Community Health Centers Urge Screening and Awareness as National Hepatitis Awareness Month Kicks Off
Community Health Centers Urge Screening and Awareness as National Hepatitis
Awareness Month Kicks Off
5/2/2006 2:21:00 PM
To: National Desk, Health Reporter
Contact: Robert 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 Thomas 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 Paul Stabile, PA-C,
director of Clinical Care at William F. Ryan 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."
Linda 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 Linda Norris. For Paul
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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