Hep Free NYC Meeting Highlights | 06-10-2026
A Joint Hep B Coalition & Hep C NY Meeting
June 10, 2026 (2 – 4 PM)
Attendance: See below
Presentations
Hepatitis C & LGBTQ+ Health Disparities: Barriers, Equity and Community-Based Approaches to Care
Luis Gonzalez Corro, MD, Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, NYU Langone and NYC Health + Hospitals – Bellevue – Luis.GonzalezCorro@nyulangone.org
- View Presentation here
- Structural barriers LGBTQ+ face: negative healthcare experiences, stigma and medical mistrust reduces engagement and delays Hep C diagnosis or treatment.
- Participants from the Community Hep C Access to Treatment Interviews identify housing instability, transportation, active substance use, incarceration, competing priorities and health care systems as the true barriers to receiving Hep C care.
- The Hep C cure exists; access remains unequal.
Hepatitis & Harm Reduction: A Principal Way to Prevention and Access to Treatment
Mike Selick, MSW, Director of Capacity Building and Community Mobilization, Harm Reduction Coalition – selick@harmreduction.org
- View presentation here
- The Harm Reduction Approach
- Health & Dignity: Establishes quality of individual and community well-being as the criteria for successful intervention & policies.
- Peer/Community Involvement: Ensures community members have a real voice in the creation of programs and policies designed to serve them.
- Community Centered Services: Calls for non-judgmental and non-coercive services and resources for people who use drugs and/or underserved communities to assist in reducing attendant harm.
- Participant Autonomy: Affirms the individual as the primary agent of change.
- Sociocultural Factors: Recognizing that various social inequities affect people’s vulnerability and capacity.
- Pragmatism and Realism: Does not attempt to minimize or ignore real and tragic harm.
Hep Free NYC Committee Updates
Advocacy Committee Update
Jeannine Garriga, Outreach Coordinator, HCMSG – jeannine.hcmsg@gmail.com
- View presentation here
- Kathy Hochul announced $268 billion in NYS FY 2026-2027 Enact Budget.
- Join Hep Free NYC Advocacy Listserv for updates.
- Interested in joining the Advocacy Leadership Committee, email megchappell@empireliverfoundation.org and E.Goldfarb@housingworks.org.
State Budget: Viral Hepatitis
Ellie Goldfarb, MPH, Program Coordinator, Housing Works – e.goldfarb@housingworks.org
- Hep C funding was baselined at roughly $9 million (with $5 million dedicated for Hep C elimination.
- Article 6, through which the state provides matching funding for public health programs, was fully restored to previous level of 36%.
Hep B Vaccination Updates
Micheal Jackson, MPH, MS, Program Director, Prevention Policy, Hep B Foundation – michaela.jackson@hepb.org
- Universal Hep B Birth Dose should be promoted and is covered by health insurance.
- The US President signed an Executive Order on May 29, 2026, directing federal health agencies to align the U.S. childhood immunization schedule with European vaccine policies. The CDC is scheduled to review HHS assessment that recommends reducing the routine childhood vaccines from 17 to 11 vaccines.
- Action steps:
- Amp up Hep B Vaccination positive messaging! Education is key!
Announcements:
New Hep C NY Logo
10 Hep Free NYC Champions joined the Hep C Transition team to create a new name and logo for the former Hep C Taskforce, now known as Hep C New York (Hep C NY). Many thanks to Robert and Ronni from HCMSG for their work on the new logo.
Hep B Coalition Survey
Hep Free NYC is interested in identifying needs and interests of the NYC Hep B Coalition partners related to our capacity-building activities. Please take 5 – 10 minutes to complete this survey
Upcoming Events
- From Harm Reduction to Hep C Elimination | July 13 (5 – 7:30 PM)
- Bronx Anti-Stigma March & Hepatitis Outreach Event | July 28 @ Lou Gehrig Plaza (10AM – 3 PM). RSVP
- Brooklyn Screening & Outreach Event | July 28 @ Restoration Plaza (11 AM – 3 PM). RSVP
Attendance:
- Alexis Brenes, abrenes@health.nyc.gov
- Alma Chaves, achaves@health.nyc.gov
- Amy Van Den Einde, amy.vandeneinde@polkcountymn.gov
- Christina Richard, crichard@co.orange.tx.us
- Daniel Soto, daniel.soto2@mountsinai.org
- Ellie Goldfarb, e.goldfarb@housingworks.org
- Emily Gordis, emily.gordis@cdph.ca.gov
- Eunice Han, eunice@kcsny.org
- Farma Pene, fpene@health.nyc.gov
- Fatou Doumouya, fdoumouya@health.nyc.gov
- Fernando Valerio, fvalerio@chnnyc.org
- Heather Richmond, hrichmond@dynavax.com
- Heidi Innvaer, hinnvaer@carvercountymn.gov
- Helen Price-Wharff helen.price-wharff@maine.gov
- Ibrahima Sankare, ibrahimas@africanservices.org
- Ivan Mumlek, imumlek@gmail.com
- Jeannine Garriga, jeannine.hcmsg@gmail.com
- Jielei Wong, jielei.wong@nyulangone.org
- Jon Alejo, jalejo23@gmail.com
- Joy Cambe, joycambe@empireliverfoundation.org
- Joy Zhu, jizhu@cbwchc.org
- Julia Cohen, jcohen8@health.nyc.gov
- Julie Yoshimachi, jyoshimachi@cbwchc.org
- Justin Chen, jchen@cbwchc.org
- Katherine Lesser, klesser@schuylercountyny.gov
- Kesha Dunnigan, kesha.dunnigan@flhealth.gov
- Liz Smith, lizsmith@co.orange.tx.us
- Luis Gonzalez Corro, luis.gonzalezcorro@nyulangone.org
- Luke Grandis, luke.grandis@health.ny.gov
- Maria Ostile, maria.ostlie@alaska.gov
- Marie Bresnahan, mbresnahan@helath.nyc.gov
- Mary Chiang, mchiang@cbwchc.org
- Matthew Akiyama, matthew.akiyama@einsteinmed.edu
- Meg Chappell, megchappell@empireliverfoundation.org
- Michelle Liu, michelle.liu@hepb.org
- Mike Selick, selick@harmreduction.org
- Monica Jines, mjines@bartholomew.in.gov
- Natalia Dorantes, natalia_dorantes@yahoo.com
- Nicki Harris, harrisn15@nychhc.org
- Perla Romero, perla@alliance.nyc
- Rahel Yosief, ryosief@health.nyc.gov
- Ralicia Haughton, rhaughton@boomhealth.org
- Rebecca Russell, rebecca.russell@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
- Reed Vreeland, rvreeland@health.nyc.gov
- Rev. Robbin Clarke, clarkerobbin@gmail.com
- Reyna Patel, rpatel6@health.nyc.gov
- Robert Desrouleaux, robert.hcmsg@gmail.com
- Ronni Marks, ronnimarks24@gmail.com
- Roxanne Krepper, rkrepper@health.in.gov
- Tommy Byers, tbyers@co.orange.tx.us
- Umaima Khatun, ukhatun@health.nyc.gov
- Versalle Shelton, vshelton@health.nyc.gov
Last Updated on July 7, 2026 by HepFree NYC
