Wednesday Wisdom

Wednesday Wisdom

Meet Our Staff: Earl Coffman

 Today we'd like to introduce you to another member of our wonderful Community Health Staff, Earl Coffman

Name: EARL COFFMAN

What do you do at CCC? 

I am the Outreach Specialist for the Ryan White Part B grant. I go out into the community and help those who are HIV+ get access to the Ryan White government assistance program, as well as other assistance programs and resources

How long have you been at CCC?

I’ve been at CCC for a year and 9 months.  

Where are you from originally?

Tillamook, OR

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Berlin

What is your favorite food? 

Anything but liver!

Who is someone you look up to or admire and why?

I have to say my friend Jim McCoy aka “Norma Lyaman” because he is who he is, no matter where he is, and he’s one of the fixtures of the Las Vegas Community as a whole, and he does drag in his own unique way.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Performing and reading. I’m a voracious reader.

What is your favorite place in Las Vegas?

The Conservatory at the Bellagio—it’s never the same, even if you go during the same season.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose and why?

A Weimaraner (dog). My family had one when I was a very young child, and we lived on the corner of two streets. Lady kept me from getting hit by cars quite a few times. They are very, very protective.  

What would you choose as a career if you were not in this field?

I would be a Tony Award Winning Actor on Broadway!

What is your favorite thing about working at CCC?

The diversity, the clients, the staff, the community partners.

What words of wisdom do you have to share?
“It doesn’t matter what other people think. What matters is being who you are, and who you want to be.”- Earl Coffman

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

October 15th was National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). A day that hopes to bring HIV awareness to the Latino community: a community that is three times more affected by HIV than their White counterparts. NLAAD is a national community mobilization effort that aims at uniting the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) communities to increase HIV awareness, prevention, education, and (perhaps, most importantly) testing. In recognition of NLAAD and this week's Latino Commission on AIDS publication, The State of HIV/AIDS Among Hispanics/Latinos in the US and Puerto Rico, let us take a look at how the H/L has been and continues to be disproportionately affected by HIV. 

The State of HIV/AIDS among Hispanics/Latinos in the US and Puerto Rico (1)

With an estimated US population of 55 million, the H/L community currently is the largest and fasted growing minority group in our country. Thus, it is important to our national health to focus on the health concerns and disparities that face the increasing H/L community. In 2013, the H/L community made up only 17% of the US population while accounting for 23% of the new 50,000 HIV infections for that year.

The Black community continues to be the hardest hit ethnic/racial community nationally and internationally; however, with the staggering population growth within the H/L community, this community is quickly approaching similar critical mass. At this point, the rate of new HIV infections among H/L males is three times greater than white males. If the current trend in HIV infections within the H/L community continues, 1 out of 36 males and 1 out of 106 females will be diagnosed with HIV at some point within their lifetime.

Within the H/L community, Men who have sex with Men (MSM) continue to have the highest rates of new HIV infections by 72%, whereas, heterosexual males and females account for 21% of new HIV infections. At the end of 2012, close to 203,000 H/L individuals were living with HIV in the US. Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, there have been more than 250,000 AIDS diagnoses and over 125,000 deaths due to AIDS-related deaths.

In terms of H/L individuals living with HIV and the care continuum, the Latino AIDS Commission reports that approximately 80% have been linked to care. This 80% does not mean that all stay in care, receive HIV treatment/medications, or obtain and maintain an undetectable diagnosis (viral suppression). Out of the 80 linked to care, only 54% have been retained in care, 44% are receiving treatment, and only 37% are virally suppressed (undetectable). 

The cumulative statistics above (from rates of infection to viral suppression) reflect the persistent need for such HIV/AIDS Awareness Days. As our youth (ages 13-25) and ethnic/racial communities continue to be the most devastated groups affected by HIV, critical and accurate HIV information and education must be disseminated and HIV testing must be normalized and made universally accepted in hopes of reducing the stigma surrounding testing. Care and compassion for those of us living with HIV needs to exist and extend beyond HIV/AIDS Awareness days and events until every day is an HIV Awareness day.

Guillermo Chacon, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS and founder of the Hispanic Heath Network, stated, "We hope to contribute to a better understanding of the complex challenges we face as community members, and the urgent need to develop comprehensive and culturally-responsive strategies to address HIV, access to quality healthcare, and other health conditions disproportionately impacting our community."

ABOUT THE LATINO COMMISSION ON AIDS

The Latino Commission on AIDS is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1990 dedicated to meet the health challenges and addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS. The Commission is the leading organization coordinating National Hispanic Hepatitis Awareness Day (May 15), National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (October 15), Latinos and the Deep South, and other prevention, research, capacity building, and advocacy programs across the United States and its territories. The Latino Commission is the founder of the Hispanic Health Network, dedicated to eliminate health disparities in our communities.

Join the Las Vegas HIV/AIDS Awareness Consortium Group and our supporters this Saturday, October 17th, from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm for our local NLAAD event. The event is free and will be held at The Center. Community resource and health fair, offering FREE HIV testing and flu shots, among other health-related screenings.

To read the full report by the Latino AIDS Commission: http://www.latinoaids.org. 

For more information regarding NLAAD: http://www.nlaad.org/

Bryan Heitz

Risk Reduction Specialist

(1) http://www.latinoaids.org

Wednesday Wisdom

HIV Medication: From AZT to the 'One Pill A Day' in 3 Decades

The first six years of AIDS (1981-1987) saw more than 40,000 deaths and 50,000 new infections without any FDA approved drug therapy. In 1987, Azidothymidine (aka AZT or Retovir) became an answer to the staggering numbers of deaths from AIDS and new HIV infections over the last several years. AZT had a previously pharmaceutical use as an early anti-Cancer fighting agent known decades earlier as Compound S. AZT was hurried through the FDA hoops and hurdles in an unprecedented 25 months and “marked the introduction of the first effective weapon against the virus [HIV] and AIDS itself, what eventually would become a key element of the multi-drug cocktail of HAART itself.” (1)

AZT is not without its controversy that cannot be overlooked. In short, thousands of people were suffering and dying from AIDS in such short periods that a drug therapy had to be offered. AZT offered no cure and little to more than a year or so prolonged life to those suffering; consequently, its cost was astronomical at $10,000 dollars for a year’s therapy. AZT’s efficacy is a double-edged sword. The drug helps to prevent the HIV virus from invading, genetically altering T cells; however, the drug at high doses inhibits healthy cell division creating a myriad of health concerns. Drug resistance to AZT is common and is not tolerated well by most.  AZT as a singular drug therapy is rarely prescribed since the introduction of HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy).  (1)

HAART

In 1996, fifteen years into the AIDS crisis, HAART revolutionized the HIV era by presenting multiple drug regimens meant to enhance the healing effects of AZT (often listed in drug cocktails as Retovir). HAART has expanded to include six classes of drugs that stops the genetic replication of the HIV viron, lowering the viral load to an undetectable level, as well as, decreases the ability for the virus to continue to alter itself into more strains than already identified. 

Since the introduction of HAART, the classes of drug therapies continue to become more robust than ever with more than 30 approved drugs in 6 different classes. With such a large selection of therapies to test and try, it helps to deal with those who build up drug resistance. Along with a wide selection of drug therapies the more recent additions have decreased side-effects and less strict dosing provisions. The most exciting is the ‘One Pill a Day’ options (All in One Combination Tablets), which is a HAART cocktail in one pill and taken once a day. This is a blessing to those of us whom have never had to take anything other than one pill a day and those who have had to take common cocktails of 5 to 10 pills throughout the day on a strict schedule. 

Currently Approved Drugs for HIV

HIV is a retrovirus: a virus that needs a host to invade and, through genetic mutation, replicate itself.  HIV drug therapies are called antiretrovirals because they attack the HIV retrovirus and they are highly effective (active). HAART drugs have a corresponding stage of HIV replication in which the drugs in that class target. The six classes of HAART are (as of March 2015):

• 4 All in One Combination Tablets (Multiclass Combination Products)
• 11 Protease Inhibitors (PIs)
• 11 Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)
• 5 Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs)
• 2 Early Inhibitors including Fusion Inhibitors
• 2 Integrase Inhibitors

The connection between the phase of HIV replication and corresponding HAART drug needs an understanding of the 8 stages of the HIV replication process, which will be discussed in another blog. This should, if anything else shows the progression from a poisonous cancer fighting drug that often did more damage than good, to multiple all in one tablet options, and, hopefully, the cure will be in our future. To find a comparative chart of FDA approved drugs: CLICK HERE.

Bryan Heitz
Risk Reduction Specialist

 

(1)   http://motherboard.vice.com/read/happy-birthday-to-azt-the-first-effective-hiv-treatment

(2)  http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/DrugChart_10632.shtml

Wednesday Wisdom

Meet Our Staff: Aaronell Matta

Today we'd like to introduce you to a member of CCC's Administration team, Aaronell Matta!

Name: AARONELL MATTA

What do you do at CCC? 

I am the Development Assistant/Quality and HR Coordinator, which means that I oversee the Agency's National Accreditation, write grants, and complete reports for our funders, and I  oversee half of Human Resources. I've also recently taken on the duties of Development Assistant, so I will be heavily involved in Fundraising, PR and Marketing.

How long have you been at CCC?

I've been with CCC since June 1, 2005 -- so this is my 10th year.

Where are you from originally?

I am adopted, so I was born in Calcutta, India -- but I grew up about 30 minutes southeast of Pittsburgh, PA.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

I love going to the beach. Listening to the waves is one of my favorite ways to relax.

What is your favorite food? 

It varies, depending on my mood. Some of my favorite cuisines are sushi, Thai, and Italian.

Who is someone you look up to or admire and why?

I admire my parents, because they are hard-working, smart, incredibly organized, and have always been very loving and supportive. I appreciate all they did to give my brother and me everything they could.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with the people I love, watching movies, reading, cooking, seeing shows, watching football (WE ARE...), exploring Las Vegas, and traveling.

What is your favorite place in Las Vegas?

I love the Wetlands--especially at sunrise, and I enjoy Red Rock Canyon in the spring, because the flowers are starting to bloom and there are some little hidden waterfalls.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose and why?

If it were not a safety hazard (or a size issue), I'd have a polar bear. But otherwise, I adore my two long haired dachshunds, Emily and Abby. 

What would you choose as a career if you were not in this field?

I would probably be in academia, as a Social Psychology professor. I love teaching and research.

What is your favorite thing about working at CCC?

I love my coworkers and have so much awe and respect for the amazing work they do every day to change the lives of our clients for the better. I have met some incredible people working here, and I am forever grateful for the impact they have had on my life. I know I am a better person now, because of it. 

What words of wisdom do you have to share?

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there's something stronger--something better, pushing right back." - Albert Camus