WASHINGTON — In recognition of National Hepatitis Awareness Month the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities are focusing on hepatitis C in May. The goal is to make sure veterans know about risk factors for hepatitis C infection and how to get screened and tested at VA facilities.
“In a short time, VA has established the largest screening and testing program for hepatitis C infection in the world,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. “Hepatitis C testing, treatment and research are among VA’s highest health priorities.”
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver, causing tissue damage and, in some cases, permanent liver problems, including cirrhosis (scarring) and liver failure. It is a leading reason for liver transplantation. Hepatitis C has been recognized as a cause of liver disease for about a decade, and testing has been available only since 1992.
“VA has taken a vigorous, aggressive approach to this relatively new disease,” said Dr. Robert H. Roswell, VA under secretary for health.
VA has set a policy of system-wide risk-factor screening for all veterans enrolled in the VA system. Additionally, VA:
· holds its medical system leadership accountable for both screening and testing of hepatitis C infection,
· is the only major medical system to establish and distribute treatment recommendations for the disease, and
· created a national case registry of patients (launched this month) to better manage and improve patient care.
VA has screened more than 1.7 million veterans for risk factors associated with hepatitis C infection and each year cares for over 70,000 veterans with the disease. VA’s coordinated services provide veterans with state-of-the-art care, ranging from counseling for risk factor identification and disease prevention, to providing medication and health care, including liver transplantation. Additionally, VA provides support services as such substance abuse and mental health care.
“We are managing hepatitis C infection through a comprehensive public health approach to prevent disease transmission and long-term complications,” added Roswell. “This is a model for how other large systems can manage this costly disease.”
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