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                  | | Join Our List |  |  | 
 |   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     Downtown Denver  Gipson Eastside Family Center 501 28th St. 2nd Wednesday 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Beverly: (720) 231-2264
 
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 
   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 August 2014 edition of
 Connections!
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 | Upcoming Events   |  | 
    
72nd Pl. & Monaco St. Commerce City, CO 7:00 am - 2:00 pm     Hep C Connection will offer free hepatitis C testing with a rapid test and educational material to attendees of Derby Daze.  Derby  Daze, the annual community fair for Commerce City, CO is a day for  attendees to enjoy live-music, delicious food, and community resources.  Zumba and breakfast will kick start the morning at 7:00 am. Hepatitis C  testing and other resources will be available at 9:00 am.            
 
 Saturday, August 9
 Health Expo Summit at New Hope Baptist Church 3701 Colorado Boulevard
 Denver, CO              Hep C Connection will offer both hepatitis C testing and HCV educational material at New Hope Baptist Church's upcoming health expo.    | 
 | Articles of Interest  |  | Combination Anti-Retroviral Therapy Helps Treat Hepatitis C in HIV Patients 7/23/2014 / University of Cincinnati Health News Results from a recent study show that anti-retroviral treatment for patients with HIV and hepatitis C may not be as harmful for the liver as once thought.  The results from this study will help physicians plan treatment regimens for patients that are co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C.   Full Article     Major Gaps in Hepatitis C Care Identified as New Drugs and Screening Efforts Emerge 7/2/2014 / Medical Press   A recent study reports that only 50 percent of people infected with hepatitis C in the United States are aware of their infection.  Following a diagnosis of a hepatitis C infection, patients should get many different lab tests and a clinical evaluation for liver disease.  However, a large percentage of patients have not received the recommended follow up care and only 16 percent were prescribed treatment.  This article describes areas that need to be improved within the continuum of care for someone with hepatitis C.  Full Article  | 
 |   Financial Resources  |  | Planning for treatment?  Looking for financial resources?  Here are two foundations offering financial support to eligible patients that have been prescribed medication for their hepatitis C infection -      
Patient Access Network  Maximum Award Level: $10,000 Per Year
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 |  World Hepatitis Day Activities  |  | 
  Did you know that 400 million people around the world  are currently infected with chronic hepatitis B or C and one in three  people have been exposed to one or both viruses?  World Hepatitis Day is an annual event that aims to increase awareness of the international burden of disease caused by viral hepatitis.  It's also a day to call for access to treatment, better prevention programs and government action.  Hep C Connection along with Harm Reduction Action Center and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment celebrated World Hepatitis Day by encouraging people to honk and "raise a ruckus" on the corner of downtown Denver's two busiest streets (Colfax and Broadway) on Monday, July 28th. | 
 | Featured HCV Clinical Trials |  | 
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.   
If you are in the metro-Denver area,    
South Denver Gastroenterology, PC is currently enrolling patients for:   A phase 3 randomized clinical trial to study the efficacy and safety of the combination regimen of MK-5172/MK-8742 in patients who have failed prior treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin with chronic HCV genotype 1, 4, 5, and 6 infection.  Patients must identify as African American to be eligible for this study.    A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Rifaximin Soluble  Solid Dispersion tablets for the prevention of complications in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis  University of Colorado Hospital  invites you to call (303) 724-1876 if you are interested in participating in a clinical trial at the Hospital. | 
 | Save the Date |  | 
Live from Denver, it's Desserts & Delights!  Our annual fundraising event is less than 3 months away.  Make sure to mark Friday, October 17, 2014  on your calendar to attend the special event.  It is to be held at the Courtyard  by Marriott Denver Cherry Creek, 1475 S Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80222  from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm.  Click on our Save the Date for additional information: Please contact Sascha Larsen-Helbing, slh@hepc-connection.org,  if you are interested in donating or volunteering on our Desserts &  Delights planning committee.  We are currently seeking the following  auction items: 
Lift tickets for Colorado mountain resortsHotel stays in downtown DenverTickets to watch the Broncos, Rapids, Rockies, or any other teamNew jewelryAnd, any other item that guests will be eager to bid on!
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