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Colorado
Hepatitis C Support Groups
For individuals infected with hepatitis C and family members affected by hepatitis C. Free and confidential. New members always welcome.
Metro-Denver
Aurora - 900 Potomac, 1st Floor Staff Cafeteria ~ 1st Tues. ~ 6:30-8 p.m. ~ Consuelo (303) 367-2813
Englewood - 1000 Englewood Parkway ~ 4th Tues. ~ 7-8:30 p.m. Deidrea (303) 504-1853
Lakewood - 11500 W. 20th ~ 2nd Tues. ~ 6:30-8 p.m.
Betsy (303) 237-1150
HIV/HCV Co-Infection - 1660 S. Albion ~ 4th Tues. 5:30-7:00 p.m. Kim (303) 862-0407
VA (VA Patients Only) - 1055 Clermont, Room 2E-104 ~ 2nd Wed. 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Deidrea (303) 504-1853
Statewide
Boulder - People's Clinic 2nd floor 3303 N. Broadway 2nd Wed 6:00 - 7:30p.m. Carrie (303) 875-2568
CO Springs - 825 E. Pikes Peak, 5th Floor Dining Room ~ 3rd Thurs. ~ 7-8:30 p.m. ~ David (719) 440-0025
Fort Collins - 2809 E. Harmony, 3rd Floor ~ Last Wed. ~ 6:30-8 p.m. ~ Jerry (970) 214-2912
Grand Junction - 515 28 3/4 Road Bldg A, ~ 1st Wed. ~ 5:15-6:45 p.m. Rainy (970) 208-4507
Pueblo - Last Mon. 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Rhonda lovetorideinpueblo@yah
o.com
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Greetings!
Welcome to the April 2009 edition of Connections! 
Hep C Connection invites you to participate at our Annual Viral Hepatitis Conference Wednesday, May 13th. Read further to learn the details. Don't forget to Save-The-Date! Do you plan on attending one of the many state-wide 9Health Fair's? If so, you may see one of our many volunteers or staff providing education and resource information. If you would like to help out, there are a few remaining volunteer slots available. Read our 9Health Fair Super Star Search to learn how. Also, we invite you to learn about the current climate for hepatitis C funding, employment, insurance topics, etc., what you need to know and much more in this month's edition.
We want to hear from you! To comment or contribute interesting news and information about hepatitis, please send us a note at info@hepc-connection.org. The deadline for news postings is April 20th.
Please share our newsletter with others by simply forwarding it to others, or by using the forwarding option at the bottom. Thank you! |
| 2009 Colorado Viral Hepatitis Conference |
May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and to help commemorate the month (and back by popular demand) is Hep C Connection's annual Colorado Viral Hepatitis Conference! This year's conference will be on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at the Anschutz Medical Campus at the University of Colorado Denver.
The one-day conference will feature large-group meetings in the morning and early afternoon and three tracks in the afternoon focusing on specific categories: policy, corrections, and case management. Confirmed topics and speakers include: an overview of viral hepatitis and co-infection from Dr. Steve Johnson; disability and employee rights with Barry Glass, LCSW from The Legal Center for People with Disabilities and Older People; hepatitis C testing and prevalence in the Department of Corrections with Dr. Paula Frantz; the next steps to take after hepatitis C diagnosis and interpreting test results with Ed Marino, PA-C.
The cost for the conference is $45, which includes breakfast, lunch, and parking. Please register by Friday, May 8, 2009. For more information, please contact Laura Ginnett at (720) 917-3960 or lginnett@hepc-connection.org. |
| 9Health Fair Super Star Search |
Hep C Connection is searching for stars to help at the Colorado 9Health Fairs in April 2009. Volunteers will be in charge of overseeing the Hep C Connection booth, providing educational and support materials to passers by, and answering questions for health fair attendees. Opportunities will be available both during the week and during weekends. Current dates are listed below: Sunday, 4/19:
9Health Fair - St. Anthony North, 6:15 AM - 12 PM 9Health Fair- Community College of Aurora, 7 AM - 12 PM Tuesday, 4/21: 9Health Fair - Augustana Church, 6:30 AM - 12 PM Sunday, 4/26:
9Health Fair - Asian Pacific, 7 AM - 12 PM Being a health fair volunteer can be an incredibly rewarding experience that allows you to connect with your community in a completely new way. If you are interested in becoming a Health Fair Volunteer, please contact Kara Armstrong at (720) 913-3972 or by e-mail at karmstrong@hepc-connection.org. A short training session will be offered for new volunteers April 9th. |
| Hepatitis C Funds At-Risk |
The 2009 Colorado legislative session has been a tough one for Hep C Connection. Governor Ritter proposed cutting our funds for the current fiscal year and then proposed cutting funds to the hepatitis program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for the next fiscal year beginning July 1. In addition to ending our contract with the state health department, this second proposal would also have stopped hepatitis testing at 17 contracted sites around the state.
To read the full article, click here. |
| Doctors & Science |
Hep C Connection would like to inform our readers of a system know as the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD). The system was started in February of 2002 to classify patients on a waiting list for liver transplantation. The system was created in order to reduce any chances of favoritism or hospital-shopping. The MELD score is a mathematical equation that seeks to calculate a patient's likelihood of dying within three months. This equation is: 3.8 x log (e) (bilirubin mg/dL) + 11.2 x log (e) (INR) + 9.6log (e) (creatinine mg/dL). Please, rather than working this equation, type "MELD" into your search engine. A number of websites will appear for you to choose from. One site that will come up is the UNOS website- www.unos.org. These sites include calculators that will give you your current MELD score and often a scale by which to determine your current status. You will need three blood test reports in order to get your score. These include: the bilirubin, the INR, and creatinine. Scores range from 6-40. All values higher than 40 are given a score of 40. A score of 6 indicates the least ill patient. It is important to remember when obtaining this MELD score is done frequently while a patient is on the transplant list and sees many fluctuations during this time. There are always circumstances that can change your place on the transplant list (i.e. liver tumor, co-morbidities, etc.). There is much more to learn about the MELD score than we can give you here. Please take time to read and learn more about this system. This system, along with the help of your physician, can help you determine where you would be on a liver transplant list. Reference:
Palmer, M. (2004). Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide of Hepatitis and Liver Disease. Penguin Putnam, USA.To read other related newsworthy pieces please visit www.hivandhepatitis.com |
| Employment, Insurance, and SSDI - What You Need To Know |
Clients of Hep C Connection who live in the metro-Denver area are invited to a presentation on April 20th titled "What You Need to Know about Employment, Insurance and Social Security Disability Insurance" hosted by the Rocky Mountain MS Center. The presentation will be held at Colorado Community Church, 3651 S. Colorado Boulevard, from 3:30 to 8:00 pm with a registration fee of $10. Register at www.cureMScolorado.org or by calling 800-344-4867.
This program will provide persons dealing with chronic diseases the tools they need to better understand the resources and assistance available to them for employment, SSDI, Medicare/Medicaid, insurance, financial and long term planning. This program is organized by the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center and they have graciously invited us to join in for the benefit of persons with chronic hepatitis C. |
| Find A Cure Panel - REPEAT |
Hep C Connection is excited to announce an affiliation with Find A Cure Panel where people with hep C can participate in quantitative online research designed specifically for them. For every survey completed by those who register, Find A Cure Panel will donate a minimum of $25 to Hep C Connection.
You can complete the two minute profile, by clicking the logo below:
Please note that the registration profile is only used to send the specific surveys to you. FACP doesn't ask for your street address and has no offline contact with you. If you don't want to give your full name then you can use initials. For example, if you are Robert John Smith, you can sign up as "RJ Smith".
The data provided in actual surveys is completely anonymous. All the clients will see is a 16 digit number like this: 40010-1234567890. They will not know who that respondent is. This is a great way for you to impact the development of future treatment for hep C while supporting Hep C Connection. Check it out! |
| A Personal Story |
"In 1997, I was diagnosed with hepatitis C infection during a routine blood work... however the doctor didn't say much about it to me other then it's a long term disease, and I appear to be fine. I did not think much of it because I did not know anything about it... I continue to live my life without thinking about it. At the time it didn't seem to be something serious to worry about, but little did I know that it was something serious. To read the full article, please click here | |
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