A bear in the mist with the words "Deconstructing Silos" on it

Community Education Group Issues New Report Warning of Addiction/Hepatitis/HIV “Syndemic” in West Virginia

A bear in the mist with the words "Deconstructing Silos" on it

For Immediate Release

Community Education Group Issues New Report Warning of Addiction/Hepatitis/HIV “Syndemic” in West Virginia

LOST RIVER, W.Va. (May 3, 2021) – A new report issued by the Community Education Group (CEG) details what the organization calls a “syndemic” of Substance Use Disorder, Viral Hepatitis, and HIV that constitutes a grave and ongoing threat to public health in West Virginia.

The report, entitled Deconstructing Silos in West Virginia: Breaking Down Barriers Between HIV, Substance Use Disorder, and Viral Hepatitis Care, describes how misguided policies and gaps in infrastructure are leaving multiple West Virginia counties vulnerable to outbreaks of Hepatitis and HIV, largely driven by the state’s opioid addiction crisis. West Virginia leads the nation in Viral Hepatitis diagnoses, and new HIV diagnoses have been increasing since 2017. The document lays out steps for reversing these trends, such as improving access to testing and treatment, and making sure infected and at-risk patients are referred to the appropriate care and services.

A. Toni Young, CEG’s executive director, emphasized the importance of addressing the linked HIV, Hepatitis, and Substance Use crises together, in a coordinated way.

“Treating these problems as separate epidemics has only inhibited accurate data collection and made effective prevention efforts more difficult,” said Young. “These are linked crises, and here in West Virginia they are turning into a kind of perfect storm that our health infrastructure is currently just not equipped to deal with.”

The new report from CEG, a nonprofit with decades of experience strategizing public health interventions in vulnerable communities, calls for improving public access to testing, treatment, and health information. Other recommendations include beefing up public health staff and infrastructure, and expanding availability of Opioid Treatment and Harm Reduction programs—interventions that have been shown to help decrease HIV and Hepatitis infection rates, but which have been hampered by political opposition that ignores their effectiveness.

The full Deconstructing Silos report can be accessed here: https://cutt.ly/CEG-Deconstructing-Silos-Report

The Community Education Group (CEG) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization working to ignite community engagement, eliminate disparities in health outcomes, and improve public health in vulnerable populations and underserved communities. CEG accomplishes this by conducting research, training community health workers to educate and test people who are hard to reach or at risk, sharing expertise through national networks and local capacity building efforts, and advocating for practical and effective health policies that lead to social change. 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Community Education Group
A. Toni Young
tyoung@communityeducationgroup.org
(304) 278-4420

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HIV Basics. Training Level: Community & Organizational. Thursday, February 4th, 2021 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern. Presenter: Trina Scott, Community Liaison, Gilead Sciences. HIV Basics Learning Objectives: • Understand what HIV-1 is, how it
relates to the immune system, and
how it is transmitted • Review the key terms related to HIV,
such as viral load and CD4 count, as
well as the difference between HIV
and AIDS • Recognize the urgency to start HIV
treatment as soon as possible after
diagnosis  • Initiate open, ongoing conversations
between patients and healthcare
providers. Register today: https://cutt.ly/HIV-Feb2021

HIV Training – HIV Basics

HIV Basics. Training Level: Community & Organizational. Thursday, February 4th, 2021 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern. Presenter: Trina Scott, Community Liaison, Gilead Sciences. HIV Basics Learning Objectives:  • Understand what HIV-1 is, how it
relates to the immune system, and
how it is transmitted  • Review the key terms related to HIV,
such as viral load and CD4 count, as
well as the difference between HIV
and AIDS  • Recognize the urgency to start HIV
treatment as soon as possible after
diagnosis  • Initiate open, ongoing conversations
between patients and healthcare
providers. Register today: https://cutt.ly/HIV-Feb2021

Training Level: Community & Organizational

Thursday, February 4th, 2021 from 2:00 – 3:00 PM Eastern

HIV Basics Learning Objectives:

• Understand what HIV-1 is, how it relates to the immune system, and how it is transmitted

• Review the key terms related to HIV, such as viral load and CD4 count, as well as the difference between HIV and AIDS

• Recognize the urgency to start HIV treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis

• Initiate open, ongoing conversations between patients and healthcare providers.


Presenter:

Photo of Trina Scott

Trina Scott
Community Liaison
Gilead Sciences

Register today: https://cutt.ly/HIV-Feb2021

Addressing Uncertainties with Confidence Educational Track: Hepatitis C Thursday, January 21st, 2021 2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern Presenter: Monica Lattimore, BS PA-C Medical Scientist Liver Diseases Medical Affairs Gilead Sciences The WHO has identified HCV as a public health threat and has outlined steps needed to eliminate HCV by 2030. Currently, only 11 countries are on track for HCV elimination. Sadly, the United States is not one of them. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in HCV programs slowing or stopping altogether. Join us in a series of discussions on how we can successfully eliminate Hepatitis C and close the gap in screening and linking patients to care. Register today: https://cutt.ly/Hep-C-0121

Viral Hepatitis Training: Addressing Uncertainties with Confidence

Addressing Uncertainties with Confidence

Educational Track: Hepatitis C
Thursday, January 21st, 2021
2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern

Presenter:

Monica Lattimore, BS
PA-C Medical Scientist
Liver Diseases
Medical Affairs
Gilead Sciences

The WHO has identified HCV as a public health threat and has outlined steps needed to eliminate HCV by 2030.

Currently, only 11 countries are on track for HCV elimination. Sadly, the United States is not one of them. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in HCV programs slowing or stopping altogether.

Join us in a series of discussions on how we can successfully eliminate Hepatitis C and close the gap in screening and linking patients to care.

Register today:

https://cutt.ly/Hep-C-0121

Addressing Uncertainties with Confidence

Educational Track: Hepatitis C
Thursday, January 21st, 2021
2:00 – 3:00 PM Eastern

Presenter:

Monica Lattimore, BS
PA-C Medical Scientist
Liver Diseases
Medical Affairs
Gilead Sciences

The WHO has identified HCV as a public health threat and has outlined steps needed to eliminate HCV by 2030.

Currently, only 11 countries are on track for HCV elimination. Sadly, the United States is not one of them. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in HCV programs slowing or stopping altogether.

Join us in a series of discussions on how we can successfully eliminate Hepatitis C and close the gap in screening and linking patients to care.

Register today:

LOST RIVER, W.Va. and RIVERSIDE, Calif. January 12, 2020 – The Rural Health Service Providers Network (RHSPN) and Community Education Group (CEG) will be hosting Dr. Deborah Birx on Tuesday, January 19th, 2020 for a robust conversation about COVID-19 preparedness, vaccination, and prevention in Rural America. RHSPN Co-Founder & Executive Director, A. Toni Young, moderates a panel including Dr. Deborah Birx, WVU Medicine's Dr. Clay Marsh, TAN Healthcare's Dena Hughes, and Case Western Reserve University's Dr. Blanton S. Tolbert.

Meeting – COVID-19 Preparedness in Rural America with Dr. Deborah Birx

Rural Health Service Providers Network & Community Education Group to Host Dr. Deborah Birx in Conversation About COVID-19 Preparedness in Rural America

LOST RIVER, W.Va. and RIVERSIDE, Calif. January 12, 2020 – The Rural Health Service Providers Network (RHSPN) and Community Education Group (CEG) will be hosting Dr. Deborah Birx on Tuesday, January 19th, 2020 for a robust conversation about COVID-19 preparedness, vaccination, and prevention in Rural America.  RHSPN Co-Founder & Executive Director, A. Toni Young, moderates a panel including Dr. Deborah Birx, WVU Medicine's Dr. Clay Marsh, TAN Healthcare's Dena Hughes, and Case Western Reserve University's Dr. Blanton S. Tolbert.

LOST RIVER, W.Va. and RIVERSIDE, Calif. January 12, 2020 – The Rural Health Service Providers Network (RHSPN) and Community Education Group (CEG) will be hosting Dr. Deborah Birx on Tuesday, January 19th, 2020 for a robust conversation about COVID-19 preparedness, vaccination, and prevention in Rural America.


RHSPN Co-Founder & Executive Director, A. Toni Young, moderates a panel including Dr. Deborah Birx, WVU Medicine’s Dr. Clay Marsh, TAN Healthcare’s Dena Hughes, and Case Western Reserve University’s Dr. Blanton S. Tolbert.


Dr. Deborah Birx

Dr. Deborah Birx
Response Coordinator
Coronavirus Task Force


Dr. Clay B. Marsh
Vice-President &
Executive Dean
Health Sciences
West Virginia University


TAN Healthcare CEO, Dena Hughes

Dena Hughes
CEO
TAN Healthcare


Dr. Blanton S. Tolbert
Professor
Center for RNA Science & Therapeutics
Case Western Reserve University

Event poster for the December 2020 national meeting of the West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition and Rural Health Service Providers Network entitled "Deconstructing Silos - Increase Access in Rural Health" and featuring speakers Tom Morris (Health Resources Services Administration), Sean Bland (O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law), Michelle Perdue (Cabell Huntington Health Department Harm Reduction Program), and Daphne Kackloudis (Equitas Health). The event will be held on Monday, December 14th, 2020, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern

Community Education Group to Co-Convene National Meeting with Rural Health Service Providers Network

Event poster for the December 2020 national meeting of the West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition and Rural Health Service Providers Network entitled "Deconstructing Silos - Increase Access in Rural Health" and featuring speakers Tom Morris (Health Resources Services Administration), Sean Bland (O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law), Michelle Perdue (Cabell Huntington Health Department Harm Reduction Program), and Daphne Kackloudis (Equitas Health). The event will be held on Monday, December 14th, 2020, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. & RIVERSIDE, Calif. November 13, 2020 – The Community Education Group and the Rural Health Service Providers Network (RHSPN) will be co-convening a National Day of Advocacy on Monday, December 14th, 2020 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern.

Deconstructing Silos – Increasing Access in Rural Health will be convened in collaboration with the West Virginia Statewide Stakeholders Coalition (WVSSC), a project of the Community Education Group (CEG) based in Shepherdstown, WV. The WVSSC’s mission is Deconstructing Silos Between HIV, Substance Use Disorder, and Viral Hepatitis testing, treatment, services, and care.

This will be the first national meeting of the Rural Health Service Providers Meeting, which will begin convening regular monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of every month (excepting federal holidays), beginning in January 2021. These meetings will bring together speakers from federal, state, and local agencies to discuss issues relevant to RHSPs. More information will be released in the coming months, as the RHSPN plan for the first meeting of 2021.

Registration for the December meeting is separate from the regular RHSPN meetings, and interested parties may do so using the following links.



Speakers for the December National Day of Advocacy include:



Tom Morris
Associate Administrator
Office of Rural Health Policy
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)


Photo of Sean Bland

Sean Bland
Senior Associate
O’Neill Institute for National
and Global Health Law
Georgetown University


Photo of Michelle Perdue


Michelle Perdue
Harm Reduction Program Coordinator
Cabell-Huntington Health Department


Photo of Daphne L. Kackloudis


Daphne L. Kackloudis
Chief Public Policy
& Administrative Officer
Equitas Health


Logo for the Rural Health Service Providers Network

The Rural Health Service Providers Network is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for and meeting the technical assistance needs of essential service providers serving rural Americans.

You can learn more about the Rural Health Service Providers Network by visiting their website and following them on social media using the following links

West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition November 2020 Meeting Flyer

WVSSC Meeting – November 9th, 2020

An image of the New River Gorge Bridge with the words "WV Statewide Stakeholder Coalition" above it

The November 2020 meeting of the WVSSC will take place on Monday, November 9th, 2020 from 2:00 – 4:00 PM


This month’s meeting features the following guests:


Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Photo of Dr. Neeraj "Jim" Gandotra

Dr. Neeraj “Jim” Gandotra
Chief Medical Officer
(SAMHSA)

Photo of Dr. Jean Bennett

Dr. Jean Bennett
SAMHSA Regional Administrator
Region III


Substance Use Disorder

Photo of Stephanie Lancaster

Stephanie Lancaster
Director of Community Health Solutions
Indiana, Ohio, & West Virginia
Emergent BioSolutions


HIV

Photo of Shawn Balleydier

Shawn Balleydier
Assistant Director
Director of HIV Prevention and Care
Division of STD, HIV and TB
Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services
Bureau for Public Health/WVDHHR


Viral Hepatitis

Tiffany West
Gilead Sciences


Members of the WVSSC

New River Bridge Bridge Day Celebration

Community Education Group Forms West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Public Health and Community Organizations Join Forces to Combat Triple Threat of Substance Use, HIV, Hepatitis Outbreaks in West Virginia

New Coalition Will Take on Rising Infection Rates and Drug Overdose Deaths in the State

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 – The West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition (WVSSC) convened for the first time on September 1, 2020, to address West Virginia’s growing “syndemic” of HIV/Hepatitis C (HCV) outbreaks and drug overdose deaths. The group’s primary mission is to break down technical, regulatory, and administrative barriers that limit testing, treatment, and support across HIV, viral hepatitis, and substance use disorder [SUD] programs. Such barriers create “treatment silos” that fail to reflect the medical and social realities behind the interrelated health crises—and thereby impede effective intervention.

The meeting was convened by the health advocacy organization Shepherdstown-based Community Education Group (CEG). CEG formed the new statewide coalition aimed at stemming the rising tide of fatalities and HIV and viral hepatitis infections driven by West Virginia’s ongoing opioid crisis. 

“We are facing an unprecedented Substance Use Disorder epidemic in West Virginia,” said A. Toni Young, Founder and Executive Director of CEG. “An epidemic that is directly linked to our state’s highest-in-the-nation rates of Viral Hepatitis, to three HIV outbreaks in the past four years, and to the highest rate of drug overdose deaths in the nation. It constitutes an immediate and ongoing threat to public health, requiring a proportional response. The West Virginia Statewide Stakeholder Coalition assembles the expertise and collaborative strategy to spearhead that response.”

The WVSSC will focus on expanding awareness, education, rapid testing for HIV and Viral Hepatitis, treatment for SUD, and linkage-to-care networks which refer those recently diagnosed with HIV or Viral Hepatitis to treatment resources. 

The first WVSSC meeting brought together 65 individuals and organizations including state government and public health officials, healthcare providers, national organizations, school board officials, community-based organizations, and others from across West Virginia. 

Representatives attendees for WVSSC include: West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources; the Bureau for Public Health; the Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services; the Office of Laboratory Services; the Office of Drug Control Policy; the Doddridge, Marion, Marshall, Mid-Ohio Valley, and Monongalia County Health Departments; Berkeley County Schools; the Hancock County Commission; the Jefferson Berkeley Alliance on Substance Abuse Prevention; the United Ways of Central WV, Marion, and Taylor Counties; Community Connections; David Medical Center; the Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council; Eastridge Health Systems; EnAct, Inc.; the Family Resource Networks in Fayette, Gilmer, and Jackson Counties; the Morgan County Homeless Coalition; the Regional Intergovernmental Council; the West Virginia Institute of Community and Rural Health; West Virginia University; and many other private and public community members from across the state.

WVSSC’s primary goals include: 

1.)   Working to deconstruct disease state silos between Substance Use Disorder, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis by increasing awareness, education, and building linkages to care and treatment networks;

2.)   Working to expand HIV screening, rapid testing, surveillance, treatment, and linkage to care throughout West Virginia, reaching into hard-to-reach and hard-to-treat parts of the states;

3.)   Helping to develop statewide elimination plans for HIV and Viral Hepatitis;

4.)   Developing statewide working groups focused on SUD, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis;

5.)   Offering educational opportunities to Providers, Organizations, and Consumers centered around HIV, Substance Use Disorders, and Viral Hepatitis

NEXT MEETING: The next open meeting of WVSSC will be held on October 13, 2020, at 2:00 PM ET.  All are invited. Sign up by filling out the form at this address