WASHINGTON -- In its continuing efforts to provide care to more than 80,000 veterans infected with hepatitis C, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Jan. 1, 2002, funded four new centers to evaluate and improve hepatitis C screening, testing, clinical care and education.
"These new centers will enhance VA's ability to respond to a large and growing public health problem," said Dr. Frances Murphy, deputy under secretary for health. "They will spearhead efforts to improve care, educate veterans and health care professionals, and evaluate current programs. Ultimately, these efforts will benefit all Americans affected by hepatitis C."
Each of the centers will receive annual funding of up to $500,000 for five years, plus start-up costs. The centers are located at Minneapolis, San Francisco, West Haven, Conn., and Seattle, in conjunction with the Portland, Ore. VA medical center.
"VA screens, tests and treats more people with hepatitis C than anyone else in the country," said Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of the Public Health Strategic Health Care Group (PHSHG), which oversees VA's hepatitis C program. "Even so, VA continues to explore new ways to improve its programs. These new centers will function as field-based clinical laboratories to evaluate current practices and develop new tools for improving the quality of care."
The new centers build on the success of the previous Centers of Excellence in Hepatitis C program, established by VA in 1999. VA also regularly cooperates in many veteran outreach partnerships, conducts extensive research and sponsors educational conferences.
"VA has been and continues to be a leader in hepatitis C programs in the U.S.," said Dr. Michael Rigsby, Director, HIV and Hepatitis C Programs, PHSHG. "In the past several years, VA has educated providers, including updating and distributing treatment guidelines and clinical protocols, hosting national symposiums, setting up a Web site with information for both clinicians and patients, holding a nationwide teleconference and launching a cooperative study involving 26 medical centers."
"VA is in an extraordinary position to continue to lead the way in this rapidly changing area of health care and the new centers will play a critical role," said Murphy.
