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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. ~ 6:30-8 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 p.m. Kim (303) 862-0407
Statewide
Boulder -
YWCA 2222 14th Street, EDGE Classroom, 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6 - 7:30p.m., Carrie (303) 875-2568
CO Springs -
825 E. Pikes Peak Ave., 5th Floor Dining Rm, 3rd Thursday of the month, 7 - 8:30p.m., Dave (719) 440-0025
Ft. 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 Monday of the month, 5 - 6:30p.m., Rhonda lovetorideinpueblo@ya
oo.com
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Greetings!
Welcome to the June 2009 edition of Connections!
Message from the Executive Director
Dear Hep C Connection supporters, sponsors, and friends,
I'd like to provide you with updates regarding some recent and exciting news. The first is the budget for the hepatitis program at the State Health Department (CDPHE). The Joint Budget Committee chose not to act on the Governor's recommendation to cut the program budget, and there were no other actions to cut the program, so the funds are intact for the next fiscal year. It is now up to CDPHE to determine how those funds will be spent. My thanks to everyone who was able to reach out to a member of the JBC or to their state legislator. Phone calls, emails, letters, face-to-face meetings - all of your efforts were helpful. Now that the hepatitis program has been put on the list of potential cuts, we will most likely be on the list for next year and I will be calling on you again! We will continue to monitor the financial news released by the state that may trigger a special session.
The second is to let you know what has happened during Hepatitis Awareness Month. In addition to a Joint Resolution from the Colorado House and Senate (with impassioned floor testimony in both chambers), we received proclamations from Denver City Council and Mayor Hickenlooper. We held our community collaborative event "Drop to Stop" through much of the state, a week-long event that encouraged people to appropriately dispose of used needles, reducing public health risks and the number of needles in the solid waste system. We collected 11,737 needles through 8 partner organizations, compared to 237 for a one-day event in May 2008. Our Viral Hepatitis Conference on May 13 was well-attended. And, President Obama sent a letter of thanks to national advocates for their work on World Hepatitis Day. All in all, the month's activities provided an effective means to develop awareness about hepatitis!
Thank you for your support and please contact me if you'd like more information on any of our activities.
Nancy Steinfurth,
Executive Director
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 June 22nd.
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 |
This years annual Viral Hepatitis Conference held May 13th at The University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus was a great success. Topics included: an overview of Viral Hepatitis & HIV/HCV Co-Infection, Compassionate Counseling, results of a recent Injection Drug Use Study, Disability & Employee Rights, HCV Prevalence & Testing, Immunization Advancement, Referrals for Care & Treatment throughout Colorado, Next Steps after HCV Diagnosis & Interpreting Test Results, and more...
If you are interested in receiving conference materials or have additional questions, please contact Laura Ginnett, Director of Community Outreach, at (720) 917-3960 or lginnett@hepc-connection.org. |
| AIDS Walk - August 15 |
| This year Hep C Connection will be sponsoring a team for the 2009 Colorado AIDS Walk, Saturday, August 15, 2009.
AIDS Walk Colorado is a 5K Walk that begins in Cheesman Park and winds through the streets of Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood before finishing back in the park.
AIDS Walk Colorado is the Rocky Mountain Region's largest and most successful HIV and AIDS fundraiser. More than 8,000 people from throughout the state come together as a community, fueled by donations from more than 13,000 individuals, to raise money for vital services for HIV/AIDS clients of Colorado AIDS Project and more than 30 other outstanding AIDS service organizations. The event serves as a day to remember those we have lost to the disease with prominent speakers and panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, in addition to a celebration of life with a festival, live music, sporting tournaments, food, and beverages.
Funds raised from AIDS Walk Colorado significantly supports Hep C Connection's HIV/HCV co-infection education and testing programs, services and resources. We would like to encourage friends and supporters of Hep C Connection to join or sponsor our team. Simply go to www.aidswalkcolorado.org, click the "Donate" tab, enter "Stewart Thomas" as the Team Captain to pull up the "Hep C Connection" Team, click "My Team Page". From here, view the bottom right portion of the screen, you can make a "General Team Donation" or sponsor a specific Team member, it's your choice! You can also join the Hep C Connection Team by choosing the "Join Our Team" option. If fundraising and walking aren't for you, there are other great ways to participate. You can sponsor the Hep C Connection team or be a volunteer the day of the event. Other event activities have not yet been finalized. For more information and updates go to www.aidswalkcolorado.org. Stay tuned for more information and upcoming news. We look forward to walking with you! |
| Doctors & Science |
Are you interested in learning about or participating in a hepatitis C virus (HCV) clinical research study? If so, choosing to participate in a clinical trial is an important personal decision. To learn what a clinical trial is, the pros and cons of participating, who is eligible to participate, and many more commonly asked questions, click here. This will provide you with detailed information about clinical trials. In addition, it is often helpful to talk to a physician, family members, or friends about deciding to join a trial. After identifying some trial options, the next step is to contact the study research staff and ask questions about specific trials. To find a clinical trial in your area, click here.
Many trials are offered right here in Denver at the University of Colorado at Denver. To learn more, call Jennifer DeSanto, R.N., at (303) 724-1861 or e-mail at jennifer.desanto@ucdenver.edu. To learn about hepatitis C treatment currently in the pipeline, click here. Quick Reference guide to better understand the various "Phases" of clinical trials: PHASE I TRIALS: Initial studies to determine the metabolism and pharmacologic actions of drugs in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and to gain early evidence of effectiveness; may include healthy participants and/or patients. PHASE II TRIALS: Controlled clinical studies conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug for a particular indication or indications in patients with the disease or condition under study and to determine the common short-term side effects and risks. PHASE III TRIALS: Expanded controlled and uncontrolled trials after preliminary evidence suggesting effectiveness of the drug has been obtained, and are intended to gather additional information to evaluate the overall benefit-risk relationship of the drug and provide and adequate basis for physician labeling. To read other related newsworthy pieces please visit www.hivandhepatitis.com. |
| Living With Hepatitis C, A Survivors Guide - On Sale Now, REPEAT |
LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C, A SURVIVORS GUIDE, Fourth Edition, written by Gregory T. Everson, M.D., F.A.C.P., Director of Hepatology at the University of Colorado Health Science Center, and Hedy Weinberg on sale now for $10.
(Includes postage & handling)
To order your copy, please e-mail Amy Burkholder, Administrative Assistant, at aburkholder@hepc-connection.org.
LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C, A SURVIVORS GUIDE is the first book written for the millions of Americans who suffer from this deadly disease offering guidance and answers for those infected or affected. Read about the nature of the disease and how it affects your body, pegylated and consensus interferons, the emerging standard-of-care, understanding confusing blood test, coping with emotions and grief, medical costs, and much more!
Everson's and Weinberg's new book, Living With Hepatitis C: The Complete Health Guide to the Causes and Treatment of Hepatitis C, Fifth Edition, written by Gregory T. Everson, M.D., F.A.C.P. and Hedy Weinberg will be available at bookstores and on-line July 2009. |
| 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! |
| Personal Experiences |
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If you have a personal story that you are willing to share, we want to hear from you. Stories can include personal experiences from you or someone that you know and support in their endeavor to cope, manage and/ or care for themselves about living with hepatitis C.
The purpose of sharing a story is so that folks can learn from others experiences. Examples might include; how you considered to go on treatment or not for hepatitis C, how treatment effected you during or after, what worked and what didn't, talking with your medical provider, family and friends, etc.
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