Expanding care for patients infected with Hepatitis C through community partnership in Delaware

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne pathogen in the U.S., and Delaware has one of the highest sero-prevalence rates in the country. As a cause of significant morbidity and mortality, it is a public health priority to identify and link individuals with HCV to care. The demand of patients with HCV far exceeds the current availability of providers in Delaware that offer HCV management. OBJECTIVE: To propose a framework for enabling non-specialist providers within Westside Family Healthcare to manage patients with HCV. METHODS: As a recipient of a Harrington Value Institute Community Partnership grant, the HIV Community Program of Christiana Care Health System (CCHS) started working together with the NE Wilmington pilot site of Westside in July 2018 to: 1) provide HCV education to Westside, 2) implement an HCV care model at Westside, and 3) conduct programmatic evaluation of this framework’s effectiveness. Our goal is to improve Westside rates of HCV knowledge amongst patients and staff, as well as to improve the HCV care continuum, starting with universal HCV screening. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Results from the first year of collaboration will be available in August 2019. Implementation of this partnership will enable future expansion and continuation of HCV management amongst Westside sites.