Program areas at HEP
Viral Hepatitis Education, testing, linkage to care, and correctional health: hep provides Education to clients, providers, and organizations, free Hepatitis c and b testing, linkage to care, and free Hepatitis a/b vaccination. In 2023, hep provided 464 hcv ab tests, 90 hcv rna tests, and 83 hbv tests. Hep also facilitates classes on Hepatitis, bloodborne pathogens, and harm reduction for prisons and jails throughout Washington state. Hep's correctional health program continued with mail-in correspondence coursework due to pandemic in-person restrictions in correctional facilities. In-person classes return in 2024.
National, state, and local policy and advocacy: hep manages the national Hepatitis corrections network (nhcn) and the national viral Hepatitis roundtable (nvhr). The networks are national coalitions of medical providers, administrators, researchers, community-based organizations, and other public health advocates working together to increase access to Hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment in correctional facilities, and to eliminate viral Hepatitis in the united states. In 2023, nvhr strengthened our national coalition and strategic partnerships, helped lead the viral Hepatitis community in elmination advocacy efforts, and expanded the reach of our grassroots advocacy network.
Drug user health: hep runs a syringe service program (ssp) and partners with a local fqhc to provide medications for opioid use disorder treatment (moud) located in the hep office. Hep continues to work with encampments to provide harm reduction and linage to care services. In 2023 hep distributed 255,383 sterile syringes through ssp and 8542 doses of naloxone, an opioid-overdose reversal medication. Hep had 47 moud inductions in 2023.