From a press release from the Madison County Health Deparment:
The Madison County Health Department is the recipient of two grants recently awarded to enhance response to the epidemic rate of Hepatitis C cases in Kentucky.
Harm Reduction Coalition, with support from Gilead Sciences and under the HepConnect Initiative, awarded the grants across five states. From more than 120 applications reviewed, 44 projects were awarded. In Kentucky ten projects were awarded to eight organizations. Grantees will use funds to provide new or expanded harm reduction services.
“Harm reduction can be described as a spectrum of strategies and interventions to meet people at their point of need, but to not leave them there,” said Clinic Nurse Administrator Anne Hatton, RN, who oversees clinic and harm reduction services.
“Harm reduction encourages moving people away from that point of need, not to enable them in their destructive habits,” she said. Hatton is quick to point out that harm reduction does not mean “anything goes.”
Hatton, Risk Reduction Specialist Laura Nagle, and Madison County Health Department Director Nancy Crewe collaborated to author and edit the grant application proposal. All three have seen firsthand the positive impact of harm reduction services in the Madison County community.
“With help from these grants, people living with Hepatitis C will have more support to receive treatment for their condition, making it less likely that the community will experience an epidemic. Additionally, there will be more support available to people who use drugs as they look for options to treat their substance use disorder,” said Nagle.
“The goal is to reduce harm throughout the community,” said Crewe. “Not only are the people who inject drugs at great risk of Hepatitis C, but others such as healthcare workers, law enforcement personnel, first responders, and the public at large can be impacted. The goal is to reduce harm throughout the community,” she added.
Local agencies including the Madison County Detention Center, Health Now! Clinic, and Family Health Care Clinic provided letters of support to Madison County Health Department in the grant application process.
“Having the support of respected colleagues meant so much. These partner agencies are on the front lines with us in the battle for a healthy community,” said Crewe.
HepConnect is a five-year, multi-million-dollar initiative to help address the increase in HCV
infections in greater Appalachia, focused on expanding HCV screening, linking people to care,
improving healthcare professional education and supporting evidence-based harm reduction
services through partnerships. To learn more, visit www.hepconnect.com.
