Minutes August 11, 2014
San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force
In Attendance Absent:
Jim Banta Stephanie Catella
Shirley Barger Misha Cohen
Kat Callaway Peter Dale
Ray Goldstein Pauli Gray
Madeline Griffis
Theresa Hughes
Robin Roth
Guests: Mark Twohy
Jay Fournier
5:30 Reminder that 5:30 to 5:45 will be for chatting and enjoying a light dinner and the meeting will start promptly at 5:45.
Viewed 2 World Hepatitis Day videos – Check them out on YouTube:
WHA Think Again, and Hep-Free Philadelphia (based on Pharrell’s Happy)
Welcome and introductions
Guest: Jay Fourier 415-847-3240 .
AbbVie Community Educator, for pts, clients, health fairs, events, one-on-one, connector to drs in area, linkage to care, website enrollment, materials coming. Jay was formerly doing HIV work.
Kat and Brian will update the Support group list
Approved minutes of 7/14/14 meeting
Discussion:
Clarification of who qualifies for no copay screening – at risk folks
for just antibody test or also PCR confirmatory testing?
city clinics will test people
DPH recommendations are for people at risk
(inc. MSM w/ anal sex; transgender)
Thomas will bring clarifications
HepC Test Express at Lab Corps or Quest Diagnostic. Make same day appt for free antibody test. need to investigate. A couple members will check it out and report back.
Upcoming Events
Liver Walk (9/20) – Shirley, Brian, join the team
Folsom Street (9/21) – Shirley, Brian, Jim B, Theresa, Kat
DPH will fund our booth; Shirley will see to financial arrangements
Town Hall on sexually transmitted HCV in MSM – in Nov.
Transgender Health Fair 10/19 or 20th
Reports
VH Coordinator interviews – happening now
HIV Planning Council presentation – went very well
Meetings with SF Jail, Sheriff – mtng 8/ 13 w/ jail personnel & Theresa, Shirley & Robin. Grant Theresa, 4 leaderships committees around the country inc. SF. W/ Sheriff 8/26. Leadership committees developing standards of care, community liasions, etc. Get DPH & Corrections together. CHWs.
Questions for jail personnel: prevalence of HCV? Sign-ups for ACA. Ed materials? Support groups? Peer counselors? How many infected while incarcerated? How have they been successful in doing HIV testing, add on another tube. Pilot project.
LA Jails pilot random testing for 100 jail prisoners; prevalence (about 37%)
Community Providers August meeting – Thomas Waddell, St. Mary’s, UCSF, Dr. J, Quest, pharmacists, etc.
Alice Asher (UFO project) doing study interviewing providers to see if more treating of marginalized people. 4415-632-5052 . UCSF doing innovative use of new meds, some off label. Real life experiences may differ from clinical trials. Clinics setting up classes to prepare people for treatment; 2 parts. SFGH if you don’t do classes can be 250 days, vs. 100 days if take classes, to start treatment.
No amount of Estrogen contraindicates the new DAA treatment.
Patient Access Network Foundation
Discussions
Sign-on for letters protesting rationing of treatment based on price
Protest the rationing of care by Medicaid inc MediCal
Another letter to sign as individuals – all deserve treatment
Hand-outs of letters read and discussed
Unanimous agreement to sign-on both letters
Strategic Recommendations and Committees: brief discussion and sign-ups
7:30 Adjourn