Community Health Centers Urge Screening and Awareness as National Hepatitis Awareness Month Kicks Off

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Community Health Centers Urge Screening and Awareness as National Hepatitis Awareness Month Kicks Off

5/2/2006 2:21:00 PM

National Desk, Health Reporter

Contact: Kidney, 301-347-0400

WASHINGTON, May 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More than 800 new cases of hepatitis C (HCV) have been diagnosed in six Community Health Centers as part of a pilot initiative which began less than one year ago. Community Health Centers across the country are urging early screening, diagnosis and treatment of the disease as National Hepatitis Awareness Month kicks off today.

There are approximately 30,000 cases of acute hepatitis C each year in the U.S. Around 55 percent to 85 percent of people who are exposed to the virus become chronically infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the number of deaths from end-stage liver disease in the U.S. alone will reach 30,000 to 40,000 annually by the year 2010.

Hepatitis C is spread primarily by direct contact with blood of an HCV infected person. The majority of new infections are acquired through intravenous drug use. Hepatitis C testing is recommended for persons who ever injected illegal drugs, received blood products or organs before 1992, were treated with hemodialysis, have had a needlestick injury in a workplace setting, born to a mother with hepatitis C, or have undiagnosed liver disease.

Many people are unaware of their infection because chronic hepatitis C is often asymptomatic over many years, and for this reason, it is under-diagnosed. Untreated, hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, either of which can be fatal. The CDC estimates that nearly 4 million Americans are infected with the virus.

The National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc. (NACHC) piloted a state-of-the-art clinical education and training program in July 2005 to better prepare primary care clinicians at community health centers to diagnose and treat Hepatitis C.

According to Curtin, MD, NACHC chief medical officer, "There is no question that hepatitis C is prevalent within the community health center patient populations. It is important that these centers play a vital role in identifying at-risk patients and include liver wellness as part of the regimen. Lifestyle changes, and treatment when indicated, can make a difference in the progression of their liver disease."

NACHC has focused energy and resources, through a grant from Roche, to initiate an HCV treatment program at six pilot sites in 2005 and currently is planning for an additional 12 health centers to participate in 2006 - 2007.

"It's staggering, the number of cases we're seeing," says Stabile, PA-C, director of Clinical Care at F. Community Health Center in New York City, a participating health center in the NACHC HCV Initiative. "In order for us to successfully combat this disease, people need to be screened for risk factors, tested for the disease, diagnosed, educated and treated if applicable."

Norris, the project manager for the NACHC HCV Initiative says, "While the major focus of the NACHC HCV Initiative is on clinical education and training of health center providers to keep the treatment of HCV at the patients' medical homes, we are equally concerned with prevention, screening and awareness and are taking steps to educate our patients and the public about this growing threat to public health."

During the month of May, and all year long, Community Health Centers encourage individuals who may be at risk, to get screened for Hepatitis C by their primary care physician and if necessary, get treatment as soon as possible. For more information visit http://www.nachc.com

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Individuals quoted in this release are available for interviews upon request. Call 301-347-0400 for Tom Curtin, M.D., and Norris. For Stabile, contact 212- 749-1820.

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Established in 1971, NACHC is a non-profit organization whose mission is 1) to represent the interests of federally supported and other federally qualified health centers and 2) to serve as an information source concerning issues of health care for poor and medically underserved populations in the United States.

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