In the United States, over 4.4 million people are living with chronic viral hepatitis (CDC). Viral hepatitis can lead to increased risk for various health conditions, such as chronic liver disease and cancer, and currently causes more than 200,000 deaths in
the United States (NASEM). Chronic liver disease/cirrhosis is the 4^th most common cause of death among American Indians/Alaskan Natives, 6^th among Latinxs/Hispanics and 6^th for all sexes and races between the ages of 25-44 (Heron 2016). While hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening and preventive services are becoming increasingly accessible, and new developments in HCV treatment have the potential to cure ≥ 90% of chronic HCV infections (NASEM), barriers to care and important disparities remain prevalent. Additionally, surveillance data indicates new HCV infections may be occurring in key populations: the CDC recently published a report highlighting a significant increase in prevalence of maternal HCV infection among reporting states during 2009-2014. Overall, low public and provider awareness contribute to missed opportunities for prevention, testing, and linkage to care and treatment.

At the Clinician Consultation Center, we recognize Hepatitis Awareness Month and Hepatitis Testing Day (May 19^th). We raise awareness of viral hepatitis daily through our expert consultations to the many healthcare providers who are preventing and managing hepatitis around the country.

Our hepatitis-focused consultation services include:

Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Service (PEPline) | (888) 448-4911
Rapid, expert guidance for managing occupational and non-occupational exposures to HIV and hepatitis B and C. Peer-to-peer advice on all aspects of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) evaluation and management, from assessing risk of exposures to providing follow-up testing.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Service (PrEPline) | (855) 448-7737
Expert guidance on initiating and following patients on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), including screening and prevention of viral hepatitis before and during PrEP use.

HIV/AIDS Management Service (Warmline) | (800) 933-3413
Expert clinical advice on preventing and treating HIV, HBV-HIV co-infections and/or HCV-HIV co-infections, from initiating treatment to managing advanced disease.

electronic Clinician Consultation Service (e-CCS)
Register online to initiate clinical consultation on non-urgent management topics. Responses will be provided by CCC clinicians within two business days. Registered users can also log-in to track completed and active cases.

Hepatitis C Consultation Service | (844) 437-4636
Contracted by the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health (CCUIH) and Indian Health Service (IHS), the CCC runs a dedicated hepatitis C mono- and co-infection “warmline” service for clinicians from these agencies.

For more information on Hepatitis Awareness Month and national strategies to address hepatitis, visit the links below:
Hepatitis Awareness Month & Hepatitis Testing Day
Viral Hepatitis (CDC)
National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan (2017-2020)
A National Strategy for the Elimination of Hepatitis B and C (NASEM)
Heron, M. “Deaths: Leading Causes for 2014.” National Vital Statistics Reports, 65: 5. Division of Vital Statistics (DVS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Accessed at: https://cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65_05.pdf