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Health
HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE
Whitman-Walker Launches Major Exhibit in Wake of World AIDS Day 2020
Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
World AIDS Day Dec. 1 drew global observances in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and one of the most colorful came just a few days later with the opening Dec. 5 of the Whitman-Walker Clinic’s new cultural center--The Corner –and curtain-raising exhibition: “See You There: Making History at Whitman-Walker”!
The exhibition of photos, artwork and documents marks an effort by Whitman-Walker to launch a “an ambitious long-term program at the intersection of art, health and education, determined to contribute to social justice and equality.”
Inspired by the Whitman-Walker Oral History Project, officials say that the exhibition tells the story of a clinic that was one of the earliest U.S. healthcare institutions focused on the LGBTQ community as well those fighting for HIV/AIDS.
The exhibition runs from Dec. 5 to March 28, 2021 and is available for in-person visits (with required mask use, limited capacity, contact tracing and social distancing in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19).The exhibition is also available online for those who cannot attend in person.
“Our goal of ending the AIDS epidemic was already off track before COVID-19. We must put people first to get the AIDS response back on track. We must end the social injustices that put people at risk of contracting HIV,” said Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS.
In a statement for World AIDS day, Byanyima said in a statement, “There is no excuse for governments to not invest fully for universal access to health. Barriers such as up-front user fees that lock people out of health must come down.”
The event comes more than three decades after Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome exploded into the global consciousness as an incurable disease associated with homosexuality.
But more than three decades later HIV/AIDs is no longer a death sentence and on Dec. 1 residents in the District and around the globe celebrated World AIDS Day with a series of events where world leaders focused on the intercon-
William J. Ford WI Staff Writer @jabariwill
Stephen Bridges received more than his share of negative treatment growing up as a gay Black man, especially living with HIV/ AIDS.
Bridges, who became diagnosed with the virus 31 years ago, said he got bullied by Black people and those in the Black church who “made it clear [I’m] going to hell.”
Now at 58, living in the District, he says there’s at least one person who has his back: comedian and radio personality Joe Clair.
“Yes, we do have different last names. This is my older brother. My advocacy really comes from him,” Clair said Monday, Nov. 30 during a virtual discussion on eliminating HIV/AIDS. “He set a great example for me as a young man. I have him to thank for that.”
5 A sculpture by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, located outside of the Whitman Walker clinic in Northwest. (Screen grab/WhitmanWalker IG)
nectedness between Coronavirus pandemic and HIV/AIDS.
Advocates are still fighting indifference. Phil Pannell, 70, executive director of the Anacostia Coordinating Council and a long time gay in Southeast Washington., “Here in Ward 8 World AIDS Day is hardly known very much beyond those who are not connected with the Max Robinson Center.”
“In my mind AIDs in the black community has gone the same
Clair headlined a one-hour discussion sponsored by the Prince George’s County Health Department along with WUSA9-TV with up to 115 people logged on.
According to a September report from the Maryland Department of Health, about 31,630 residents lived with HIV/AIDS in 2019.
Last year, the state reported about 931 people received HIV+ diagnoses with 74 percent of them Black and 11 percent each white and Latino.
The majority Black jurisdictions of Prince George’s and Baltimore City recorded the highest rate of new HIV+ diagnoses last year with at least 25.8 per 100,000 people. The state average rate: 18.6.
The county’s Health Department has joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a goal to reduce new way as sickle cell. Today sickle cell is not the disease de jure,” Pannell said. “Everything pales compared to the corona pandemic. When was the last time you see someone wearing a red ribbon?”
“The situation with AIDs is because of the advancements has gone in the same way as sexually transmitted diseases went in our generation. You go get your medicines and you keep getting up, but there still
‘Love Up’ Family, Friends Living with HIV/AIDS
5 Stephen Bridges of the District offers advice for people living with HIV and how families can offer support during a virtual discussion Nov. 30 on eliminating HIV/AIDS. (Screen grab: Prince George’s County Health Department and WUSA9) 5 Harold J. Phillips, senior HIV advisor and chief operating officer of “Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America” with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, gives remarks during virtual discussion Nov. 30 on eliminating HIV/AIDS. (Screen grab: Prince George’s County Health Department and WUSA9)
a problem in our community.” WI HIV infections by 75 percent in five years and at least 90 percent over the next decade.
Prince George’s will join 47 other targeted areas nationwide to secure funding and other resources in fighting the epidemic. It especially helps during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with nearly 42,000 confirmed cases in the county, which continues to lead the state.
Diane Young, a registered nurse and associate director with the county’s Family Health Services Division in the health department, said HIV services are now gender neutral and those who aren’t diagnosed with the virus can also access various housing, financial assistance and job training support.
“We offer a range of services to try and keep people healthy,” she said. “COVIE-19 has really highlighted what’s going on [with] the disparities in health care and
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it crosses all social and economic demographics,” she said.
Health agencies define HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, as an infection that attacks the immune system. Medication can control the virus allowing people to live long, productive lives.
Contracting HIV can lead to the development of AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and cause other infections in the body such as pneumonia, tuberculosis and lymphoma.
The conversation took place one day before World Aids Day on Tuesday, Dec. 1, which commemorates those who died from the deadly disease while continuing to seek ways to fight the disease and celebrate those who live with HIV.
Although medications such as PrEP and PEP (pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis) help prevent HIV infection, Bridges said people living with the virus should receive therapy and support from loved ones.
“I recommend therapy and being honest – not +++being ashamed about the disease and your infection,” he said. “To families, I strongly encourage that you embrace the family member or friend and let them know it’s going to be ok. Love up on your family member and friend and hold them close and, as best you can, guide them through the process so that they never feel alone.”
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DOMINIC from Page 8
moving that you couldn’t help but “take off your shoe and throw it at her.”
Rounding up my list – Mervyn Warren’s (a founding member of the incomparable a cappella group, Take 6) “Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration.” I guess al-
most everyone’s either heard Handel’s masterful “The Messiah” in its original form. Perhaps you’ve even had the joy and pleasure of attending a church service or concert where you were able to sing along as his masterpiece was performed by orchestra, choir and soloists.
But for Black folk who consider themselves vocalists, there was nothing better than the nuanced, if not spectacular arrangements on what we referred to as the “Soulful Messiah” – a gospel album that featured various artists including Stevie Wonder, Tevin Campbell, Take 6, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Daryl Coley, Tramaine Hawkins and Dianne Reeves, Patti Austin and Howard Hewitt.
I could list more but I hear the music playing. It’s beginning to “sound” a lot like Christmas.
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You’re Invited! Open House Event
Take a tour of our UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete® (PPO D-SNP) plan.
Join us for a special open house event near you. If you have both Medicaid and Medicare, you may be eligible for a plan that offers you more benefits and features than you’re currently receiving at no additional cost.
While you’re here, learn more about our plan benefits. You’ll enjoy:
• Light snacks and refreshments • Informational hand-outs • UnitedHealthcare® giveaways • Health information
Bring a friend with you to enjoy the fun. All are welcome.
Membership not required.
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Hosted by:
ADMISSION PRIORITY PASS Your ticket to better health. Open House Event Date: 12/7/2020 Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Location: Courtyard Washingtonian DC/U.S. Capitol 1325 2nd St NE Washington, DC 20002
Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a contract with the State Medicaid Program. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. For accommodations of persons with special needs at meetings call 1-855-277-4716 TTY 711, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. local time, 7 days a week. Eligible for a free drawing, gift, or prizes with no obligation to enroll. H2226_180731_033701_M CST30888C1_H2228-045-000
HEALTH
Train your Brain: Tackling Alzheimer's Disease
Brigette Squire WI Contributing Writer
Reverse cognitive decline with healthy habits. Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Out of those millions the majority age from 60 and over and rely on close family members and assisted living caregivers to aid them.
According to ALZ.org, Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's is a specific disease. Dementia describes the condition. ”Often people are confused about the difference between Dementia and Alzhiemers. A patient can have signs of dementia two to three decades before being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. It happens slowly over time heavily due to lifestyle choices,” expresses Dr. Daniel Amen.
Amen, founder of Amen Clinics in Reston, Va., has worked with thousands of mental health patients providing psychiatric and brain health care to the greater Washington, D.C. area for 30 years. He is a brain expert and author of “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.”
The clinic uses brain imaging technology to identify specific brain types, tailoring a targeted treatment plan to enhance their patient’s quality of life. “Our brain imaging work has made it clear that “mental health” conditions are actually “brain health” issues that steal your mind. These issues often go undetected or are misdiagnosed, and symptoms can be debilitating for years. We use a brain imaging diagnostic tool called SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) to help accurately identify underlying brain issues that can contribute to symptoms. This means you get the right diagnosis and most effective treatment for faster healing,” said Amen.
Researchers say that the workings of the heart and the mind are interconnected with about 80 percent of individuals with Alzheimer’s also having some form of heart disease. "Nobody cares about their brain. Because you can't see it. The heart, however, you can at least feel. Based on a study of 8,000 patients we did, the brain gets less active as individuals age. Sort of like when your skin starts falls off your face. The exact same process is happening in your brain. It's all about blood flow; the brain does not have to deteriorate, ” shares Dr. Amen.
If you are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease you are more likely to also inherit the behaviors that trigger the disease which leads you to be more at risk.
“My book ‘Rediscovering Dad & Discovering Myself’ provides a path for Alzheimers caregivers to follow so that they know they
5 A slide showing Brain SPECT images of a healthy brain and one with Alzheimer’s disease from Dr. Amen’s lecture titled “Train your Brian” given to a crowd of Integrative Institute of Nutrition students in New York. (Pre-recorded video screen grab/Brigette Squire)
are not alone. Often caregivers are unsung heroes. I also wanted to highlight the bond between father and son,” said Brandon Burke.
Burke is a native Baltimorean and a graduate of Hampton University, residing in the Washington, D.C. area. He is an active supporter of the local Alzheimer's Association NCA that provides hope and help to families that are impacted by dementia. Burke's first battle with Alzhiemer’s started with his grandmother and subsequently when his father was diagnosed in 2015. ”I’m extremely worried about me and other members of my family getting it and it’s difficult because when caring for a loved one, you are longing and hoping they will show some glimmer of what they used to be. It’s like a slow death. I want people to know that they are not alone,” Burke said.
When people think of a ”developing brain” they think of the adolescent but new research is showing that there is a way to grow your brain and reverse some of the self-imposed and environmental damages. .John Assaraf, best selling Author and founder of NeuroGym, introduces the idea of improving your intelligence. ” Your intelligence can be changed. There are 80 million to 100 billion neurons that should be working in your brain at all times. When you go to the gym and exercise your muscles you don’t work on things that are easy for your muscles to do. You do things that your muscles have to struggle with. Then they rebuild themselves and come back stronger. By struggling it is a signal to your body that you need to devote more resources to that part of the body. Stimulate the mind with new ideas,” said Assaraf.
You must ask challenging questions to have a stronger; more able brain. Although your brain isn't a true “muscle,” its complex cellular structure and grey and white matter do function in a similar way to “training” your body's muscles. The IQ is not fixed; you can activate your genius parts of your brain and reverse cognitive decline and retain memories for longer periods of time.
With the holidays nearing, know that the best gift you can give yourself and your loved ones is to exert your brain. Start adding small steps to your daily routine to be proactive when it comes to mental health. ”You have to make wise decisions over time to decrease your vulnerability to Alzheimers. The best prevention is to decrease illnesses that increase risk, such as obesity, diabetes, depression, sleep apnea and heart disease, ” encourages Dr. Amen.
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