The Damien Center – a care and services center for those with HIV – and the Health Foundation of Indianapolis created the Connect to Cure initiative to help provide supportive and preventative services for hepatitis C.
The Damien Center, along with partner organizations, will staff regional sites across the state with employees to help with case management, testing and cures for the virus. Care coordinators, peer support specialists and linkage to care will be provided for those visiting the sites.
There will be 19 sites available across the state, including Gary, South Bend, Bloomington, Valparaiso and Indianapolis.
Hepatitis C, or hepatitis C virus (HCV), is spread through the blood of a person who has the virus. While there is no vaccine for HCV, medication can cure it in about eight to 12 weeks. Without treatment, serious damage to the liver can occur as well as other health conditions – including cirrhosis and liver cancer.
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According to a press release from the Damien Center, it is estimated that 2.4 million people in the U.S. have the virus and more than half of them are unaware they have it. Of those people, an estimated 69,000 Hoosiers ages 18 and older are carrying the virus.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone 18 or older is tested at least once in their lifetime to avoid developing chronic issues.
The program is funded by nearly $6.6 million of grants from the Indiana Department of Health as part of IDOH’s Health Issues and Challenges grant program. This program was established with American Rescue Plan money and has already been awarded funding to counter health issues across the state – including diabetes, food insecurity and cancer.
The full list of regional centers is below:
- Northeast Indiana Positive Resource Connection
525 Oxford St., Fort Wayne, IN 46806
Allen County - IU Health - Positive Link
TBD
Bartholomew County - LifeSpring, Inc.
460 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130
Clark County - IU Health - Positive Link
6000 W. Kilgore Ave., Muncie, IN 47304
Delaware County - Connection Café
635 N. Central Ave., Connersville, IN 47331
Fayette County - IU Health - Positive Link
715 Wabash Ave, Vincennes, IN 47591
Knox County - Community HealthNet
1021 West 5th Ave., Gary, IN 46402
Lake County - Aspire Indiana Health
2009 Brown St., Anderson, IN 46016
Madison County - Eskenazi Health
720 Eskenazi Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46202
Marion County - Step-Up, Inc.
4755 Kingsway Drive #300, Indianapolis, IN 46205
Marion County - Indiana Recovery Alliance
118 S Rogers St., Bloomington, IN 47404
Monroe County - HealthLinc, Inc.
2401 Valley Drive, Valparaiso, IN 46383
Porter County - IU Health - Positive Link
105 E. Washington St., Greencastle, IN 46135
Putnam County - AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist
201 S. William St., South Bend, IN 46601
St. Joseph County - Imani & Unidad
234 Chapin St., Suite B, South Bend, IN 46601
St. Joseph County - Aspire Indiana Health
815 N. 12th St., Door 6, Lafayette, IN 47904
Tippecanoe County - IU Health - Positive Link
100 Executive Drive, Suite J, Lafayette, IN 47905
Tippecanoe County - Matthew 25 AIDS Services
101 NW 1st St., Suite 215, Evansville, IN 47713
Vanderburgh County
Violet is our daily news reporter. Contact her at vcomberwilen@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @ComberWilen.
