Creating Action Steps for Linking Underserved Populations with HVC Care

Faculty

Zobair M. Younossi, MD, MPH, FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD
President, Inova Medicine Services
Chairman, Clinical Research, Inova Health System
Professor and Chairman of Department of Medicine Inova Fairfax Medical Campus Falls Church, VA
Zobair M. Younossi, MD, MPH, FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD
President, Inova Medicine Services

Dr. Younossi earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (Alpha Omega Alpha 1989) in Rochester, NY, USA. He completed his residency in internal medicine with a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, California, USA, while earning his Master of Public Health degree from San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA. He served as Staff Hepatologist and Senior Researcher at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, before establishing the Center for Liver Diseases at Inova Fairfax Hospital, which is now renowned for research related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and outcomes research in liver disease. He has served as Vice President of Research for Inova Health System and currently serves as the President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation (2018-Present) and the Board of Inova Health System Foundation (2011-Present). Dr. Younossi was appointed by Governors T. Kaine and B. McDonnell of Virginia to the Board of Directors of Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority (2008-2014). He also served on the Virginia Tobacco & Health Research Repository (VTHRR), Board of Directors, America Heart Association, Mid-Atlantic Affiliate (2010-2012) and Board of the American College of Gastroenterology Institute for Clinical Research & Education (2013-Present). He has served on multiple committees for American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastrointestinal Association, and George Mason University as well as on numerous committees at Inova Fairfax Hospital and Inova Health System.

Dr. Younossi pioneered research in NAFLD and has been a leader in the field of patient-reported outcomes (PROs), economic assessment and other areas of outcomes research in liver disease. He leads a number of international efforts related to NAFLD and PROs in liver disease though global collaborations, including the Chair of Global NASH Council and the Global Liver and NASH Registries. In addition to research and administrative duties, Dr. Younossi has been actively involved in teaching students, residents, and fellows. He has also served as Chair, Director or faculty of a number of international scientific, and CME-related courses.

Dr. Younossi specializes in hepatology and gastroenterology and has authored over 510 articles, 3 books, 6 journal supplements, over 25 book chapters, and over 800 abstracts at the international scientific meetings. He is a highly sought-after speaker providing over 420 faculty lectures in national and international meetings. His academic productivity has led to an H-index of 82. Dr. Younossi also serves as the co-editor of Liver International, Associate Editor of Journal of Hepatology, and on the editorial board of a number of important medical journals. He has represented the American Association of Liver Disease and American Gastroenterological Association at different congressional meetings.

Barbra Cave, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY
Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, Division of Environmental Health, Hep C Program Lead, University of Louisville Hospital Hep C Center
Barbra Cave, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC

Dr. Cave is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and an assistant professor in the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She serves as the Hep C Program Lead for the UofL Hospital Hep C Center. She is the principal investigator on multiple industry-sponsored grants and is working toward gaining NIH funding. Much of her work focuses on patients with viral hepatitis infections and improving access to care and treatment, with special attention to pregnant women and people who use drugs.

Dr. Cave earned her bachelor’s degrees in biology (2003) and nursing (2005) from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. She worked nearly 5 years in the Transplant ICU at Jewish Hospital before graduating with her Masters of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner at Bellarmine University in 2010. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Louisville with her PhD in Nursing. She received training specific to her roles in gastroenterology and hepatology through her work with medical faculty at the University of Louisville Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

Dr. Cave has co-authored several publications and delivered numerous podium presentations at local, state, and national conferences. She serves as a faculty presenter for the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF), Kentucky Hepatitis Academic Mentorship Program (KHAMP), Gastroenterology/Hepatology Advanced Practice Providers (GHAPP), and the Scripps Clinic Liver Research Consortium. She is a member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) and serves on the Hepatology Associates Committee. As of January 2021, Dr. Cave is chair of the inaugural Research Committee for GHAPP. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau; the American Association of Nurse Practitioners; the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives; and a former member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. She is a board member for the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition.

Anthony Martinez, MD, AAHIVS, FAASLD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine University at Buffalo
Medical Director, Hepatology Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY
Anthony Martinez, MD, AAHIVS, FAASLD
Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Martinez cares for patients with liver disease and addiction disorders, including opiate dependency, viral hepatitis, alcoholic and fatty liver disease, at Erie County Medical Center where he is the Medical Director of Hepatology. His clinic “La Bodega” has been recognized both nationally and internationally as a novel co- localized model for the management of viral hepatitis and addiction disorders, and has been awarded a New York State World AIDS Day Commissioner’s Special Recognition Award. The clinic has also been designated as a center for drug user health in New York State. Dr. Martinez has lectured around the world on hepatitis C management among people with substance use disorders, most recently at the International Hepatology Exchange in Amsterdam. His team’s work has been presented at the annual liver meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD); the annual conference of the International Network On Viral Hepatitis in Substance Users, and at the International Liver Congress.

His research involves improving hepatitis C treatment in populations disproportionately affected by HCV, particularly people who inject drugs. He has been a primary and co-investigator on numerous clinical trials related to new therapeutic agents for hepatitis C and fatty liver disease.

A fierce advocate, he has worked to eliminate hepatitis C treatment restrictions throughout the United States and in Europe.

Dr. Martinez is a member of the AASLD where he was recently elected to the HCV special interest group steering committee, the European Association for the Study of the Liver, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Christian B. Ramers, MD, MPH, FIDSA, AAHIVS
Neurology Medical Director
Chief, Population Health, Family Health Centers of San Diego
Associate Clinical Professor, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA
Christian B. Ramers, MD, MPH, FIDSA, AAHIVS

Dr. Ramers is the Chief of Population Health and Director of Graduate Medical Education at the Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD), a large Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) system serving nearly 200,000 medically underserved individuals throughout San Diego county. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Addiction Medicine, and is particularly interested in HIV, HBV, HCV, and service of medically underserved, immigrant, and refugee populations. He co-chairs the California Chapter of the American Academy of HIV Medicine and has advocated for HIV/HCV care at the state legislative level. Dr. Ramers has served as a consultant for CDC- sponsored HIV/HBV/HCV educational projects in Asia and Africa. Since 2018 he has served as the Senior Clinical Advisor for the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s Global Hepatitis Program, working to eliminate HBV and HCV in seven partner countries in Asia and Africa.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ramers has taken on a leadership role in policy, laboratory, public health, research, and clinical response. He is a core member of FHCSD’s COVID-19 Response Efforts team, delivering biweekly updates to > 200 clinicians and staff. At the regional level he serves on the county Clinical Vaccine Advisory Committee and Equity task forces. He is a member of the national IDSA-CDC clinical call escalation volunteer group. He has facilitated several telemedicine forums including one on HIV care at the International AIDS Conference, a 10-week intensive telemedicine series (Telemedicine Hack) supported by HHS, and a COVID-19 outpatient therapeutics series supported by HHS and Project ECHO. Internationally, Dr. Ramers facilitates a twice-weekly Spanish-language COVID-19 virtual community of practice for Latin America and has presented at an international WHO AFRO region webinar on SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Statement of Need

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is known as a “silent epidemic” because a large proportion of individuals living with HCV are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms and do not seek medical care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that for every reported HCV infection there are 13.9 undiagnosed cases. The rise in HCV infections, particularly among younger demographics, is driven by injection drug use (IDU). Challenges in controlling the impact of HCV include low screening, treatment initiation rates, and patient education, particularly among high-risk and medically underserved populations.

In this CME Outfitters Live and OnDemand webcast, expert faculty will discuss the many barriers to treating HCV in the IDU population, including stigma and established negative perceptions about people who inject drugs (PWID), with special attention paid to applying CDC universal screening guidelines to improve diagnosis and linkage to treatment, expanding treatment for HCV in primary care settings, and addressing disparities in HCV treatment initiation in underserved communities.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this CME/CE activity, participants should be able to:

  • Apply CDC universal screening guidelines to improve diagnosis of HCV and linkage to treatment.
  • Expand treatment for HCV in primary care settings using simplified algorithms for screening, treatment, and patient monitoring.
  • Address disparities in HCV treatment initiation in underserved rural and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

The following learning objectives pertain only to those requesting CNE or CPE credit:

  • Summarize the CDC universal screening guidelines to improve diagnosis of HCV and linkage to treatment.
  • Explain how to expand treatment for HCV in primary care settings using simplified algorithms for screening, treatment, and patient monitoring.
  • Address disparities in HCV treatment initiation in underserved rural and FQHCs.

Financial Support

Supported by an educational grant from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Target Audience

Primary care physicians, emergency medicine clinicians, addiction specialists, nurse practitioners, PAs, nurses, and pharmacists

Credit Information

Physicians (ACCME) 1.0

CME Outfitters, LLC, designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Note to Nurse Practitioners

Nurse Practitioners can apply for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). AANP will accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit  from organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Nurse practitioners can also apply for credit through their state boards.

Pharmacists/Pharmacy Tech (ACPE) 1.0

This application-based activity is approved for 1.0 contact hour (0.10 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy credit.

ABIM MOC 1.0

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.0 medical knowledge MOC point in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Royal College MOC

Through an agreement between the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, medical practitioners participating in the Royal College MOC Program may record completion of accredited activities registered under the ACCME’s “CME in Support of MOC” program in Section 3 of the Royal College’s MOC Program.

MIPS Improvement Activity

Completion of this accredited CME activity meets the expectations of an Accredited Safety or Quality Improvement Program (IA_PSPA_28) for the Merit-based Incentive Payment Program (MIPS). Clinicians should submit their improvement activities by attestation via the CMS Quality Payment Program website.

Disclosure Declaration

It is the policy of CME Outfitters, LLC, to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, and scientific rigor and integrity in all of their CE activities. Faculty must disclose to the participants any relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of this CE activity. CME Outfitters, LLC, has evaluated, identified, and attempted to resolve any potential conflicts of interest through a rigorous content validation procedure, use of evidence-based data/research, and a multidisciplinary peer review process. The following information is for participant information only. It is not assumed that these relationships will have a negative impact on the presentations.


Dr. Younossi reports that he receives research support from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; and Siemens. He is a consultant for Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novo Nordisk; Siemens; and Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


Dr. Cave reports that she receives grants from Gilead Sciences, Inc. She is on the speakers bureau and advisory board for AbbVie Inc. and Gilead Sciences, Inc.


Dr. Martinez reports that he receives research support from AbbVie Inc.; Allergan; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; and Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He is on the speakers bureau for AbbVie Inc.; Eisai Inc.; and Gilead Sciences, Inc. He is a consultant for AbbVie Inc.; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; and Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.


Dr. Ramers reports that he receives grants from AbbVie Inc. and Gilead Sciences, Inc. He receives research support from Gilead Sciences, Inc. He is on the speakers bureau for AbbVie Inc.; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; and Viiv Healthcare. He is a consultant for AbbVie Inc.; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; and Theratechnologies Inc.


  • Jeffrey Helfand, DO (peer reviewer) has no disclosures to report.
  • Michael J. Franks, MSN, AGACNP-BC, FNP, BC (peer reviewer) has no disclosures to report.
  • Noreen Iftikhar, MD (planning committee) has no disclosures to report.
  • Jan Perez (planning committee) has no disclosures to report.
  • Susan Perry (planning committee) has no disclosures to report.
  • Sharon Tordoff (planning committee) has no disclosures to report.
  • Disclosures were obtained from the CME Outfitters, LLC staff: No disclosures to report.

Faculty of this CE activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently labeled for use by the FDA. The faculty have been informed of their responsibility to disclose to the audience if they will be discussing off-label or investigational uses (any uses not approved by the FDA) of products or devices.

Additional Formats

Post-tests, credit request forms, and activity evaluations must be completed online (requires free account activation), and participants can print their certificate or statement of credit immediately (75% pass rate required). This website supports all browsers except Internet Explorer for Mac. For complete technical requirements and privacy policy, visit https://www.cmeoutfitters.com/privacy-and-confidentiality-policy.

Questions about this activity?

Call us at (877) CME-PROS or (877) 263-7767.

 


NOTE: Pharmacist CE Universal Activity Number, Enduring: JA0007185-0000-21-113-H01-P

 

TV-127-042021-47

Creating Action Steps for Linking Underserved Populations with HVC Care
Event Date: 04/20/2021