Viral Hepatitis Integration in Hawaii Karla Hays Hepatitis C Coordinator January 29, 2003

The Hawaiian Islands

Population by Island County - 2001 Total Population: 1,211,536

Percentage of Total Cases by Island County Hepatitis C reportable in 1997 This slide represents cumulative report, from lab reported data, from 1998-2001 Oahu = 3224 Hawaii = 198 Maui = 206 Kauai = 65 Probably under-representation

Current Integration Activities Collaboration with the state-wide syringe exchange program (CHOW Project) Planned a “hepatitis party” on Big Island with CHOW, hepatitis section, hepatitis coordinator & peer educator group. Offered basic hepatitis education, hepatitis A & B vaccine, hepatitis C testing with home access kits…and food! Positive response and plan to repeat the party to reach more clients. Not much risk factor data around hepatitis c, however early assessments & surveys conducted by the hepatitis section show similar trends with national data, with higher numbers of hepatitis C in IDU’s and correction facilities

Current Integration Activities Epidemiological Specialist III Vaccine Administration Training Offer point of service vaccines and hepatitis counseling to high-risk adults within the HIV counseling session. Counselor/Testers within the STD Clinic on Oahu and Counselor/Testers on Neighbor Islands. Job Description, Standing Orders, Database Tracking, Forms/Documentation, Vaccine Training Curriculum. Currently, through the hepatitis initiative established in 2000 with the SAPB and PHN, a protocol was developed to administer hepatitis A & B vaccine to high risk adults at PHN sites throughout the state. Barriers exist in that they sites primarily service children and adult vaccines are only given on specified days/times. No outreach to high-risk populations, such as IDUs. With plans for further integration of HIV, STD and hepatitis…it seemed to make sense to begin a plan for vaccine training of the EPI III’s (HIV C/T) and this is within the statutes of their job description Hope to pilot spring 2003

Current Integration Activities Hepatitis C Train-the-Trainer Workshop & Community Forum Public Health Grant from Roche Pharmaceuticals with the Hepatitis C Support Project in San Francisco, CA. 2-day workshop to provide training and resources for participants to be certified as “Basic Hepatitis C Educators” for one year. Half-day community forum with a panel presentation and question/answer session. Wanted to increase capacity within organizations & in my initial meetings with organizations, there was a willingness to integrate the information, but there a was a need to more solid “how to’s” and training Plan to follow-up by working with the State HIV Education/QA Coordinator and using the ALF HIT’M curriculum that recently came out to further integrate hepatitis into her HIV training curriculum.

Current Integration Activities State Hepatitis C Strategic Planning Group Identify key stakeholders. Refining Vision/Mission Statement, Goals, Objectives, Action Steps, & Evaluation around categories of Surveillance, Prevention & Care Management. Three meetings to draft a three-year plan. Re-convening a group that was started about 1 year ago Re-vived after a community advocate for hepatitis C got a group together with a State Senator to discuss options of funding…..it was determined that the planning process needed to be developed to identify gaps/barriers in the system before discussions on funding proceeded. Plan to focus next years work around the action steps of the plan

Aloha