National Viral Hepatitis Education, Awareness, and Capacity Building for Communities and Providers

Project Period Length: 5 years

Funding: Approximately $1.1M/year

Purpose and Strategies:
The purpose of this cooperative agreement is two-fold:

Part A – Community Education, Awareness, and Capacity Building
Part A recipients lead, maintain, and grow coalitions of diverse US-based public and private organizations that provide culturally responsive hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C education and services to priority populations thereby increasing awareness, testing, and treatment. The recipients will provide technical assistance and training to coalition members; build capacity of coalition members to conduct hepatitis B and/or C testing, and linkage to care among members of priority populations; and promote CDC’s national hepatitis B and hepatitis C campaigns.

Part B – Professional Education/Training
Part B recipients maintain free, web-based training to increase knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals to prevent, diagnose, and treat hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Priority Populations:
Part A and Part B recipients are required to focus on at least one priority population disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B and or hepatitis C, including:

• People who inject drugs (PWID)
• People who are Asian/Pacific Islander
• People who are American Indians/Alaska Natives
• People who are Non-Hispanic Blacks

Funded Projects: Part A

Hepatitis B Foundation ($275,000 per year)
Through this cooperative agreement, Hepatitis B Foundation continue to manage Hep B United, a national coalition dedicated to reducing the health disparities associated with hepatitis B. The program is focusing on serving people who are Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, African immigrants, and people who inject drugs. Hepatitis B Foundation and their partner, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, are conducting robust training and capacity-building programs, including a mini-grant program, peer mentoring, expert working groups, webinars, a virtual hepatitis B project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO)/community health worker training program, and opportunities to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration. Additionally, they are working with staff from Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander-serving Federally Qualified Health Centers and local community leaders to build capacity for hepatitis B education, testing, and linkage to care. Lastly, Hepatitis B Foundation will promote CDC’s hepatitis B resources.

National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) ($275,000 per year)
Through this cooperative agreement, NASTAD and their partners, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable and National Association of County and City Health Officials, focus on improving the health of people who inject drugs (PWID). Together, they are growing a coalition of health departments, syringe service programs, community-based organizations, healthcare providers, and other partners of diverse geographic representation that serve PWID. NASTAD and its partners are providing technical assistance and training to coalition members with a focus on hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing and linkage to care. Additionally, NASTAD will promote CDC’s hepatitis B and hepatitis C campaign resources.

Funded Projects: Part B

University of Washington ($275,000 per year)
Through this cooperative agreement, the University of Washington maintains, updates, and expands their continuing education platforms, Hepatitis B Online and Hepatitis C Online. Both platforms offer free accredited continuing medical education for healthcare professionals engaged in the management of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Program staff have developed a Clinical Challenges-Expert Opinion section on both Hepatitis B Online and Hepatitis C Online, a mini-lecture series, and new internet home pages. The continuing education programs are marketed to healthcare professionals who provide services to priority populations most impacted by viral hepatitis.

WebMD ($275,000 per year)
Through this cooperative agreement, Medscape Education—a part of WebMD Health Network—maintains a webpage with links to hepatitis resources and free, accredited, on-demand, continuing education courses focused on hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevention and management. Providers can create a free Medscape account to access the courses and viral hepatitis destination page on Medscape.org titled, “Targeting Viral Hepatitis: A Roadmap for Providers.”

Found here are accredited continuing education text-based activities including “Driving Hepatitis B Management: Universal Screening and Vaccination in Primary Care” and “Hepatitis C Virus Disparities: Strategies for Bridging the Gap”. Over the five years, WebMD will build on previously developed trainings to equip providers with information and strategies to better serve priority populations most impacted by viral hepatitis.