HepCarestream: The Nurse Is In!
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Jennifer Slepin. I've been a Registered Nurse for 35 years. After having hepatitis C (HCV)*
for perhaps 30 years and 3 failed attempts at cure over an 8 year period of time, I am now CURED of the virus thanks to new direct acting antiviral medications! This gift of cure has inspired a great sense of accountability in me both personally and professionally. I am committing the remainder of my career as a Registered Nurse to the cause of eradication of the HCV virus. Just like back in the days of polio, this disease can be entirely eliminated.
I've started a business called Hepatitis C Clinical Education Group. We are a 501(c)3 organization, incorporated in the state of California. We'll be doing business as HepCarestream. You can see what we've been up to at www.HepCarestream.org
I'm working with UCSF and UC Davis as the Outreach Liaison, tasked with building infrastructure in underserved areas that have a high incidence of HCV. The Airstream will allow me and other visiting healthcare providers to live in the areas that are most impacted by the epidemic and to become trusted allies in the community. The following services will be provided to the communities visited:
- Recruitment of healthcare providers to the UCSF ECHO HCV Hub where they will receive academic training to treat hepatitis C i(http://echo.ucsfhealth.org)
- By training healthcare providers to treat, a sustainable infrastructure is built to carry on care, long after HepCarestream is gone
- HCV education and testing to community members
- Linkage to care for those who test positive for HCV
This work will start in Northern California. As the concept is proven, I envision a fleet of nurse staffed mobile clinics (all Airstreams) to roll out throughout the United States.
The HCV epidemic requires innovative ways of reaching people. This is where science and soul collide.
Unless immediate and innovative actions are taken to address the magnitude of the public health crisis with respect to HCV, serious societal, fiscal, and personal costs will be incurred. Taking nursing care into the underserved communities, building healthcare infrastructure, and linking people in need to the care they desperately need will prove to be a highly effective intervention toward the goal of elimination of the virus for all people.
Here's my ask:
Help me raise $100,000.00 to further support the operations and programs. Some of the needs include hiring an assistant, maintenance on the HepCarestream and tow vehicle, community programs, and more.
HepCarestream is a 501(c)3 organization so every donation is tax deductible and you will be provided with documentation of your charitable contribution.
In advance, thanks for your support. Every little bit helps!
*HCV is a blood-borne infectious disease that attacks the liver. It is known as "the silent killer" because there are no symptoms for years, even decades. By the time someone becomes symptomatic, the liver is in a very advanced stage of decompensation. A common misconception about HCV is that it is only transmitted through the use of intravenous drugs and shared needles. This is a major cause for all the stigma but there are many other ways for HCV to be transmitted from person to person. Some examples of this type of transmission include having received a blood transfusion prior to 1992, being born to a mother infected with HCV, or having tattoos and piercings. Of the estimated 3.5 million people in the United States who have hepatitis C, close to 75% of them are unaware of their condition. By the time the damaged liver begins to complain, so much damage has been done that it's often too late. HCV is the leading cause of liver cancer and the need for liver transplants in the United States, imposing huge medical and societal costs.
for perhaps 30 years and 3 failed attempts at cure over an 8 year period of time, I am now CURED of the virus thanks to new direct acting antiviral medications! This gift of cure has inspired a great sense of accountability in me both personally and professionally. I am committing the remainder of my career as a Registered Nurse to the cause of eradication of the HCV virus. Just like back in the days of polio, this disease can be entirely eliminated.
I've started a business called Hepatitis C Clinical Education Group. We are a 501(c)3 organization, incorporated in the state of California. We'll be doing business as HepCarestream. You can see what we've been up to at www.HepCarestream.org
I'm working with UCSF and UC Davis as the Outreach Liaison, tasked with building infrastructure in underserved areas that have a high incidence of HCV. The Airstream will allow me and other visiting healthcare providers to live in the areas that are most impacted by the epidemic and to become trusted allies in the community. The following services will be provided to the communities visited:
- Recruitment of healthcare providers to the UCSF ECHO HCV Hub where they will receive academic training to treat hepatitis C i(http://echo.ucsfhealth.org)
- By training healthcare providers to treat, a sustainable infrastructure is built to carry on care, long after HepCarestream is gone
- HCV education and testing to community members
- Linkage to care for those who test positive for HCV
This work will start in Northern California. As the concept is proven, I envision a fleet of nurse staffed mobile clinics (all Airstreams) to roll out throughout the United States.
The HCV epidemic requires innovative ways of reaching people. This is where science and soul collide.
Unless immediate and innovative actions are taken to address the magnitude of the public health crisis with respect to HCV, serious societal, fiscal, and personal costs will be incurred. Taking nursing care into the underserved communities, building healthcare infrastructure, and linking people in need to the care they desperately need will prove to be a highly effective intervention toward the goal of elimination of the virus for all people.
Here's my ask:
Help me raise $100,000.00 to further support the operations and programs. Some of the needs include hiring an assistant, maintenance on the HepCarestream and tow vehicle, community programs, and more.
HepCarestream is a 501(c)3 organization so every donation is tax deductible and you will be provided with documentation of your charitable contribution.
In advance, thanks for your support. Every little bit helps!
*HCV is a blood-borne infectious disease that attacks the liver. It is known as "the silent killer" because there are no symptoms for years, even decades. By the time someone becomes symptomatic, the liver is in a very advanced stage of decompensation. A common misconception about HCV is that it is only transmitted through the use of intravenous drugs and shared needles. This is a major cause for all the stigma but there are many other ways for HCV to be transmitted from person to person. Some examples of this type of transmission include having received a blood transfusion prior to 1992, being born to a mother infected with HCV, or having tattoos and piercings. Of the estimated 3.5 million people in the United States who have hepatitis C, close to 75% of them are unaware of their condition. By the time the damaged liver begins to complain, so much damage has been done that it's often too late. HCV is the leading cause of liver cancer and the need for liver transplants in the United States, imposing huge medical and societal costs.
Organizer
Jennifer Eve Slepin
Organizer
Garden Grove, CA