The Caring Ambassadors Program uses a unique approach in our work to address the elimination
of viral hepatitis and specifically hepatitis C.
Our three main methods to combat hepatitis C are to Empower patients and providers to increase their knowledge of hepatitis C to improve access a cure; to Educate systems and communities on how to integrate viral hepatitis services into existing programming; and to Advocate on behalf of patients and communities to create sound policy, funding and messaging. We are honored to serve the community to help eliminate the largest infectious disease outbreak of our time; we promise to be BOLD in our approach to creating paths to health and making hepatitis C history.
AmazonSmile is a website operate by Amazon with the same products, prices and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products.
MY CHOICES© is a tool to help you recognize and act upon what you can control in your health care journey to achieve optimal healing, regardless of the illness you face. It contains elements of a guide book, health planner, journal, and activity book to help orient you to and plan for the journey ahead.
Order Educational Materials
Free brochures and materials
Order Educational Materials. Caring Ambassadors Program believes that knowledge is power. We strive to empower patients, systems and communities to increase their knowledge of hepatitis C in effort to eliminate the largest infectious disease outbreak of our time.
Pre-training Webinar: Syndemics & Viral Hepatitis The Bigg Elimination Tribute Project is an innovative approach to a Chicago-based hepatitis C (HCV) micro-elimination program, and was built in honor of a friend of the Caring Ambassadors, the late, Dan Bigg.
Weekly News Update.
Caring Ambassadors Program provides 3 weekly news updates covering Lung Cancer News, Hepatitis C News, and My Choices© Update. Receive them delivered weekly to your inbox.
Hepatitis C News
Week Ending March 23, 2020
The Time to Eradicate Hepatitis C Is Now
‘It is becoming easier to imagine a world without hepatitis C, thanks to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) that result in cure rates of over 95% across all genotypes after only 8-12 weeks of oral administration. Dr Harvey J. Alter, the pioneering virologist whose work led to the discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV), indulged this very same thought in a 2019 lecture.’
Kidneys with hepatitis C virus increasingly transplanted in last 4 years
‘Since 2016, kidneys from donors with hepatitis C virus are being discarded less and transplanted more, according to a speaker at Cutting Edge of Transplantation: Transplant Summit. “In 2018, I had a heart transplant and chose an organ that was hepatitis-C positive,” Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, FACS, of NYU Langone Transplant Institute, told the audience.’
Rural America Isn’t Ready for a Pandemic
‘A popular t-shirt in my home state proclaims west virginia: covid-19 national champions, self-isolating since 1863. Until yesterday, West Virginia was the only state not to have a reported case of COVID-19. I’m a West Virginia native who has been working in public health in the Army for 15 years and back home for the past five. Our status as an isolated region of the country comes with some irritating stereotypes, but we can also poke fun at ourselves.’
Good News: The Federal Government Just Made It a Whole Lot Easier to Access Opioid Addiction Treatment
‘For the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have to visit clinics for daily doses of opioid addiction medication, social distancing is nearly impossible. But on Tuesday, the federal government eased some of its long-held restrictions in response to the coronavirus. That’s good news, because continual access to two primary treatment medications, buprenorphine and methadone, is key: If patients miss a dose, they could go into withdrawal and turn to street drugs, risking overdose.’
FDA Approves Treatment for Hepatitis C in Pediatric Patients
‘The FDA has approved a supplemental application for sofosbuvir and velpatasvir (Epclusa, Gilead Sciences Inc) to treat any strain of hepatitis C (HCV) in children aged 6 years and older, or weighing at least 37 pounds. The drug was previously approved to treat HCV in adults. In combination with ribavirin, the drug is indicated to treat pediatric patients aged 6 and older with severe cirrhosis.’
My Choices© Update
Week Ending March 23, 2020
Staying Physically Active during the COVID-19 Pandemic
“Physical activity is associated with a healthier immune system. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults achieve 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity and two sessions per week of muscle strength training.”
14 Cheap Ways To Invest In Your Health
“The coronavirus outbreak has taken a toll on the mental health of many who are filled with stress and worry about how the disease will affect them and the people they care about. It can also take a toll on physical health, with many areas temporarily closing gyms and workout studios. Fortunately, there are ways to nurture your physical and mental health for little to no cost, that you can do right from your home.”
Here’s Why Good Food & Nutrition Is Essential For Health.
“The patient’s health was suffering because he couldn’t afford one of the cheapest, most effective medicines in the marketplace. He was coming back and forth to the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center for his care.”
6 Ways to Generate Gratitude During Trying Times
“Choose how you show up amid COVID-19 and beyond – 6 simple steps to approaching life’s challenges with gratitude.”
EXERCISE EXAMPLES AND VIDEOS
“View sample exercise routines and videos. Remember to start slow if you are new to exercise, and talk to your doctor if you have concerns.”
Go figure: A healthy eating approach helps people be healthy
“I usually counsel my patients that the best diet for weight loss is not really a “diet,” but rather a healthy approach to eating that makes them feel good and that is good for their body.”
Should I test my gut microbes to improve my health?
“People are paying hundreds of dollars to have their gut microbes analyzed, hoping the insights will allow them to adjust their diet and improve their health.”
Hand Sanitizer vs. Hand-Washing: Is One Actually Better?
“People all across the world are flocking to stores in search of hand sanitizer. But where hundreds of bottles once sat, there are empty shelves.”
Why the human heart thrives with exercise
“How did the human heart adapt during our evolution as a species? To explore that question, Harvard cardiologist Dr. Aaron Baggish led a unique study that compared the hearts of African great apes, Mexican farmers, and American athletes. But the findings also have a practical message.”
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING A QUARANTINE
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people self-quarantine if they are concerned they may become ill following possible exposure. Those who are actually sick with COVID-19, the new strain of coronavirus, should self-isolate, so as not to spread the disease to cohabitators. The recommended time period for both conditions is 14 days.”