Hep C Task Force Annual Ad Board Meeting Highlights

Proposed Hep C Task Force 2017 Goals

1. Hold one general Task Force meeting in each borough, and a citywide meeting at the end of the year.
2. Maintain website and social media platforms

• We recently received funding to do major changes to the Hep Free NYC website. We are in the process of mapping out a new website.
• We will continue to promote social media content by boosting posts, asking partners to share our content, etc.
• We should leverage increased attention and the threat to drug user and immigrant health care to increase awareness about Hep C.

3. Organize and facilitate committees

Hep C Prevention in Youth

• Recently released a Hep C Prevention in Youth Video, in partnership with Tackling Youth Substance Abuse. The video was created by a grant received by Birds Nest foundation. View the video here
• The Hep C Prevention, Education, and Outreach (HOPE) Interns are currently doing Hep C presentations at local colleges, and tabling at health fairs.

LGBTQ

• In 2016, created an LGBTQ Hep Resource card.
• In 2017, will create a second addition of the resource card and launch a Hep A and B vaccination campaign for the LGBTQ community.

Faith-Based

• Will hold a Hepatitis training and interfaith service on Tuesday May 16^th (Location to be decided soon)
• Working on a toolkit guide for faith leaders and communities on how to prevent, manage, and treat Hepatitis in faith communities.
• We will recruit sanctuary churches to the committee and interfaith event.

Public Education

• Members of this new committee will help educate at-risk populations about Hepatitis and distribute Hepatitis resources in their community.
• Our first meeting was March 1
• We will develop a Hep Free NYC Speakers Bureau.

Hep C Consumers

• We held our most recent meeting on March 23.
• Participants discussed their barriers to receiving care, and also received a Naloxone training.

Communications

• We recently secured funding to do major edits to the Hep Free NYC website.
• The Communications Committee will help plan a social media strategy for National Hep Awareness Month (May)
• All Board Members are strongly encouraged to follow us on social media and use #HepFreeNYC when posting.

Events Planning

• The Events Planning Committee is organizing the Hep Awareness Day on the Steps of City Hall. The date and time is May 10 at 11:00 AM.

4. Organize and/or participate in annual awareness day commemorations

1. National Hispanic Hepatitis Awareness Day (May 15)
2. National Hepatitis Testing Day (May 19)
3. World Hepatitis Day (July 28)
4. National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hep Awareness Day (September 9)
5. Liver Cancer Awareness Month (October)
6. Hepatitis on the Hill
7. AASLD Hill Day

5. Support City Council Viral Hepatitis Initiative

1. Check Hep C Patient Navigation Program. Check out the Check Hep C Patient Navigation one page final report, City Council map, and FY2018 budget request.
2. Hep C Peer Navigation Program. Check out the Hep C Peer Navigation one page final report, City Council map, and FY2018 budget request.

Hep C Task Force Ad Board Members

1. Carlos Rosario, Hepatitis C Organizer, VOCAL-NY, (carlos@vocal-ny.org)
2. Colleen Flanigan, Adult Viral Hepatitis Coordinator, New York State Health Department (flanigan@health.ny.gov)
3. Daniel Leyva, Deputy to the President, Latino Commission on AIDS, (DLeyva@latinoaids.org)
4. Daniel Raymond,National Policy Director, Harm Reduction Coalition, (raymond@harmreduction.org)
5. Emily Winkelstein, Cross Systems Program Specialist, NYC Health Department, Bureau of Alcohol & Drug Use Prevention, Care & Treatment (ewinkelstein@health.nyc.gov)
6. Eric Rude, Policy and Development, NYC Health Department (ERude@health.nyc.gov)
7. Margarita Cabral, Administrative Staff Analyst, New York City Housing Authority (Cabral@nycha.nyc.gov)
8. Hector Quinones, Director of Social Services, After Hours Project (hquinones@afterhoursproject.org)
9. Jazmin Rivera, Project Coordinator, Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (jazmin@sipcw.org)
10. Jeff Weiss, Director of the Hepatitis C Clinical and Research Program, Mount Sinai (weiss@mountsinai.org)
11. Melissa Baker, Vice-President of Administration/Special Projects, National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS(mbaker@nblca.org)
12. Paul Bolter, Community Outreach and Education Manager, American Liver Foundation (PBolter@liverfoundation.org)
13. Robert Suarez, Harm Reduction Community Organizer, VOCAL-NY(robert@vocal-ny.org)
14. Shellyann Vassell, Registered Nurse, Zucker Hillside Hospital (svassell@northwell.edu)
15. Sue Preziotti MPH candidate at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (preziotti@yahoo.com )
16. Vinh Pham, Medical Director for the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, New York University, (pham@nyumc.org)