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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 monthly meetings. New members always welcome.
Metro-Denver
New Downtown Denver Support Group to be added soon!
Englewood
Englewood Library
1000 Englewood Pkwy.
Last Tuesday
6:30 - 8 pm
Beverly: (720) 231-2264
Lakewood
Shepherd of the Hills Church
11500 W. 20th
2nd Wednesday
6:30 - 8 pm
Betsy: (303) 940-4901
Statewide
Boulder YWCA 2222 14th St. Main Floor Mtg. Rm. 2nd Wednesday 6 - 7:30 pm Debbie: (303) 817-4938 Fort Collins Poudre Valley Health Systems 2121 E. Harmony 3rd Floor Last Wednesday 6:30 - 8 pm Jerry: (970) 214-2912
Colorado Springs
3210 E. Woodmen Rd. Suite 110 3rd Tuesday
6 - 7:30 pm
Abby: (719) 761-3710 Pueblo Temporarily on hold
For information regarding support groups in other states, please call our HelpLine at 800-522-HEPC (4372)
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Dear Friend,
Welcome to the March 2013 edition of
Connections!
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Upcoming Events |
Saturday, March 2
Outreach and Testing Event
 We will be offering free hepatitis C testing and resource materials at this great health fair. Minority groups in the U.S. are disproportionately affected by hepatitis C. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that African Americans represent 13% of the U.S. population but make up about 22% of hepatitis C cases. Many other free health services will be offered, such as blood pressure and glucose screening, vision exams, dental screening and lung function tests, cooking demonstrations, medication consultations, vaccinations, complete medical and physical history exams and more! Renaissance Denver Hotel
3801 Quebec Street
Denver, CO
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Tuesday, March 12
Testing Event
We will be testing individuals with risk factors for hepatitis C at Claire Gardens in Northwest Denver. Risk factors include sharing of any needle or "works", recipient of blood or blood products before 1992, had an HCV positive sexual partner, a tattoo or body piercing done in an unsterile environment, or born during 1945 through 1965.
2626 Osceola St.
Denver, CO
2:00 - 4:30 pm
Tuesday, March 12
A Hep C Connection Fundraiser -
Perspectives on China from Its Northwestern Frontier
 You are invited to a fascinating presentation about Xinjiang Province with accompanying slides by Timothy Weston, PhD, Associate Professor of History, University of Colorado, and Mylene Vialard. Dr. Weston and Ms. Vialard will be discussing their experience in the province in summer 2012 and how different China looks from that vantage point. You'll learn about the ethnic tensions between the Muslim Uighur people and the Han Chinese majority in Xinjiang Province. You'll also view spectacular photographs of the massive territory with widely contrasting scenes of dramatic natural beauty, sometimes harsh and sometimes gentle. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres, wine and nonalcoholic beverages! A suggested donation is $25.00/person. Please RSVP by March 11, 2013 to nsteinfurth@hepc-connection.org or 720-917-3965. 1551 Larimer Street
Party Room
Denver, CO
5:30 - 7:30 pm
(parking is available at surface lots or at meters)
Wednesday, March 13
Chris Wolf, RN Educator, will discuss the current standard of care in HCV treatment, including dosing schedules, potential side effects, stopping rules and tips for complying with your regimen. Hep C Connection will provide information on nutrition, specialty pharmacies, and support services.
Holiday Inn Cherry Creek
Larimer Boardroom
400 S. Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO
5:30 - 7:30 pm
Monday, March 18
 Trataremos sobre:
- Fundamentos sobre la hepatitis B & C
- Como identificar quienes están de riesgo
- Las pruebas para HBV y HCV, y como interpretar
los resultados
- Consejería para reducir el riesgo
- Informaremos sobre los recursos y servicios locales
- Programa de colaboración y servicios de integración
Para inscribir, comunicarse con Sara Macrander smacrander@hepc-connection.org o llama a Sascha Larsen-Helbing, (720) 917-3972
Sisters of Color United for Education
2895 W 8th Ave
Denver, CO
12:00 - 17:00
Thursday, March 28
We'll discuss:
- The basics of hepatitis B and C
- How to identify who is at risk
- Testing for HBV and HCV, and interpreting test
results
- Risk Reduction Counseling
- Referrals to local services and resources
- Program Collaboration & Service Integration
Pueblo City-County Health Department
3rd Floor, Section B
101 West 9th Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
1:00 - 4:00 pm |
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Articles of Interest | |
FDA approves Zortress to prevent liver transplant rejection
Healio
02/18/2013
The FDA approves another immunosuppressant to prevent liver transplant rejection after more than 10 years. This immunosuppressant was previously used just in kidney transplant recipients. The positive results from a stage 3 clinical trial led to its approval for liver transplant recipients. Full Article
Sounding the Alarm on a Silent Epidemic: Federal HIV/STD Advisory Group Adopts Viral Hepatitis as Priority
Antigone Dempsy, M.Ed. / Blog.AIDS.gov
02/12/2013
It wasn't very long ago that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Human Resources and Services Administration Advisory Committee on HIV and STD Prevention and Treatment (CHAC) did not include viral hepatitis in objective, strategy, and policy making. This has changed as the group that advises many federal health agencies now includes viral hepatitis in their recommendations that they make to top heath officials. They also will fill vacant positions with experts from the field of viral hepatitis.
Full article
Alan Franciscus / HCV Advocate Viral Hepatitis Updates from CDC
View the new resources recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They include webinars on the importance of screening for HCV, treatment for HCV infection, fact sheets in Spanish, and published articles.
Full Article |
Hep C Connection Welcomes New Board Member |
We warmly welcome two new Board Members to Hep C Connection's Board of Directors. David Higginbotham and Jolene McKenna were voted onto the board in late 2012 and started a three year term on January 1, 2013. We thank these two new Board Members and the current Board Members for volunteering their expertise and many hours towards fulfilling Hep C Connection's mission.
Here is an excerpt from Mrs. McKenna's journey with hepatitis C. Please read her entire story by clicking here.
"...I would say that I am healthier now than I was ten years ago because of my focus on diet, exercise, stress, and positive people in my life. Hep C is still part of my life. A couple years ago I learned about a non-profit organization called Hep C Connection whose mission is to educate the general public about hepatitis C and to provide resources and support for those affected by the virus. I was looking for a way to get involved because I wanted to make a difference regarding the stigma associated with this disease..." |
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Featured Clinical Trials |
Hep C Connection features one or more clinical trials happening in the Denver-Metro area in each issue. For more information call the contact person listed below. To find clinical trials in your city, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov or call us at 1-800-522-HEPC and we can walk you through the website.
University of Colorado Hospital invites you to call Michael Cookson at (303) 724-1876 if you are interested in participating in a clinical trial at the Hospital.
South Denver Gastroenterology, PC is currently recruiting for the following three studies -
A Phase 3 study that evaluates the efficacy and safety of Sofosbuvir/GS-5885 with or without Ribavirin for 12 and 24 Weeks. Eligible patients have a genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection and have never been treated for the infection.
A Phase 2 study that evaluates the efficacy and safety of the combination regimen of MK-5172 and MK-8742 with or without Ribavirin (RBV). Eligible patients have a chronic hepatitis C virus infection and have never been treated for the infection.
They are also recruiting for a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Rifaximin 550 mg with and without lactulose in subjects with a history of recurrent overt hepatic encephalopathy.
If interested in any of these three studies, please contact Sherry Rogers, CRC at South Denver Gastroenterology, PC, 303-406-4139. |
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The Support Partnership
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Hep C Connection is a proud partner of The Support Partnership - a network of four nationally recognized nonprofits that have experience with peer helplines, hepatitis C support, education, testing, treatment, and advocacy. For more information please visit www.help4hep.org. The Support Partnership helpline number is (877) Help-4-Hep and counselors from the four nonprofits may be reached while on shift or by leaving a voicemail. We staff this helpline as well as continue to manage our own HelpLine.
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Facebook - Please "Like us" | |
We recently transitioned from a Facebook Profile to a Facebook Page. If you haven't already done so, please "like us" to continue receiving Hep C Connection updates throughout the month. www.facebook.com/hepcconnection |
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