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In this issue:
- Hep C Champion Spotlight
- Michigan Syringe Service Program Directory
- Access Free Naloxone!
- Save the Date: 2025 Michigan Harm Reduction Summit
- Free CME Hepatitis C Webinars
- Hepatitis C Clinical Consultation Support
Lauren Judd, DNP, FNP-BC
Detroit Recovery Project
Practice Address: 1121 E. McNichols Road, Detroit, MI 48203
Provider Specialty: Addiction and Infectious Disease
Supplemental Services Offered: Treatment for HIV, Syphilis, other STIs; wound, skin/soft tissue infections; Psychiatry; MOU; Harm Reduction; Prenatal care and Maternal Infant Health Program for those with Substance Use Disorder
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What are successes and barriers to testing or treating hepatitis C?
One barrier to testing for hepatitis C is that patients and providers are often misinformed about who may be at risk. Another issue with testing is that the point-of-care antibody tests do not tell you if a patient is viremic. A major barrier to hepatitis C treatment is that a lot of providers don't know how easy it is! Additionally, pharmacies are not always aware that they can get the medications without prior authorization. Despite all this, we have made a lot of progress, and it is exciting to see advances such as point-of-care viral load testing and same-day test & treat algorithms.
Can you share an experience with the ease of treating hepatitis C?
When I first started working at Detroit Recovery Project, I had just graduated from NP school but was not taught how to treat hepatitis C. Working alongside a mobile harm reduction program, most of my patients are still in active addiction and have hepatitis C. So, my director suggested I look into the We Treat Hep C website. After reading the information and watching a recording, I realized that this was something I could implement into my practice. We developed partnerships with the State of Michigan Bureau of Laboratories and AcariaHealth (a specialty pharmacy) to streamline our process. The Henry Ford Hep C Consult Line has also been extremely helpful in giving me confidence that I can do this on my own. Treating hep C is simple medicine. And rewarding when you can tell a patient they have been cured!
What is something you'd like to share with other providers who may not yet be testing and treating their patients for hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is not just a problem for people with a history of IV drug use. The virus can live on surfaces for up to 6 weeks! So it can be spread through snorting equipment (straws/dollar bills) tattoo needles, and even pedicure tools at the nail salon. This is why the recommendations have changed, and we should be screening everyone. Additionally, we have evidence that people who use drugs are adherent with medications, and high rates of cure are achieved even with imperfect adherence. Do not withhold treatment simply because a person is active in their addiction.
What are your thoughts on the We Treat Hep C Initiative?
I am so grateful for all the policy work that was done before me which eliminated unnecessary barriers such as prior authorizations and sobriety requirements. Now I can treat the people I see every day who are most impacted by this disease and most likely to spread it to others. The We Treat Hep C initiative is a wealth of information and I share the site with all the NP students from University of Michigan that do clinicals with me.
Please share any additional thoughts or takeaways.
I feel strongly that we need to prioritize people who use drugs and support harm reduction initiatives by allocating resources that care for this vulnerable population. By sharing knowledge and resources, we can all do our part in treating hep C and achieve elimination.
Contact Lauren Judd: ljudd@recovery4detroit.com
New to curing hepatitis C? Free clinician-to-clinician support is available!
Across Michigan, there are 115 operating SSP locations. Clinics interested in connecting patients to a local SSP can utilize the MDHHS Syringe Service Program Directory. In 2024, Michigan SSPs:
- Distributed 91,815 naloxone kits
- Reversed over 5,000 overdoses (reported to SSP staff by participants)
- Distributed 155,815 test strips for xylazine and fentanyl
- Conducted 613 HIV tests and 1,494 hepatitis C tests
Questions? Please contact the MDHHS Harm Reduction and Viral Hepatitis Prevention Unit at MDHHS-SyringeAccess@Michigan.gov.
MDHHS provides access to naloxone for the reversal of opioid overdoses at no cost to anyone in Michigan. Community-based organizations, including hospitals, medical centers, and clinics, may order naloxone to distribute in their community. Clinics interested in promoting naloxone availability may display a printable flyer in their clinic which includes QR codes for local naloxone access options.
June 17-18, 2025 | Lansing Center, Lansing, MI
MDHHS is hosting a two-day harm reduction convening that brings together public health, public safety, nurses, physicians, social workers, community health workers, therapists, health educators, and persons with lived experience. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, learn, and share strategies aimed at curbing the opioi epidemic. For more information, please visit Michigan.gov/HarmReductionSummit.
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