Reinforced by findings from a University of Vermont medical student public health project, Vermont CARES recently received a $40,000 grant from Janssen Therapeutics to start a Vermont Hep C case management pilot project. The organization was one of only eight programs nationwide that received this funding.

Vermont CARES is the state’s largest and longest-serving AIDS Service Organization, serving nearly a third of all those in the state living with HIV or an AIDS diagnosis. For nearly 30 years, the organization has provided an array of HIV-related services, from prevention and testing for those at risk, care and housing and treatment access for those living with the virus, to legal and legislative advocacy regionally and nationally.

In Vermont, there are an estimated 1.63 cases of hepatitis C (HCV) per 1000 people, according to the report on the “Living with Hepatitis C: A Vermont Needs Assessment” public health project, which was conducted in collaboration with Jacobsen and Vermont CARES. Many HCV patients “are aware of their status, but do not seek treatment because of the demands of poverty and ineligibility due to IV drug use,” the students state in their project introduction.

“Getting used syringes off the street demonstrably reduces HIV as well as hepatitis C, and so we’ve been looking for more ways to expand treatment and prevention services for those at risk of hepatitis C for years now,” Jacobsen says. Over the past decade, Vermont CARES has more than doubled its access to sterile syringes for those who use injection drugs and medications who might otherwise have to share or reuse that equipment.

The students created a survey consisting of 20 questions to assess demographics and the applicability of existing services at VT CARES, which was completed by HCV patients at seven sites throughout Vermont. Based on their findings, the students – who included Class of ‘17 members Alexandra Brown, Justin Genziano, Samy Ramadan, Amy Schumer, Matthew Shear and Katherine Wang – recommended that Vermont CARES expand their services to include clients with HCV. UVM Professor of Pediatrics Jerry Larrabee, M.D., was the faculty advisor on the Vermont CARES public health project.

“We absolutely could not have successfully written this proposal without [the students’] steadfast support and thoughtful research,” says Peter Jacobsen, executive director of Vermont CARES. “It was definitely the backbone of our application.”

Titled “Improving Care and Treatment for People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) Living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C,” the new grant will fund a staff position, peer outreach workers and a web-based information clearinghouse. Jacobsen expects the program to launch by late May-early June 2015.

“This new grant, made possible by the students’ research, allows us to expand care and support options for those with hepatitis C, and this is a huge next step for Vermont,” says Jacobsen. “The College’s commitment to local connections and impact really pays health dividends, and this is a great example of a strong connection.”

Learn more about the UVM College of Medicine’s Public Health Projects.