Positive Connections Newsletter

Staff Spotlight: Meet Kyle

Kyle is shown here in the driver's seat of the ARcare Mobile Unit,
which he regularly drives to HIV testing events across the state.

Kyle is a Service Access Specialist in Batesville. As part of our case management team, he works with clients to connect them to HIV care and community resources available through the Ryan White program.

We recently checked in to learn a little more about Kyle. Here’s what we learned:

Kyle is always willing to lend a hand, frequently offering his assistance to other case managers around the state. With that kind of work ethic, it’s no wonder he describes a typical day as follows: “coffee, phone calls, more coffee, paperwork, even more coffee, and repeat!” His passion doesn’t stop with case management. At any given time, you may see Kyle causing a commotion at HIV testing and awareness events around Arkansas. It’s really not surprising that one of his favorite memories from work is “maneuvering the ARcare mobile unit through busy downtown Little Rock with Cathy Nation onboard!”

Here's some Fast Facts about our Pal, Kyle:

Little Know Fact: Kyle has a twin brother.

One Thing He Can’t Resist: Memphis BBQ!

Favorite Movie Line: “Helloooo!” –from Mrs. Doubtfire

Celebrity He’d Most Like to Meet: Guy Fieri

Greatest Fear: Never finding his true love.

Nickname at Work: 'Kevin'

Kyle is inspired by the one and only Elvis Presley, which he remembers as “a true Southern Gentleman with a heart of pure gold. He would go out of his way to help anyone, despite having…fame and fortune at his disposal.” He’s also inspired by nature, including Colorado Springs, CO. “I absolutely fell in love with the Rocky Mountains!”

Kyle attends the 2019 SYNC Conference in Washington, D.C.
with Outreach coordinators Jeff Walker and Danny Harris.

Before he joined Positive Connections, Kyle was active in several other career areas, such as real estate and music education. In fact, Kyle was previously a band director teaching music to kids in an Arkansas community just a few years ago. He says that if he weren’t a case manager, he’d be a band director once again. When asked what new thing he’d like to learn, he first started to jokingly sing the lyrics to Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time: "I had to make a Cher joke!” he says. Eventually he gave in and stated, “I’d learn to fly an airplane.”

When asked what words he would use to describe ARcare Positive Connections, he said “compassionate, caring, and committed.”

Thank you, Kyle, for your commitment to offering compassion to our clients and patients at ARcare Positive Connections!

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Kyle is a Service Access Specialist in our Batesville Service Access Center. He participates in outreach and testing activities throughout Arkansas and is available to meet with people living with HIV to connect them to care and support available through the Ryan White program. Kyle may be reached here.

Positive Connections is a program at ARcare connecting the community to HIV prevention, treatment and empowerment. We believe in a future vision with zero new HIV transmissions and where every person living with or affected by HIV can thrive. You can learn more about the Positive Connections Program here.

Staff Spotlight: Meet Tren

Tren (left) joins our Operation Director Pat (right)
at the Simply Red Annual Empowerment Event in 2019.

Tren is a Service Access Specialist in Little Rock. As part of our case management team, Tren works with clients to connect them to HIV care available through the Ryan White program. She creates a plan of care for each client and assists them in accessing community resources and services.

We recently checked in to learn a little more about Tren. Here’s what we learned:

Tren is inspired daily by her son. According to this proud mother, “he’s God’s GREATEST gift to me and its only right that I do my best and work as hard as I can to instill the values of education and importance of family.” She is also inspired by historical places of significance. When asked what her favorite travel destination was, she said Washington, DC. “It’s my favorite place because it has so many monumental places, such as the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial.”

If you visit the Little Rock office, you may see Tren multi-tasking to help clients and get things done. In both working with clients and in her own life, she often recalls a quote from the movie The Players Club: “Make the money. Don’t let it make you.” She says although her phone may ring off the hook all day long, she also gets a lot of laughs from her clients and co-workers throughout the day to make up for it. One moment she remembers well is seeing her name on her office door for the first time. “It’s corny, I know, but it made me feel ‘official’.”

When asked what words she would use to describe ARcare Positive Connections, she said “motivating, life-changing, and trustworthy.”

Thank you, Tren, for being a motivating force in the lives of our clients at ARcare Positive Connections.

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Tren is a Service Access Specialist in our Little Rock Service Access Center. She participates in outreach and testing activities in Little Rock and is available to meet with people living with HIV to connect them to care and support available through the Ryan White program. Tren may be reached here.

HIV & COVID-19: A Message from our Medical Director

Dr. Moore presents at the Delta HIV Symposium on March 6.

I know these are trying times now for us all as we cope with a new reality of living with the COVID-19 epidemic. I want you to be assured that ARcare and Positive Connections are here for you. We are open and are still seeing clients at our Service Access Centers. We are recommending you call and talk to your case manager to see if a need can be met with a phone call. We can also complete your screenings over the phone, if needed. For those who use ARcare as their HIV clinic provider, we are still providing clinic visits in the ARcare clinics when necessary. However, we can also set up a video telehealth visit or phone call with you and your HIV provider so that you do not have to come to the ARcare medical clinic.

We are learning more and more about COVID-19 as time goes by, especially as it relates to people living with HIV. For those with stable Cd4 counts, you should not be at any higher risk of COVID-19 infection or complications. But we urge all of our clients/patients to practice social isolation as directed staying 6 feet away from others, in order to limit your possible exposure. The other item as you are all aware is to wash hands with foamy soap and water for 20 to 30 seconds. The virus has a “fat layer” on its outside, and the soap removes the fat layer which inactivates the virus, and the water will wash it all away. Wash your hands frequently throughout the day, especially after touching commonly touched surfaces (door knobs, rails, touchpads, pens) and also wash your hands before eating or drinking. Currently the CDC is not recommending the general public to wear masks unless you yourself have a cough or if you are a healthcare worker caring for someone with or suspected to have COVID-19.

Please keep yourself current by seeking reputable sources (CDC, Arkansas Department of Health, your medical provider) for the latest updates in order to stay healthy. Much dis-information, conspiracy theories, and “fake news” is shared, so on social media, be sure to check the sources for all posts to make sure the item is from a reliable source.

Again, ARcare Positive Connections is here for you, even if you just need someone to talk to. Together we can get through this!

J. Dan Moore, MD

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J. Dan Moore, MD is the Program Medical Director for Positive Connections and the Chief Medical Information Officer for ARcare. He manages medical visits for patients at five HIV clinic locations and throughout scattered sites via HIV Telehealth visits. Dr. Moore may be reached here.