NYC Hep C Task Force Meeting Highlights | 07-24-2024

July 24, 2024 (3 – 5 PM)

Attendance: See below

Presentations

Hep C in the NYC Jail System
Chibuzo U Enemchukwu, MD, MS, Viral Hepatitis/HIV Clinical (Medspan) Director, Clinical Education/Population Health Initiatives Director, NYC Health + Hospitals Correctional Health – enemchuc1@nychhc.org

View presentation here
In 2023 + H1 2024 the Correctional Health Hep C Program

375 individuals were referred
- 141 individuals started treatment
  - 48 individuals were discharged mid-treatment
- 20 individuals declined Hep C evaluation
Challenges:
- Re-entry planning and post release engagement
- Short stay facility interferes completion of treatment
Solutions: Build and strengthen citywide partnerships and collaborations

Hep C Diagnosis, Treatment and Cure Among NYC Ryan White Program Part A (RWPA) Clients
Jelani Cheek, MPH, HIV/HCV Evaluation Specialist, NYC Health Department – jcheek@health.nyc.gov

View presentation here & poster
Of People with Hep C enrolled in any RWPA who received at least 1 service between January 2019 and December 2022:
- 87% of RWPA clients and 83% of people with reported Hep C and HIV co-infection were Black or Latinx, reflecting the role of systemic racism and perpetuating socioeconomic and health inequities
- People who inject drugs had higher odds of Hep C, but lower odds of Hep C cure, highlighting gaps in HIV/Hep C care in this priority population

Check Hep C Program Highlight: Community Healthcare Network
Fernando Valerio, Hep C Navigator, Community Healthcare Network – fvalerio@chnnyc.org

View presentation here

Viral Hepatitis Elimination Plan Update
Reed Vreeland, MPA, Viral Hepatitis Elimination Coordinator/Policy Analyst, Viral Hepatitis Program, NYC Health Department – rvreeland@health.nyc.gov

View presentation here

Hep Free NYC Committee Updates

Advocacy Committee
Meg Chappell, MPH, Program Manager, Empire Liver Foundation – megchappell@empireliverfoundation.org

View presentation here
NYC Council Viral Hepatitis initiative FY 25 Budget Season
- View the FY2025 Adopted Expense Budget
Join Hep Free NYC Advocacy Listserv for updates

Coalition against Hepatitis in People of African Origin (CHIPO) – NYC Committee
Sarah Ahmed, MPH, CHES, Social Marketing Director, NYC Health Department – sahmed10@health.nyc.gov

Farma Pene recently transitioned out of CHIPO-NYC committee leadership and we appreciate her for all the collective goals she helped achieve. We are excited to continue our work in eliminating Hep B and C with people of African origin and expand to other Black diasporas in NYC.

South Asian hepatitis Initiative (SAHI)
Umaima Khatun, Project Director, NYC Health Department – ukhatun@health.nyc.gov

3 South Asian organizations – South Asian Council for Social Services, Council of People Organization and Project New Yorker – joined us to raise awareness for Hep B and C in NYC.
2 South Asian organizations – Project New Yorker and South Asian Council for Social Services – applied to the Hep B United Mini Grant!
Interested in collaborating with other South Asian partners, email news@hepfree.nyc

Communications Committee
Alma Chaves, MPH, Projects Coordinator, NYC Health Department – achaves@health.nyc.gov

Interested in creating video /audio content of educational material, email news@hepfree.nyc
Upcoming meeting: August 28, 2024 (1 – 2 PM). RSVP

Announcements:

The Alliance for Positive Change will be hosting members from the U.K. Harm Reduction agency and local health department on August 29 thru September 3. They are interested in learning about New York’s response to synthetic opioids and meeting with harm reductionists and Hep C experts, to compare trends and health department initiatives. Contact Dan Knitzer at dan@alliance.nyc to schedule a meeting.
Join the Hep Free NYC South Bronx Screening & Outreach Event on August 14 from 8 am – 2pm to commemorate National African American Hep C Action Day & World Hepatitis Day. If interested in participating, email news@hepfree.nyc. View flyer here

Attendance:

Abigail Hunter, Clinical Program Manager, Vocal-NY, abigail@vocal-ny.org
Alejandra Poma, Program Manager, BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers, apoma@bmsfhc.org
Alexander Drab, Education and Training Coordinator, Prevention Programs, BOOM!Health, adrab@boomhealth.org
Alexis Brenes, Community Project Coordinator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, abrenes@health.nyc.gov
Alma Chaves, Program Coordinator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, achaves@health.nyc.gov
Assita Belemkoabga, Associate Researcher, Mount Sinai Health System, belemkoabga@mssm.edu
Brian Hennessey, Managing Director for Biomedical Prevention and Navigation Services, Housing Works, hennessey@housingworks.org
Charlotte Miller, Mount Sinai Health System, miller@mountsinai.org
Corrinne Green, Hepatitis Data and Evaluation Manager, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, cgreen8@health.nyc.gov
Curry Ji Millsap, RN, St. Louis County Department of Health, cmillsap@stlouiscountymo.gov
Daemena Leocadio, Patient Navigator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, leocadio@mssm.edu
Dan Knitzer, Assistant Director of Communications, The Alliance for Positive Change, dan@alliance.nyc
Daryin Hummel, LEAP Care Coordinator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, hummel@mssm.edu
David Cushman, Gilead Science, cushman@gilead.com
Dawn Schuk, Founder, Sisterlink, dawnhollynyc@aol.com
Derett Jepson, District Sales Manager, HCV NY, AbbVie, jepson@abbvie.com
Destini McMillan-Foster, Program Assistant, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, dmcmillanfoster@health.nyc.gov
Elizabeth (Betty) Kolod, Assistant Professor/Prev Med Assoc Program Director, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, kolod@mssm.edu
Erica Finfer, Project Manager – Perinatal HCV, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, efinfer@health.nyc.gov
Farma Pene, Program Coordinator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, fpene@health.nyc.gov
Fernando Valerio, Patient Navigator, Community Healthcare Network, fvalerio@chnnyc.org
Francina Collado, Hep C Care Coordinator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, collado@mssm.edu
George Cannon, Sales Representative/HVC Specialist, AbbVie, cannon@abbvie.com
Jacob Herrera, HCV Program Coordinator, Mount Sinai Health System, herrera@mountsinai.org
Jeannine Garriga, Patient Navigator, BOOM!Health, jgarriga@boomhealth.org
Jeff Hotaling, HCV Testing Coordinator, NYS Department of Health – The AIDS Institute, hotaling@health.ny.gov
Jelani Cheek, HIV/HCV Evaluation Specialist, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, jcheek@health.nyc.gov
Joelle Bodeta, Hepatitis Patient Navigator, NYC Health + Hospitals – Elmhurst Hospital Center, bodetaj@nychhc.org
Joy Cambe, Program Coordinator, Empire Liver Foundation, joycambe@empireliverfoundation.org
Jules Levin, Executive Director, National Association on Drug Abuse Problems (New York State), Inc., jules@natap.org
Karine Rozenberg-Ben-Dro, Viral Hepatitis Community Partner, rozenberg@va.gov
Kathleen Davis, NP, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, kathleen_davis@urmc.rochester.edu
Kevin Morris, Sales Representative, AbbVie, morris@abbvie.com
Leandra Ureña, Hep C Community Navigation Program Coordinator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, lurea@health.nyc.gov
Lismeiry Paulino, Patient Navigator, Mount Sinai Health System, paulino@mountsinai.org
Liz Tang, Telenavigation Project Director, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, ltang@health.nyc.gov
Marie Bresnahan, Director Training, Policy and Administration, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, mbresnahan@health.nyc.gov
Matthew Boyer, New York State Health Department, boyer@health.ny.gov
Matthew Akiyama, Infectious Disease/HIV/criminal justice, Montefiore Medical Center, akiyama@einsteinmed.edu
Medesa Garrett, HCV Program Coordinator, Sun River Health, mgarrett@sunriver.org
Mike Selick, Hepatitis C Training and Policy Manager, New York Harm Reduction Coalition, selick@harmreduction.org
Naijely Garcia, Hep C Peer Navigator, Housing Works, garcia@housingworks.org
Natalia Gonzalez-Varela, Viral Hepatitis Community Partner, gonzalen27@nychhc.org
Perla Romero, Assistant Director of Outreach, Education & Linkage to Care, The Alliance for Positive Change, perla@alliance.nyc
Petal Sonny, Case Manager, Bedford-Stuyvesant Family Health Center, psonny@bsfhc.org
Raphael Simonson, Viral Hepatitis Community Partner, simonsor1@nychhc.org
Reed Vreeland, Viral Hepatitis Research Analyst, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, rvreeland@health.nyc.gov
Renee Frink-Boyd, Hepatitis C Outreach Specialist, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, boyd@phila.gov
Robert Desrouleaux, Program Manager, The Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group, Inc., rdesrouleaux@hepatitiscmsg.org
Ronni Marks, Founding Director, The Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group, Inc., ronnimarks24@gmail.com
Sarah Ahmed, Social Marketing Director, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, sahmed10@health.nyc.gov
Sarah Weihl, Health Care Access Specialist, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, sweihl@health.nyc.gov
Sarah Usher, HCV Coordinator, Sun River Health, susher@sunriver.org
Shamar Smalls, Project Coordinator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, ssmalls1@health.nyc.gov
Theodore Reid, Senior Engagement Specialist, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, reid@ppgreaterny.org
Umaima Khatun, Program Manager, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, ukhatun@health.nyc.gov
Versalle Shelton, Clinical Practice Facilitator, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, vshelton@health.nyc.gov
Vivian Singletary, Hep C Peer Navigator, Housing Works, singletary@housingworks.org

Last Updated on August 8, 2024 by HepFree NYC