ATTC Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network

Over 5 million people in the United States are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Baby boomers (those born between 1945 and 1965) and persons with mental health and substance use disorders face an increased risk for infection, yet many are unaware of their status.

The Great Lakes ATTC is part of HCV Current, a national ATTC Regional Center initiative to increase the knowledge and capacity of medical and behavioral health professionals to treat persons with HCV. HCV Current offers online and in-person training, downloadable provider tools, and region-specific resources.

To learn more about the national initiative, visit www.attcnetwork.org/projects/HCV_Home.aspx

Resources

CDC Releases Guide for Hepatitis C Counseling and Testing

The availability of increasingly effective therapies for hepatitis C risks, creating the illusion that this endemic is under control and is being remedied. As with all medical interventions, the availability of such treatments is meaningless unless the population at need is identified, and the treatment is applied. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released two new guides on Hepatitis C counseling and testing for public health and primary care settings recently. Both resources provide contextual information about the spread and prevalence of Hepatitis C, in addition to summarizing clinical procedures for testing and treating individuals with Hepatitis C. The CDC recommends any current and past users of injection drugs, recipients of transfusions or organ transplants, and health care workers receive testing for Hepatitis C. (Source: May 19, 2015 issue of ASAM Weekly: The Voice of Addiction Medicine)

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HCV By the Numbers:

HCV Resources in HHS Region 5:

In addition to the resources offered by the national HCV Current initiative, the Great Lakes ATTC has compiled a list of HCV regional contacts equipped to assist medical and behavioral health professionals. Each state has a Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These CDC Coordinators, as well as other key regional contacts, are listed by state below.