9-25-12 Staten Island Hep B & C Task Force Meeting Highlights

Staten Island Hep B & C Task Force Meeting HighlightsTuesday September 25th (9:30-11:30 AM) 25 Victory Blvd, Staten Island
In Attendance: See below

Meeting Highlights

Staten Island Hep C Patient Support Group – Task Force discussion about how to support and advertise this group

• Group Leaders: Steve Loggins, SIUH MMTP (718)226-3826 or Mario Lamboy, Positive Health Project (212) 465-8304 mlamboy@phpnyc.org
• Meets the 3^rd Thursday of every month at 6:15 at the Regina M. McGinn, MD Medical Education Center conference room at the Staten Island University Hospital, North Site – 475 Seaview Ave
  • Challenge: participants worry about maintaining their confidentiality, in need of incentives such as metro-cards
• Next group meeting on Oct 18^th at 6:15pm will be focused on hepatitis education & discussion
  • Once a flyer is created we need everyone to distribute & post
• Next meeting will be November 15^th (see above – meeting agenda)

Hepatitis B & C Medical Care on Staten Island – Continuing Discussion & Identification of Resources

• Where Mono-infected Hep B & C Patients can get care – See existing resources on ‘NYC Hep B & C Services Site Locator’
• SIUH
  • Mary O’Conner will look into what doctors see mono-infected HBV/HCV patients at SIUH
• Hepatitis A & B Vaccination Gratis Sites (sources of free Hep A & B Vaccine) on Staten Island
  • Community Health Action of Staten Island: Joshua Sippen, Health Education & Prevention Director (Joshua.sippen@chasiny.org)
    • Mobile health unit goes to Midland Beach on Mondays 6p-8p; Port Richmound on Tuesdays noon-2p; Tompkins & Broad 9a-noon
• Federally Qualified Health Center on Staten Island
  • Community Health Center of Richmond at 235 Port Richmond Ave
    • How can we help guide, build capacity or provide technical assistance to be able to treat mono-infected HBV/HCV patients?
• Public Health Insurance on Staten Island: Issues & Concerns
  • Uninsured: Check out
    • HepCAP at Mt. Sinai:  NYS DOH pilot program that provides medical visit support coverage of Hep C evaluation costs for uninsured Hep C Patients
  • Medicaid for HIV patients in Staten Island – Amida Care has been working well

African Hep B & C Outreach on Staten Island

• African Services Committee – Saba Bekele (sabab@africanservices.org) & Daouda Ndiaye Hep B Patient Navigator – daoudan@africanservices.org
  • African Services Committee received CDC grant to provide HBV testing and linkage to care in the African Community. Will need to collaborate with community organizations to set up screenings.
    • African Refuge – yearly health fair maybe in the fall. Contact Judy Brown (718) 701-4055
    • Large Liberian community in Staten Island
    • Screening events will be coordinated by African Services Committee – please be in touch with Saba if you would like to partner and help plan the event
    • Possible locations: Church, African Refuge, SIUH
    • FYI: Worldwide hepatitis distribution map
      • Prevalence of chronic hepatitis C infection
      • Prevalence of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus, 2006

Advocacy Update

• See latest breaking Policy & Advocacy Alerts
• We will be keeping up with the progress of adding “hepatitis” to the list of qualified diseases for Health Homes
• Report Obstacles to Care to NY State Medicaid Managed Care. Report issues that you face helping your Hepatitis B & C patients access care and treatment through NYS DOH Department that oversees Pharmacy services provided through Medicaid Managed Care. Describing the issue in detail in an email to: PPNO@Health.state.ny.US.

Closing & Next Meeting Planning

• Next meeting: October 30^th
  • If you have agenda items you would like to add for the next meeting, please contact Nirah (njohnso2@health.nyc.gov)
• Planning a Hep B & C  Staten Island Training for Community Based Organizations. Please think about When & Where would be best for your organization and make suggestions to: njohnso2@health.nyc.gov

Other Notes

• HCV Advocate awareness materials. Print copies from webpage or order pamphlets/brochures at: http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/materials.asp

In Attendance:

Steve Loggins (Kimthankful@aol.com); Miryah Morris (miryah_morris@vrtx.com); Mary O’Connor (Mary_O’Connor@siuh.edu); Saba Bekele, Testing (sabab@africanservices.org); Sharon Jensen (Sharon.Jensen@chasiny.org); Denise Egan (DEgan@orasure.com); Pam I. Pitts (ppitts@orasure.com); Nicole Bannister (nbannister@health.nyc.gov); Greg Romen (greg@livercare.org); Barbara Sullivan,  Associate Director of Data Management (Barbara.Sullivan@chasiny.org); Ronald Francois (rfrancois@orasure.com); Israel Rivera, CHASI (718) 808-1444;  Nirah Johnson <njohnso2@health.nyc.gov>; Joshua Sippen, Health Education & Prevention Director  (joshua.sippen@chasiny.org)