Treating Hepatitis C in Syringe Service Programs in Kentucky
The Target4 Project is a collaborative effort between the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Department for Public Health and utilizes braided funding to provide HIV and Hepatitis C screening, testing, and education in partnership with 60 syringe services program locations across the state of Kentucky. The positivity rate for point of care Hepatitis C antibody testing in the syringe services program is 23% (2024); the cumulative positivity rate for persons testing positive previously is nearly 50%. Persons who inject drugs face significant barriers in accessing Hepatitis C testing and treatment including transportation, sobriety requirements by some providers despite allowance by most payors, stigma, and medical mistrust among this population. The Target4 project partners with the University of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Care Clinic to integrate Hepatitis C telehealth services into syringe services programs throughout the commonwealth to address access barriers, improve treatment outcomes, and progress Hepatitis C elimination efforts in the Commonwealth. This presentation will discuss the process used to integrate telehealth services into the harm reduction environment in partnership with the local health departments, and share outcomes, successes, and lessons learned along the way.
