Undergraduate Medical School Health Fair Hepatitis Screenings: Utilizing Non‑Profit Community Organizations

Justin Chin, Ana Christina Reyes, Connie Chen, Alexandra Over, Elise Hsu, Sushama Rich, Christine Lomiguen

Abstract


Background: Undergraduate medical schools serve a critical role in providing screenings to medically underserved populations through the use of health fairs. Non‑profit community organizations (NPCO) often participate by providing local credibility, administrative resources, and technical knowledge. Here we present a three‑year narrative of hepatitis B and C screening efforts to highlight the challenges and benefits of undergraduate medical school and NPCO partnerships. Methods: Hepatitis screenings were conducted at biannual health fairs in Harlem, New York from 2017 to 2019. Meeting minutes from post‑event debriefings were analyzed to identify any overarching themes with NPCOs. Results: NPCOs share a common goal in working with the community to advance their access to medical care and treatment. Communication and prompt follow‑up are critical to maintaining expectations between NPCOs and health fair organizers. Conclusions: NPCOs can play an important role in encouraging, outreaching, and even managing hepatitis screening initiatives in conjunction with medical school health fairs.

Keywords


Chronic; health fairs; hepacivirus; hepatitis c; mass screening; medical students

Full Text:

PDF

References


Petruzziello A, Marigliano S, Loquercio G, Cozzolino A,

Cacciapuoti C. Global epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection:

An up‑date of the distribution and circulation of hepatitis C virus

genotypes. World J Gastroenterol 2016;22:7824‑40.

Wang LS, D’Souza LS, Jacobson IM. Hepatitis C‑A clinical

review. J Med Virol 2016;88:1844‑55.

Mukherjee R, Burns A, Rodden D, Chang F, Chaum M,

Garcia N, et al. Diagnosis and management of hepatitis C virus

infection. J Lab Autom 2015;20:519‑38.

Grannan S. Understanding patient perceptions and risk for

hepatitis C screening. J Viral Hepat 2017;24:631‑5.

Chin J, Otoole PJ, Lin JH, Lavalliere JM, Amine N, Milam A,

et al. The effect of student‑run vision screenings on ophthalmic

education and recognition of visual impairment. Soc Determ

Health 2018;4:117‑23.

MacLean K, Hindman HB. UR Well Eye Care: A model for

medical student ophthalmology education and service in the

community. Clin Ophthalmol 2014;8:2397‑401.

Murray K, Liang A, Barnack‑Tavlaris J, Navarro AM. The reach and rationale for community health fairs. J Cancer Educ

;29:19‑24.

Braveman P, Gottlieb L. The social determinants of health: It’s

time to consider the causes of the causes. Public Health Rep

;129(Suppl 2):19‑31.

Pennel CL, McLeroy KR, Burdine JN, Matarrita‑Cascante D,

Wang J. A mixed‑methods approach to understanding community

participation in community health needs assessments. J Public

Health Manag Pract 2017;23:112‑21.

Lucas JW, Barr‑Anderson DJ, Kington RS. Health status, health

insurance, and health care utilization patterns of immigrant Black

men. Am J Public Health 2003;93:1740‑7.

Shankar H, Blanas D, Bichoupan K, Ndiaye D, Carmody E,

Martel‑Laferriere V, et al. A novel collaborative

community‑based hepatitis B screening and linkage to

care program for African immigrants. Clin Infect Dis

;62(Suppl 4):S289‑97.

Terranova E, Tsoi B, Laraque F, Washburn K, Fuld J.

Strengthening screening for HIV, hepatitis C, and STIs: An

innovative partnership between the health department and

community health centers in New York City. Public Health Rep

;131(Suppl 1):5‑10.

Perumalswami PV, Factor SH, Kapelusznik L, Friedman SL,

Pan CQ, Chang C, et al. Hepatitis Outreach Network: A practical

strategy for hepatitis screening with linkage to care in

foreign‑born communities. J Hepatol 2013;58:890‑7.

Chin J, Francis M, Lavalliere JM, Lomiguen CM. Osteopathic

physical exam findings in chronic hepatitis C: A case study.

Cureus 2019;11:e3939.

Burstow NJ, Mohamed Z, Gomaa AI, Sonderup MW, Cook NA,

Waked I, et al. Hepatitis C treatment: Where are we now? Int J

Gen Med 2017;10:39‑52.