Hepatitis Happenings and Updates
NASTAD Updates
Upcoming NASTAD-led Work Group Calls
Updated workgroup meeting dates and times are listed below. Please be sure to register for the workgroups you would like to attend. If you would like to join the Hepatitis Workgroup calls, email Zakiya Grubbs (zgrubbs@nastad.org) or Isabel Lechuga (rlechuga@nastad.org). For the Newer Hepatitis Staff calls email Jasmine West (jwest@nastad.org).
Hepatitis Workgroup Calls
Bimonthly call to discuss recent hepatitis updates. Each meeting includes updates on hepatitis advocacy and policy, and drug user health. Participants are encouraged to send in Hot Topics for discussion to hepatitis@nastad.org prior to the meeting. For the meeting link, please email Zakiya Grubbs (zgrubbs@nastad.org) or Isabel Lechuga (rlechuga@nastad.org).
- Schedule: Bimonthly calls every first Tuesday from 3:30 - 4:30 PM ET
- Upcoming dates: April 2, June 4, August 6, October 1, 2024
- Intended Audience: Closed to health department prevention and surveillance staff.
Hepatitis C Linkage to Care Workgroup
This workgroup, led by Amelia Salmanson, Utah Viral Hepatitis Coordinator and HepTAC consultant, is a space to share best practices and learn from other jurisdictions about disease intervention specialists (DIS), linkage to care, and patient navigation.
- Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
- Upcoming dates: February 15, May 16, August 15, 2024
- Intended Audience: Health department prevention and/or surveillance staff working on HCV linkage to care.
- Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtfuCgpjMpGtIaEJBAq0HeBp0Rsf6I-KF-
Perinatal Surveillance and Case Management Workgroup (new!)
For jurisdictions looking to start or have previously established a perinatal hepatitis surveillance and case management program, this space is for sharing challenges and breakthroughs. Discussion topics include identifying cases within existing surveillance, developing a registry, infant follow-up testing and case management, and provider outreach.
- Schedule: Bimonthly, then quarterly calls from 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET
- Upcoming dates: February 22 (discussion lead by New Jersey), April 11, June 20, September 19, 2024
- Intended Audience: Health department prevention and/or surveillance staff working on perinatal hepatitis B and C surveillance and case management.
- Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArd-6tqDgrH9F9M64LUFClne5d2Ldbmiec
Outbreak Detection Planning Work Group
Collaborative space for jurisdictions to discuss developing and implementing an outbreak response plan for Hepatitis A, B, and C. Jurisdictions can share best practices and outbreak response activities, including monitoring surveillance data to identify outbreaks. The featured jurisdiction for February is Massachusetts.
- Schedule: Monthly calls every fourth Tuesday from 3:30 - 4:30 PM ET
- Upcoming dates: February 27, March 26, April 23, May 28
- Intended audience: Health department prevention and surveillance staff working on developing and implementing an outbreak response plan as a part of PS 21-2103 Component 1 grant activities.
- Registration: https://nastad.zoom.us/j/84875059553
Newer Hepatitis Staff Calls
These calls are being restructured in 2023 and are open to all new hepatitis health department staff who started their roles in the respective quarter of the call date. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet-and-greet others and familiarize themselves with NASTAD’s Newer Hepatitis Staff Toolkit. Reach out to Jasmine West (jwest@nastad.org) to be added to the invitation.
- Schedule: Quarterly calls from 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
- Upcoming dates: March 25, June 24, September 23, 2024
- Intended Audience: Newer hepatitis program staff (e.g. program coordinators, surveillance staff, etc.)
VLC recordings/upcoming sessions
The next VLC session, to be held on February 21 at 3 pm ET, is titled “Developing an annual surveillance publication to increase public awareness and access to viral hepatitis data,” with a presentation by Larissa Wilberscheid, New York Department of Health, and moderated by Danica Kuncio, Philadelphia Department of Health and HepTAC consultant.
Earlier this month, we held the session “Managing a longitudinal database registry in NBS” presented by Paula Shoup and Kate Goodin, with the Tennessee Department of Health, Sherri Davidson, with the Alabama Department of Public Health, and moderated by Noreen Kloc with CDC DVH.
We are looking for speakers to share their viral hepatitis expertise during the Virtual Learning Collaborative Year 3. Please indicate on this form which dates and topics you are interested in presenting or moderating. Thank you!
Please visit the VLC microsite for more information and to watch recordings from previous VLC sessions.
Additional Updates
Hepatitis National Network for Education and Testing (HepNET)
Formed through a partnership between NASTAD, NVHR, and NACCHO, the Hepatitis Network for Education and Testing (HepNET) is a collaborative initiative dedicated to advancing racial justice and health equity in viral hepatitis care, with a focus on people who use drugs. Click here to become a member completely free! Members get access to HepNET's resource warehouse, webinars and events, invitations, technical assistance opportunities, and the chance to participate in HepNET's learning communities.
NASTAD Membership Directory Update
We are updating our membership directory to include both viral hepatitis prevention and surveillance points of contact. Please provide the contact information for your jurisdiction here, and review the current directory here. Thank you!
Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance and Cost-sharing Assistance Programs: Hepatitis
Updated information on patient assistance and cost-sharing programs for hepatitis B and C medications can be found here.
Patient Navigation for People Who Use Drugs: Overview and Recommendations from a CDC-funded Demonstration Project
In 2019, NASTAD Drug User Health received CDC funding to oversee a demonstration project that would fund syringe services programs (SSPs) to provide patient navigation services for participants. Between 2020 and 2022, eight SSPs around the United States developed and implemented patient navigation services to facilitate engagement with medical and social services for people who use drugs (PWUD). The microsite contains background, lessons learned through program experiences during the project, and resources for the development and operation of SSP-based patient navigation services.
Hot Topics: HepTAC TA Requests
We have received a few TA requests and we are requesting your assistance:
- If you have worked with your state drug and alcohol authority on the State Opioid Response grant to implement hepatitis services, please reach out to us to share your experiences.
- We are in the process of developing an adult hepatitis immunization resource and want to know what you all would like to be included. Please fill out the survey here or reach out to us directly.
- Examples of viral hepatitis outbreak detection and response plans.
If you have any information on the above TA requests, please email hepatitis@nastad.org. Thank you!
Our team aims to send out a monthly newsletter to streamline hepatitis communications. If you know someone who would benefit from signing up or if you would like to be unsubscribed from the monthly newsletter, please email us at hepatitis@nastad.org. We apologize if you emailed us and haven’t heard back, please email us again!
Partner Updates
Letter to State Medicaid Administrators ensuring people with substance use disorder are not denied access to HCV treatment
On January 24, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services sent a joint dear colleague letter to state Medicaid administrators to ensure that people living with HCV and substance use disorder (SUD) are not denied access to HCV treatment. The letter notes that the DOJ has reached a settlement with the Alabama Medicaid Agency regarding a policy that required six months of sobriety before treatment initiation. The policy was reversed in October 2022. The letter urges other state Medicaid programs to review policies and practices, to ensure compliance with the ADA and to offer HCV treatment without discrimination to people with SUD. The press release and full letter can be found here.
Sharing the Cure Spring 2024 Videoconference Series
Sharing The Cure is a clinician training and videoconference program which is implemented by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), a national leader in viral hepatitis management, and focuses on primary care, HIV, and substance use treatment providers. Sharing The Cure trains Maryland clinicians to effectively test for hepatitis C and offer appropriate treatment. Upcoming virtual sessions will be held on February 7th and 14th from 8 to 10 am ET. For more information and to sign up for the series, click here.
Hepatitis B among Immigrant Patients in Honolulu
In February 2024, the Hawaiʻi Journal of Health and Social Welfare published an article that looked at hep B testing data among foreign-born Asian and Pacific Islander patients at a community health center in Honolulu. The findings included:
- About 1 out of 10 of tested patients had chronic hepatitis B (CHB);
- About 3 times higher odds of CHB if the patient lived with someone with hep B;
- About 3 times higher odds of CHB if the patient was 35 to 44 years old (compared to those over 65 years old).
Download the infographic to read and share! For a list of other publications about hepatitis in Hawaiʻi, click here.
Resources
Virginia HEPC Community of Practice
To support providers in increasing hepatitis C treatment capacity in Virginia, the Hepatitis C Education and Patient Connection (HEPC) platform provides educational materials, training programs, and other services. For more information on the HEPC Community of Practice click here.
Community Access National Network (CANN), HIV/HCV Co-Infection Watch
The Community Access National Network (CANN) recently shared its updated HIV/HCV Co-Infection Watch report – January 2024. It provides the latest comprehensive analysis of the State AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, patient assistance programs, harm reduction programs, and some latest news.
Upcoming Webinars/Meetings:
Upcoming Meetings
Ensuring those with Hepatitis B are Involved in Guideline Development
February 15, 2024, 10 AM ET
Join the Hepatitis B Foundation in a thoughtful discussion on a recently published commentary by The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology. This webinar will focus on encouraging hepatitis B guideline developers to include lived experiences and treatment preferences. The webinar will feature advocates with lived experience and providers sharing their perspectives and goals for future guidelines. Register here.
SAMHSA: Expanding Harm Reduction Through Increased Syringe Access
February 28, 2024, 2:00-3:30 PM ET
This webinar will discuss how health centers and other community-based organizations can expand harm reduction services by offering syringe access to participants through direct service delivery and partnership. Participants will hear from the Cherokee Nation Harm Reduction Program in Oklahoma and Migrant Health Center, Inc. in Puerto Rico, who will discuss programmatic development and implementation across a variety of strategies and settings. Participants will also have the opportunity to hear directly from consumers of syringe access programs to improve their understanding of the impact of these life-saving services. Click here to register.
Archived Webinars
Reflecting on achievements and innovations in hepatitis B and C elimination: Stories from the National Hepatitis Elimination Profiles
View this webinar to hear stories from leaders in more than 10 countries on achievements and innovations in implementing HBV and HCV prevention, testing, and treatment strategies. The webinar also features an update from the Coalition on overall trends and findings across the National Hepatitis Elimination Profiles. This webinar was broadcast live from the International Viral Hepatitis Elimination Meeting on the day before the conference. View the webinar here.
HIV self-testing project: African, Caribbean, and Black community approaches
This webinar will explore the considerations and challenges that organizations and service providers have encountered, as well as approaches and solutions they’ve developed to facilitate the implementation of HIV self-testing in African, Caribbean, and Black communities. View the webinar here.
Recurring Meetings
CSTE Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee Meetings | First Thursday, every other month at 3 PM ET
The Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee comprises epidemiologists, program coordinators, and others interested in viral hepatitis surveillance and epidemiology. The purpose of this subcommittee is to inform and improve practices related to viral hepatitis surveillance and data analysis in local, state, tribal, and territorial settings, as well as build epidemiologic capacity and support partnerships related to viral hepatitis surveillance. The subcommittee is also charged with reviewing and developing national position statements on viral hepatitis-related topics, including standardized surveillance case definitions.
The Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee holds regular conference calls and webinars to discuss current issues and overarching topics related to viral hepatitis surveillance, such as best practices and lessons learned across jurisdictions, policy around viral hepatitis surveillance, and analyzing viral hepatitis data. For more information, click here.
Conferences/Events (National & Local)
National Viral Hepatitis Meeting
April 16-17, 2024 | Atlanta, GA
This national meeting, being organized by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be an exciting in-person connection opportunity for partners working in viral hepatitis at the state, local, territorial, federal and national levels. The meeting will provide a venue for dialogue and exchange of expertise on topics such as hepatitis surveillance, prevention program planning and implementation, and outbreak detection and response. This meeting is geared towards Integrated Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Prevention Funding for Health Departments (IVHSP) recipients. Additional information will be forthcoming.
National Latinx Conference on HIV, HCV, and SUD
May 2-4, 2024 | El Paso, TX
The National Latinx Conference on HIV/HCV/SUD aims to create opportunities to share information and efforts around health disparities that negatively impact the Latinx population such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), by bridging the varied disciplines of education, advocacy, and clinical care. Thus, creating better health outcomes for the Latinx population. Register here.
NASTAD 2024 Annual Meeting
Save the Date: May 19-22, 2024 | Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
CSTE Annual Conference
June 9-13, 2024 | Pittsburgh, PA
The CSTE Annual Conference connects more than 2,500 public health epidemiologists from across the country and will include workshops, plenary sessions with leaders in the field of public health, oral breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, and poster presentations. Conference attendees meet and share their expertise in surveillance and epidemiology as well as best practices in a broad range of areas including informatics, infectious diseases, substance use, immunizations, environmental health, occupational health, chronic disease, injury control, and maternal and child health. The Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee is planning a workshop on Sunday, June 9th. Late breaker abstracts are due by March 7, 2024 and registration can be found here.
NASTAD National HIV and Hepatitis Technical Assistance Meeting
Save the Date: October 16-18, 2024 | Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
Publications
Advancing Hepatitis C Elimination: Implementation Strategy for the Proposed National Program
Frequency of Children Diagnosed with Perinatal Hepatitis C, United States, 2018–2020