NASTAD Updates

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Upcoming NASTAD-led Work Group Calls 

Please note the updated dates for 2023. If you are interested in joining a work group, please reach out to hepatitis@nastad.org, Isabel Lechuga (rlechuga@nastad.org), or Zakiya Grubbs (zgrubbs@nastad.org) and we will reach out directly. Additionally, we are considering convening a perinatal workgroup, so reach out to us if you are interested and have items you would like to discuss during the workgroup. 

Hepatitis Workgroup Calls

Bimonthly call to discuss recent hepatitis updates. Each meeting includes updates on hepatitis advocacy and policy, and drug user health. Participants are encouraged to send in Hot Topics for discussion to hepatitis@nastad.org prior to the meeting.

  • Schedule: Bimonthly calls every third Tuesday from 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET 
  • Upcoming dates: October 31, 2023 
  • Intended Audience: Health department prevention and surveillance staff. 

Hepatitis C Linkage to Care Workgroup

This workgroup, led by Amelia Salmanson, Utah Viral Hepatitis Coordinator and HepTAC consultant, is a space to share best practices and learn from other jurisdictions about DIS, linkage to care, and patient navigation.

  • Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET 
  • Upcoming dates: November 2, 2023 (Discussion with Idaho on their pilot linkage to care program with county jails) 
  • Intended Audience: Health department prevention and/or surveillance staff working on HCV linkage to care.

Outbreak Detection Planning Work Group 

Collaborative space for jurisdictions to discuss developing and implementing an outbreak response plan for Hepatitis A, B, and C. Jurisdictions can share best practices and outbreak response activities, including monitoring surveillance data to identify outbreaks.

  • Schedule: Monthly calls every fourth Tuesday from 3:30 - 4:30 PM ET 
  • Upcoming dates: Resuming in January 2024 
  • Intended audience: Health department prevention and surveillance staff working on developing and implementing an outbreak response plan as a part of PS 21-2103 Component 1 grant activities. 

Newer Hepatitis Staff Calls

These calls are being restructured in 2023 and are open to all new hepatitis health department staff who started their roles in the respective quarter of the call date. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet-and-greet others and familiarize themselves with NASTAD’s Newer Hepatitis Staff Toolkit. Reach out to Jasmine West (jwest@nastad.org) to be added to the invitation. 

  • Schedule: Quarterly calls from 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET 
  • Upcoming dates: Resuming in 2024
  • Intended Audience: Newer hepatitis program staff (e.g. program coordinators, surveillance staff, etc.) 

Hepatitis and PWID Services Work Group

Quarterly workgroup in supporting jurisdictions working on integrated viral hepatitis and PWID services, especially Component 3 grantees. The meetings are an open space to discuss progress on implementing PWID service bundles and other related Component 3 activities and to identify TA needs related to these activities.

  • Schedule: Quarterly calls from 3:00 - 4:00 PM ET 
  • Upcoming dates: Resuming in 2024 
  • Intended Audience: Health department staff (including, but not limited to, Component 3 funded jurisdictions) SSP staff, substance use disorder treatment providers, state opioid treatment authorities, and other individuals interested in integrating viral hepatitis and PWID services. 

VLC recordings/upcoming sessions

HepTAC Virtual Learning Collaborative Logo_Horizonatal

There are two upcoming VLC sessions in November: the November 1 session, titled “Updates to acute and chronic hepatitis B case definition” will include presentations from Symone Richardson, CSTE, Genny Grilli, Minnesota Department of Health, and a discussion led by Alan May, Arkansas Department of Health. On November 15, Danica Kuncio, Philadelphia Department of Health, Tolu Arowolo, and Catheryn Van Cleve, Maryland Department of Health, will discuss “Health systems assessment: Implementation and follow-up activities.” All sessions will be held at 3:00 pm ET. 

The previous VLC session “Partnering with healthcare providers to advance viral hepatitis elimination and to support populations aging with viral hepatitis,” held on October 18, included presentations and discussion by Shayna Jefferson-Williams, Georgia Department of Public Health, Shelly-Ann Fluker, Grady Liver Clinic, and Emily Cartwright, CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis. The recording can be viewed here

We are looking for speakers to share their viral hepatitis expertise during the Virtual Learning Collaborative Year 3. Please indicate on this form which dates and topics you are interested in presenting or moderating. Thank you! 

Please visit the VLC microsite for more information and to watch recordings from previous VLC sessions.

Additional Updates

Sex Worker Health & Harm Reduction TA Calls

The NASTAD Sex Worker Health and Harm Reduction Workgroup and NASTAD host a bi-monthly call for harm reduction programs and SSPs serving or interested in expanding services for people engaged in sex work. This call series is intended to serve as a space to facilitate connections and resource sharing, encourage peer support, offer TA and capacity building, and raise priorities of sex worker health in relation to harm reduction with national partners. The Sex Worker Health and Harm Reduction TA call is a component of the CDC-funded National Harm Reduction TA Center. At this time, calls are reserved for community-based organizations including drug user health programs and SSPs serving or interested in expanding services for people engaged in sex work. This call series is co-facilitated by regional consultants with support from the NASTAD Drug User Health team. Join us on the 2nd Tuesday of every other month, 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET.

Please contact DrugUserHealthTA@NASTAD.org for more information.

Notepad with the words, "HOT TOPIC" written in black and underlined in yellow highlighter

Hot Topics: HepTAC TA Requests 

We have received a few TA requests and we are requesting your assistance: 

  • As mentioned during the October 31 workgroup call, we are looking to develop an adult hepatitis immunization resource and want to know what you all would like to be included. Please fill out the survey here or reach out to us directly. 
  • If you are interested in joining a perinatal workgroup, please email hepatitis@nastad.org.
  • Examples of viral hepatitis outbreak detection and response plans 
  • A list of state health departments or local health departments that have Hep C treatment programs, preferably those doing mobile Hep C treatment

If you have any information on the above TA requests, please email hepatitis@nastad.org. Thank you!

Note: Our team aims to send out a monthly newsletter to streamline hepatitis communications. If you know someone who would benefit from signing up or if you would like to be unsubscribed from the monthly newsletter, please email us at hepatitis@nastad.org We apologize if you emailed us and haven’t heard back, please email us again!

Partner Updates

Hep ElimiNATION Final Report and Toolkit 

Launched in January 2022, this project of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center, National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR), and the Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation (CHLPI) tracked policies and strategies necessary for viral hepatitis elimination at the state level. As the project is coming to an end, a final report and toolkits have been published to assist jurisdictions in continuing this work. Resources can be found here


Resources

NASTAD 2023 National HIV and Hepatitis Technical Assistance Meeting Follow-up 

It was great seeing you all at the TA meeting this year and we hope that you enjoyed connecting with your peers, federal and community partners, and NASTAD staff. Slides from the breakout sessions can be found here. We hope to see you all at next year’s meeting, which will be held on October 16-18, 2024 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC. 

Driving Hepatitis B Management: Universal Screening and Vaccination in Primary Care 

Free CME credits are available for providers to learn how to integrate the updated CDC hepatitis B screening and vaccination guidelines into primary care settings. CMEs are available through June 12, 2024. This resource can be found here

Hepatitis C Online 4th Edition 

The fourth edition of the free online hepatitis C training series will be available on November 1, 2023, and includes a revamped Module 5: Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C infection. Other new additions made in 2023 include a mini-lecture series, clinical challenges for hepatitis B and C, and a new lesson on HBV monitoring and hepatitis D in the Hepatitis B Online series. The training series can be located here: Hepatitis B Online and Hepatitis C Online


Upcoming Webinars/Meetings:

Upcoming Webinars

FDA Webinar - Proposed Rule: Medical Devices; Laboratory Developed Tests | October 31, 2023, 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET 

On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a webinar to provide information on the proposed rule regarding Laboratory Developed Tests or LDTs.

During the webinar, the FDA will: 

  • Provide an overview of the rulemaking proposal to amend the FDA’s regulations to make explicit that in vitro diagnostic products (IVDs) are devices under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act including when the manufacturer of the IVD is a laboratory.
  • Describe the proposed phaseout of the FDA’s general enforcement discretion approach to LDTs.
  • Host a Q&A session based on questions that have been submitted prior to the webinar at CDRHWebinars@fda.hhs.gov. Questions will not be taken during the live webinar. All questions are due by October 23, 2023, to be considered for the discussion. 

More information about the webinar can be found here and information on LDTs can be found here. The webinar can be accessed here with passcode: k+S8kN 

Archived Webinars

A warm thank you to everyone who joined the event, Unlocking HCV Care in Key Settings. NASTAD and NVHR will upload the slides and develop a summary report that includes a list of HCV resources related to care in the key settings discussed (FQHCs, DOCs, SSPs, and MOUD programs). Click to access the recordings, Day 1 MOUD and DOC, and Day 2 FQHCs and SSPs.

Upcoming Meetings

CSTE Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee Meetings | First Thursday, every other month at 3:00 pm ET 

The Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee comprises epidemiologists, program coordinators, and others interested in viral hepatitis surveillance and epidemiology. The purpose of this subcommittee is to inform and improve practices related to viral hepatitis surveillance and data analysis in local, state, tribal, and territorial settings, as well as build epidemiologic capacity and support partnerships related to viral hepatitis surveillance. The subcommittee is also charged with reviewing and developing national position statements on viral hepatitis-related topics, including standardized surveillance case definitions.  

The Viral Hepatitis Subcommittee holds regular conference calls and webinars to discuss current issues and overarching topics related to viral hepatitis surveillance, such as best practices and lessons learned across jurisdictions, policy around viral hepatitis surveillance, and analyzing viral hepatitis data. For more information, click here


Conferences/Events (National & Local) 

INHSU Free US training series to help scale up HCV interventions 

November 2, 2023 | San Francisco, CA, 9:30 AM – 3:00 pm PT 

In this free event, INHSU will delve into the practical aspects of implementing evidence-based interventions for hepatitis C, covering everything from point-of-care testing to peer support, to dried blood spot testing, and more. The aim is to give you the tools you need to enhance and scale up your HCV service delivery. This symposium is a must-attend for professionals working with people who use drugs, driven to elevate HCV care in their service setting. Registration can be found here. Please reach out to INHSU at info@inhsu.org with any questions. 

The Liver Meeting 

November 10-14, 2023 | Boston, MA and virtual 

The annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) will be held in Boston, MA from November 10-14. Sessions for clinicians and patients will cover the latest updates in hepatology, including viral hepatitis treatment and elimination. Registration can be found here. If you are attending, please come view our poster on HepTAC and HepNet in Hall C #2840. 

American Public Health Association (APHA) 

November 12-15, 2023 | Atlanta, GA 

This year’s conference theme is “Creating the Healthiest Nation: Overcoming Social and Ethical Challenges.” APHA is committed to building public health capacity and addressing the social and ethical challenges that threaten our nation’s health. With a stronger public health infrastructure, we can expand essential prevention and health promotion efforts at the community, state, and federal levels to tackle threats from communicable diseases like COVID-19 and mpox, substance misuse, climate change, and health disparities. 

Join APHA this November and connect with Jasmine West (jwest@nastad.org) who will be presenting on behalf of the Hepatitis Network for Education and Testing (HepNET), From lived experience to lived expertise: A syndemic approach, Monday, November 13 at 2:30 pm ET.

National Latinx Conference on HIV, HCV, and SUD 

May 2-4, 2024 | El Paso, TX 

The National Latinx Conference on HIV/HCV/SUD aims to create opportunities to share information and efforts around health disparities that negatively impact the Latinx population such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C (HCV) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), by bridging the varied disciplines of education, advocacy, and clinical care. Thus, creating better health outcomes for the Latinx population. Early bird registration is available until November 30, 2023. Register here

NASTAD 2024 National HIV and Hepatitis Technical Assistance Meeting 

Save the Date: October 16-18, 2024 | Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC


Jobs and Fellowships

Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program Coordinator, Washington State Department of Health 

Are you passionate about public health? Join our team as the Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program (PHBPP) Coordinator. In this position, you will work to prevent the spread of hepatitis B from infected mothers to newborns. You'll work closely with healthcare providers, hospitals, and laboratories to ensure timely treatments and vaccinations for infants. As the program lead, you'll shape strategies, manage data, budgets, and grants, and help develop health policies. Your role is crucial in safeguarding the health of infants across Washington State. Join us and make a meaningful impact on public health. More information here


Publications

CDC MMRW: Hepatitis A is preventable!

Preventable Deaths During Widespread Community Hepatitis A Outbreaks — United States, 2016–2022

Stillwater state prison to open tattoo parlor, technician training program

Alcohol Use and Sustained Virologic Response to Hepatitis C Virus Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy

One-Year Association of Drug Possession Law Change With Fatal Drug Overdose in Oregon and Washington

OIDP Awards $450,000 to Cherokee Nation to Implement Hepatitis C Linkage to Care Program

Journal of Infectious Diseases Supplement- Current Barriers and Strategies Toward HCV Elimination Globally

ACOG- New Clinical Practice Guideline: Viral Hepatitis in Pregnancy

Hepatitis C Treatment Exposure In Pregnancy Registry (TiP-HepC Registry) Interim Update September 2023

Pharmacists Play a Vital Role in Ensuring Hepatitis C Is Cured