's a cloudy day, and I don't have to worry.' Well, that's not true." You can get a nasty sunburn even on cloudy days.

Avoid going outside when the UV index is high

UV radiation levels fluctuate during the day. Go outside when the UV index is low, and avoid the sun when radiation is highest, usually after 11 a.m. You can download apps for your phone — Android or iPhone — that will tell you the UV index for your location. You also can find the UV index online.

Do a body check

Skin cancer can form anywhere on, or even in, your body. Check your skin regularly. If you see something that isn't right, see your clinician. Ask your partner to look at the areas of your skin that you cannot see, like your back and scalp. Morris advises people to have their clinician check them once a year.

Don't use indoor tanning beds

Indoor tanning beds can damage your skin as much as the sun can. They are just as dangerous. Other sources of UV radiation are mercury vapor lights, often found in stadiums and school gyms; some types of halogen, fluorescent and incandescent lights; sunlamps; and some types of lasers, according to the CDC.