There are many unanswered questions about the AIDS Network dental clinic.

1. Has the dental clinic yet to see it’s first patient?
2. Is Dr. Jeff Wilton still planning on seeing his private practice patients at the state funded AIDS dental clinic?
3. Why is Dr. Vergeront pouring more money into the struggling dental clinic?  (More than $30k of Ryan White Part B supplemental funding received by the DHS AIDS/HIV Program is being gifted to AIDS Network)
4. Are Karen Dotson and Ellen Berz still planning on opening the state funded AIDS dental clinic to people without HIV/AIDS?  Recent correspondence from the State Building Commission makes it clear that the State of Wisconsin is operating under the assumption (and with Karen’s assurance) that the dental clinic will only serve HIV/AIDS patients.
5. Why do AIDS Network and Dr. Jeff Wilton want to hide the fact that this is an AIDS Dental Clinic?  When will the agency’s name be put back on the main entrance?

The questions mount and the silence of AIDS Network and Dr. Wilton add credence to the very real possibility that the dental clinic fiasco may ultimately be a primary reason for the agency’s financial collapse.

The Department of Health Services AIDS/HIV Program is convening a “Ryan White All Grantee Meeting” on September 14th. The information on the meeting is shown below.

This announcement makes it clear that members of the Statewide Action Planning Group (SAPG) that are not management employees of  a funded agency are not welcome to attend.

This is particularly concerning given the fact that the AIDS Program ended the “Community Dialogues” that were a part of the SAPG meetings up until the beginning of this year. Instead, we were sold a bill of goods by Dr. Vergeront and the SAPG staff and assured that members of the SAPG would be selected (based on expressed interest) to attend various meetings as observers. The observers would then report back to the larger group.

When we were “sold” this new concept one of the meetings that was clearly intended to be included on the list was the Ryan White Grantee meeting.

In a conversation with Lynn Tarnoff, the lead staff person for the SAPG, I was told that this was an oversight and that there was not time to make the opportunity available for a few SAPG members to attend.  In other words, the HIV/AIDS community is being denied access to a meeting that directly impacts Wisconsin HIV/AIDS care and treatment services.

In meeting notes from earlier this year Lynn stated:

Community Perspectives Plan

Lynn Tarnoff reminded members that local community dialogues as held from 2007-2009 have now evolved into a series of smaller, topic oriented listening sessions in which SAPG members hear community perspectives on selected topics. Three topic themes that are currently prioritized for 2010 are funding, populations and services.

Unfortunately it appears that the only SAPG members that will be permitted to attend are those who also work for funded agencies.  While some may say that this is sufficient I disagree.  Can you really speak openly and honestly and them report back to the full SAPG on the meeting when your salary is indirectly paid by Dr. Vergeront? Absolutely not.

This is another example of the total DHS staff control of the Statewide Action Planning Group.   As the elected Co-Chair of the SAPG I was not provided with the opportunity to attend or even consulted regarding this matter.

I had high hopes for the community planning process in Wisconsin when I became a member of the group four years ago.  I ran for the position of Community co-chair and was elected by my peers out of the desire to increase the level of HIV/AIDS Community involvement in the planning process.

Dr. Vergeront and the AIDS/HIV Program have made it clear that the only purpose the SAPG serves is to fulfill a Centers for Disease Control requirement that States have an HIV planning body. Community input and involvement is not wanted.  Dr. Vergeront has made that point abundantly clear.  He has hunkered down in his office at 1 W. Wilson and refuses to engage those who are living with the disease in a meaningful discussion of the issues.  That’s right—our $190,000.00 per year state AIDS director considers those of us living with HIV/AIDS irrelevant intrusions into his empire.

Wisconsin’s planning process is a farce.  The exclusion of the SAPG from the Ryan White Grantee meeting is just the latest confirmation of this fact.

Here is the meeting notice:

2010 RYAN WHITE ALL GRANTEE MEETING

DATE: September 14, 2010
TIME: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
DESCRIPTION: The Wisconsin All Grantee meeting is a one day meeting for agencies funded under the federal Ryan White program (Parts B-F). The purpose of the meeting is to provide updates and information to administrative/manager-level employees of these agencies around Ryan White programmatic changes and service delivery. This is also an opportunity for funded agencies to network and share successes and challenges in providing service to people living with HIV and AIDS in Wisconsin. This meeting is open only to staff members of Ryan White funded agencies. If you are not an employee of a currently funded grantee agency, your registration will be denied

SPONSOR: WI AIDS/HIV Program & Wisconsin HIV/AIDS Training System
LOCATION: Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, 375 S. Moorland Road, Brookfield, WI 53005
LUNCH: Lunch will be provided
MEETING WEBSITE: Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel
REGISTRATION PROCESS: Please register for this meeting via this web site.
REGISTRATION BEGINS: 7/7/2010
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 9/7/2010
REGISTRATION PAGE: Register
CONTACT PERSON: Leslie Anderson
CONTACT PHONE: (608) 261-8372
CONTACT EMAIL: Leslie.Anderson@dhs.wisconsin.gov

According to Federal tax law all non-profit organizations are required to provide a copy of their three most recent IRS Form 990′s and any related schedules to anyone requesting them.  I sent a request to AIDS Network’s Accountant, Suzanne Gillingham, via email and U.S. Mail along with a $20.00 check to cover the costs of copying and postage.  The request was sent on August 17th.

To date there has been no response.  As a friendly reminder, I am posting the appropriate sections from the IRS’s website below:

In general, what public disclosure requirements apply to tax-exempt organizations?

In general, exempt organizations must make available for public inspection certain annual returns and applications for exemption, and must provide copies of such returns and applications to individuals who request them.  Copies usually must be provided immediately in the case of in-person requests, and within 30 days in the case of written requests.  The tax-exempt organization may charge a reasonable copying fee plus actual postage, if any.

What tax documents must an exempt organization make available for public inspection and copying?

An exempt organization must make available for public inspection its exemption application. An exemption application includes the Form 1023 (for organizations recognized as exempt under § 501(c)(3)), Form 1024 (for organizations recognized as exempt under most other paragraphs of § 501(c)), or the letter submitted under the paragraphs for which no form is prescribed, together with supporting documents and any letter or document issued by the IRS concerning the application. A political organization exempt from taxation under § 527(a) must make available for public inspection and copying its notice of status, Form 8871.

In addition, an exempt organization must make available for public inspection and copying its annual return. Such returns include Form 990 , Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Form 990-EZ , Short Form Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax, Form 990-PF, Return of Private Foundation, Form 990-BL , Information and Initial Excise Tax Return for Black Lung Benefit Trusts and Certain Related Persons, and the Form 1065 , U.S. Partnership Return of Income.

An organization exempt under § 501(c)(3) must make available for public inspection and copying any Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return, filed after August 17, 2006. Returns must be available for a three-year period beginning with the due date of the return (including any extension of time for filing). For this purpose, the return includes any schedules, attachments, or supporting documents that relate to the imposition of tax on the unrelated business income of the charity. See Public Inspection and Disclosure of Form 990-T for more information.

An exempt organization is not required to disclose Schedule K-1 of Form 1065 or Schedule A of Form 990-BL. With the exception of private foundations, an exempt organization is not required to disclose the name and address of any contributor to the organization.

A visit to the AIDS Network office may be in order.  After all, they have to provide a copy immediately upon request when the request is made in person.  The IRS doesn’t allow hiding behind the “30 day” written request excuse.  Tuesday, September 7th seems like a good day for a visit to AIDS Network.   Unless, of course, the document is received in the mail before then.

Just to remind AIDS Network what the door used to look like we share this picture:

The stigma machine that is being run by Karen Dotson and Ellen Berz has refused to put the agency’s name back on the main entrance door.    We do, however, now know that “Suite H” is closed next Monday.

As posted last week a letter was sent via fax to Dr. Wilton seeking clarification on two points:

1. Was Dr. Wilton planning on seeing patients from his private practice at the state funded AIDS Network Dental Clinic?
2. Did he demand that AIDS Networks name be removed from the agency’s main entrance door and replaced with “Suite H” so that his private practice patients didn’t know they were coming to an AIDS/HIV dental clinic?  We requested that he immediately ask AIDS Network to put their name back on the main entrance door.

To date there has been no response from Dr. Wilton.   If this is any indication of how he conducts business, he’ll fit right into the AIDS Network culture of ignoring those who raise legitimate issues.

Dr. Wilton—-We’re still waiting for your response.

The primary HIV/AIDS funding grant in the state of Wisconsin is named the Michael Johnson Life Care Services and Early Intervention Act.  Mike died in July after a long battle with AIDS.

Mike Johnson shared many of the same concerns regarding the Department of Health Services AIDS/HIV Program as I do.  In fact, in a 2003 proposal authored by Mike he stated:

“The current state AIDS/HIV Program Director has been reluctant to embrace an up-to-date, progressive and effective model of life-saving HIV prevention services and comprehensive care and treatment for people with the disease.  The current leadership also has not embraced public-private partnership, statewide service delivery, or the aggressive pursuit of federal and private funds.”

Someone once told me that if you go against the “gospel” of Dr. Jim Vergeront that you “should be prepared for the consequences”.  I guess this could be why Dr. Jim Vergeront and the Department of Health Services AIDS/HIV Program made no public comment on the passing of one of Wisconsin’s most enduring and tenacious AIDS activists.

Shame on Dr. Vergeront and the Department of Health Services.

AIDS activists in Utah are calling for the firing of  Stan Penfold, the Executive Director of the Utah AIDS Foundation.

This post is not being written to “take sides” regarding the issues that are being raised in Utah.

What we are commenting on, though, is how the Foundation’s Executive Director, Stan Penfold, has responded to the criticism of his leadership.

Penfold is quoted as saying:

“It has caused me to reexamine our open-door policy. We apparently have barriers we are not aware of.”

“We are really open and accept criticism,” Penfold said. “I get that this it truly about all of us. It’s going to take every single one of us to make change happen.”

“I think it is great that we are talking about it,” he continued. “If we can get a dialogue going, we can bring our concerns and problems, and come up with solutions together. I think that’s incredible.”

Let’s compare Penfold’s willingness to engage the community in a open and honest discussion of the issue to Karen Dotson’s response to the legitimate issues we have raised regarding the failures of AIDS Network:

“It feels like ACT UP and particularly Milward are on a hate-campaign against the agency”“[Milward] keeps saying I’ve called him crazy. I have not said that to him so I’m not sure where he’s getting that from,”

”There are, unfortunately, people in our community who do not support the important work of AIDS Network.  They distort the truth, spreading rumor and innuendo under the guise of constructive criticism. They do not and will not deter us from our mission. We will continue to provide high quality service”

Last, but not least, is the quote of Karen Dotson’s from an article in Isthmus that appeared in May, 2009:

Karen Dotson, executive director of AIDS Network, pegs the ACT UP chapter as a handful of embittered dissidents.

Dotson,…sees Milward and others as warriors in a “turf war” that aims to install ARCW as the state’s sole service provider — something that group, she says, has “always wanted.”

Karen Dotson is not a leader.  She is a failure.  She has refused to engage anyone in the HIV/AIDS community in an honorable dialogue regarding the issues that have been raised.  She has refused to meet with ACT UP Wisconsin; she has been on a hate campaign directed at anyone that dares to question her management of the state and federally funded AIDS Network.  She has used her race as a tool to divide the community, claiming that our activism is racially motivated.

Karen should have resigned long ago.  She has engaged in untold pathological exaggerations and has allowed an out of control board and staff to drive the agency further and further toward the brink of ultimate failure.

Stan Penfold is inviting community dialog.  He is admitting the need to reexamine the way they do business.  Karen Dotson is at the opposite end of the spectrum as evidenced by the above sampling of public comments she has made during her 26 month tenure at AIDS Network.

For the first time in recent memory AIDS Network will not have a visible presence in this year’s annual LGBT Pride Parade. Scheduled for Sunday afternoon, AIDS Network has always been able to generate enough interest among the staff and volunteers to at least make a marginal showing in the parade.

This year, NADA.  AIDS Network announced earlier this week that they were not going to participate in the parade.

The reason for pulling out of the Parade at the last minute was not given.  Could it be:

• They forgot to submit a “Pride Parade” application form (as required)?
• Karen Dotson and Elen Berz have done such a great job of resurrecting AIDS stigma in Madison.  Could it be that volunteers and others who may have been interested in participating decided that they couldn’t be associated with A-I-D-S in such a public manner.  After all, the name of the agency was removed from the front door in order to hide the agency from the general public who may assume that someone walking through the front door has A-I-D-S.
• Could it be that the agency is afraid of the public reaction to their presence in the Parade?  After all, the tide has definitely turned when it comes to public perception of the relevance and competence of the agency.  Dan Curd and his “spin machine” can crank out all of the pathological exaggerations they want for Karen Dotson, yet the truth is clearly overshadowing any amount of spin that Curd and company can generate.
• Did the agency forget that the LGBT community is a community at high risk of HIV infection and that the Parade would have been a great time to get the word out on HIV/AIDS testing and Prevention?
• Or were they simply too lazy to put in the effort it would take?

We’ll never know the full story behind the cancellation, yet I would bet that the truth lies in the items listed above.

Happy Pride, Madison.

Green Bay continues to embarrass Madison.  Big time.

The failure of AIDS Network, the culpability of Dr. Jim Vergeront through his “save AIDS Network at any cost mentality” and the growing HIV/AIDS medical funding crisis at the UW’s HIV clinic stand in stark contrast to ARCW’s success in meeting the needs of the HIV/AIDS clients they serve in Green Bay.

The article below appeared in yesterday’s Green Bay Press-Gazette.  Yes, ARCW’s Green Bay office once again embarrasses Madison when it come to the provision of HIV/AIDS medical, care, treatment and support services.  Progressive Madison limps along while Green Bay and the Fox Valley’s residents who are living with HIV/AIDS are able to access an ever expanding array of services.

As a reminder:

Green Bay:

• Full time food pantry (Monday through Friday)
• Mental Health Clinic (fully staffed with multiple practitioners)
• Medical and non-medical case management services
• A fully staffed and operational Dental Clinic
• Legal Services
• Housing Services through ARCW’s Housing office

Madison

• Non-medical case management services
• Legal Services
• One half day a week (three times a month) Food pantry
• 3 hours of mental health services to split between 250 plus clients (Provided by Brett Brasher)
• A dental clinic that is struggling to open and trying every way possible to hide the fact that it is an AIDS Dental Clinic.

Residents of Southern Wisconsin, read the article and weep.   This is what we could have in Madison and the surrounding counties if we had a Department of Health Services AIDS Program Director that cared about the health and welfare of the 1296 residents of southern Wisconsin who are living with HIV/AIDS.  Instead, we are given Karen Dotson and her ever growing list of failures and pathological exaggerations.

AIDS Resource Center expands services

Physician-provided medical care added to Green Bay facility

By Scott Williams •
swilliams@greenbaypressgazette.com • August 20, 2010

When you live with AIDS, nothing is simple or easy.  Not shopping for an apartment. Not picking up groceries. And certainly not going to the doctor.

That is why the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin is expanding at its Green Bay facility to include medical care services. The center at 445 S. Adams St. already provides dental care, social work, mental health treatment and other services for people battling AIDS or the virus that causes it.  With the addition of physician-provided medical care, the facility becomes a comprehensive one-stop center for more than 600 afflicted people in the region.

Mike Gifford, chief operating officer of the AIDS Resource Center, said fighting the disease presents specialized needs that cannot be met by traditional health-care providers — not to mention social workers, housing counselors or attorneys.

Even shopping for groceries becomes complicated because of dietary restrictions, which is why the center also includes a food pantry.

“Integrated health care is so vital,” Gifford said. “We need to make sure that we have a system designed to address the needs of these very complex patients.”

The Milwaukee-based center has forged a partnership with Prevea Health System to provide two physicians seeing patients at the Adams Street clinic starting next week.

Prevea President and CEO Ashok Rai said his organization now does not have to ramp up its own infectious disease program and duplicate the services provided at the AIDS Resource Center.”It’s a big benefit to the greater Green Bay area,” he said.

Administrators of the nonprofit resource center have spent about $1 million renovating their 6,000-square-foot facility to accommodate the addition of medical care services.

A fundraiser is planned Saturday night to support the expansion.

Gifford said his organization has found widespread support for its mission since introducing AIDS prevention and other services here about 10 years ago.

Martha Ahrendt, vice president of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation Inc., said her group supports the center as a vital community resource. Ahrendt said she was pleased to hear that people living with AIDS now could get medical care there, too.  “This makes sense,” she said. “These are some of the neediest people in our community.”

The recently released issue of the AIDS Network “Guardian” Newsletter is chocked full of jewels of wisdom from Karen Dotson.

Jewel #1:

In addressing the newly constructed AIDS Network/Dr. Jeff Wilton, DDS dental clinic Karen states:  “We’ll do things in stages,” says Dotson. “First we’ll offer care to clients whose care we’re currently paying for at other locations, then other clients followed by UW patients. We’ll seek donated care from specialists, and as other needs are identified, we’ll address them and keep moving forward.”

Karen:  Please translate.  What exactly does that mean?  Does “offering” mean that people will have a choice and that AIDS Network will continue to reimburse for those who wish to continue going to the ARCW dental clinic?  Or will you force ARCW dental patients to come to the AIDS Network dental clinic in order for services to be reimbursed? Karen, what exactly are you saying?  And what is the reference to UW Patients all about?

Jewel #2:

In addressing the recent legislative change in Wisconsin’s HIV testing statute, Karen says:

“The bill allows health care providers to test for HIV/AIDS when people come in for routine exams, unless a patient declines to be tested. Previously, patients had to sign a separate form consenting to an HIV/AIDS test and many declined. Now the test will be a normal part of a routine exam, like any other test.”

Seriously, Karen.  Have you even read the bill?  The legislation calls for informed consent.  The statement that the test will be a “normal part” of a routine exam, like any other test, is another example of the pathological exaggerations that have become the norm at AIDS Network under Karen’s “leadership”.

Jewel #3:

Addressing legislation that was the brainchild of ARCW Karen states:

“The HIV Medical Home Bill will help alleviate the challenge of often-insufficient Medicare reimbursements for the types of health care services AIDS Network supplies to clients. We have worked to educate legislators about this challenge, and the need to restructure reimbursements so they’re more in tune with the marketplace.”

The problem with this statement is that it is simply not true.  First, the bill will not help “alleviate the challenge of often-insufficient Medicare reimbursements”   This legislation has NOTHING TO DO WITH MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENTS.  The legislation relates solely to MEDICAID reimbursements.  (There is a big difference between Medicare and Medicaid, Karen)

The second problem with the statement is that AIDS Network will not, in it’s current form, qualify for the reimbursements called for in this legislation.  One of the main requirements for increased reimbursements is that you provide medical care and treatment services.  AIDS Network does not run a medical clinic or, for that matter, fund the UW HIV Clinic. Another pathological exaggeration.

The third problem with this statement is Karen’s assertion that “We have worked to educate legislators about this challenge, and the need to restructure reimbursements so they’re more in tune with the marketplace”

Last time I checked Karen Dotson was not a registered lobbyist.   AIDS Network has been missing in action at the State Capital and has relied on the efforts of ARCW to effectively lobby for HIV/AIDS issues.  Karen, who do you think you’re fooling with this statement?

The spin machine is operating full throttle at AIDS Network and, in doing so, diminishing what little credibility the organization may have been able to hang onto during the last several years.  With every pathological exaggeration Karen Dotson is driving AIDS Network closer and closer to their ultimate demise.