Understanding Hepatitis C

What you need to know about Hepatitis C

Nurse Practitioner Joni Nickens

 Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver. It is contracted through blood, such as a blood transfusion, sharing needles, or sharing personal items (toothbrush, nail clippers, combs, etc. of people who have Hepatitis C and are untreated) and less likely through sex. MSM’s are more likely to contract Hepatitis C through anal sex due to the rectal vault being so vascular.  

Hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, and liver cancer. Of the people whom contact hepatitis C, approximately 20 out of every 100 people will spontaneously get over the virus (the body fights it off and gets rid of it), the rest will have chronic Hepatitis C. Of the approximately 80 out of 100 that have the chronic Hepatitis C, approximately 20%, or 10 people will develop cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell who will develop these complications. 

According to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals data from 2017, approximately 500 people are newly infected each year. Here in East Baton Rouge parish we are second to only New Orleans in rates for Hepatitis C. Most cases are in the age range of 25 to 64, with African Americans having higher rates than whites. The highest rates of hospitalization due to hepatitis C complications is in the age range of 45-64, also, more in African Americans than white. 

To help stop Hepatitis C, the Department of Health and Hospitals has started a new program to treat all people that have Hepatitis C in Louisiana. Treatment of Hepatitis C is now a single pill to be taken orally every day for 12 weeks. Just 84 doses. Side effects are minimal, and most of my patients do not report any side-effects. Even if a person does have side-effects, they should work with their provider to help minimize them. It is just 84 doses. The cure rate if taken correctly is 95-98%.  

Open Health Care Clinic has many providers who treat Hepatitis C. We encourage you to make an appointment and get tested. Please call us at 225-655-6422. 

Joni Nickens, FNP

#WELLCHILDWEDNESDAY

#WELLCHILDWEDNESDAY

As your community health center, we want only the best for you and your family. With the school year quickly approaching, it’s important to bring your youngster in for their annual well-child visit. Our pediatric staff can make sure your child is up-to-date on their immunizations and chat with you about any other concerns you and your child may have about their health.

Give your child a healthy start to the school year by scheduling an appointment with our pediatric providers today! Please call us at (225) 655-6422. Learn more about our Pediatric Services at ohcc.org/pediatrics.

Take Pride

Take Pride

Merriam-Webster defines “Open” as having no enclosing or confining barrier: accessible on all or nearly all sides or not restricted to a specific group or category of participants.

It is no secret that our organization, Open Health Care Clinic, picked our name strategically with the above definition in mind. You may think to yourself, “Well, really, what’s in a name?” The LGBTQ+ community says, “A LOT.” LGBTQ+ individuals NEED you to intentionally select not only your organization name but waiting room magazines, signs, intake language, policy language, organization posters, social media campaigns, business locations, financial donations, financial contributions, etc. as if their lives depended on it because they do. Labels can be used to degrade and separate or acknowledge and empower if done properly. Use them in your policies and procedures language.  Be deliberate about creating a work culture that provides quality care to LGBTQ+ individuals.

At Open Health Care Clinic, we INTENTIONALLY want you to feel that there are no restrictions on who we will see or why we will see them, especially regarding the LGBTQ+ community. As we are entering LGBTQ+ Pride month, it is fitting to address the glaring behavioral and physical health disparities that the queer community faces daily (and what to do about it). This blog is a rallying cry not for the LGBTQ+ community, but to the health care community that has neglected the queer community’s needs for too long.

The CDC highlights this in their report on the health of LGBTQ+ youth mentioning that LGB students are more likely to be bullied, contemplate suicide, deal with depressive symptoms, and use substances. Youth are dealing with all of this BEFORE the age of 18. The above health issues arise largely due to the rejection that occurs within a youth’s environment (school, work, doctor’s office). The Trevor Project found that just ONE supportive adult can help save an LGBTQ+ child’s life.  A child’s doctor can provide that life-saving support.

All the above risk factors that are attributed to LGBTQ+ youth also carry into adulthood along with several physical health disparities. As adults, LGBTQ+ individuals experience a higher risk of certain conditions, have less access to health care, and have worse health outcomes than that of their “straight”, cisgender counterparts.

LGBT individuals are more likely to rate their health as poor and report more chronic conditions. Lesbian and bisexual cisgender women have higher rates of breast cancer, and transgender men and women are at greater risk for breast cancer. LGBT individuals have higher rates of HPV infection. Lesbian and bisexual cisgender women may have a higher risk of cervical cancer, and gay and bisexual men may have a higher risk of anal cancer.

At this point, you are probably asking yourself, “How can that be?” Cigna Health indicated that LGBT people are less likely to have access to the care that they need, less likely to have health insurance, less likely to fill prescriptions, more likely to use the emergency room or delay getting care, more likely to be refused health care services and be harassed by health care providers.

As health care professionals, we are called to aid in making people’s lives better. Let’s start by taking the burden of addressing the systematic failures of the health care system OFF the backs of LGBTQ+ people. NOW is the time to take responsibility for educating ourselves and being intentional and inclusive with our organizational decisions. Whether you speak up and act or not, PRIDE will go on just as it has since 1969, but it would be nice to feel that those who are paid to care do.

Open Health Care Clinic is a one-stop, neighborhood health center location in mid-city Baton Rouge. From primary care and dental to behavioral health to HRT we are an LGBTQ+-friendly caregiver. Additionally, we provide STD/HIV testing and PrEP/PEP at our HAART clinic. We accept private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. To schedule an appointment, please call us at 225-655-6422.

Jena Ourso, LCSW

Let's Talk About Men's Health

Let's Talk About Men's Health

This month we are emphasizing men’s healthcare for Men’s Health Month! While also celebrating Father’s Day, there is no better time for men to talk to their medical providers about staying healthy. 

On average, men live about five years less than women, which can be due to men’s underlying health problems such as, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Men also schedule half as many doctor visits for preventive care as women do. As a medical professional, I advocate for annual medical visits, which is especially important as men get older. Men’s health issues can impact their ability to be involved fathers, supportive partners, and engaged community members. Men’s Health is important at Open Health Care Clinic and we want to honor Men’s Health Month by encouraging men to schedule an appointment with us today.

Encourage Him to Get Seen!

In some cases, men’s fatal health issues are preventable through regular medical care. Health prevention starts with men seeing a health care provider regularly, this will allow men and their providers to establish their baseline, BP, Weight, PSA, cancer, depression screening, heart disease (cholesterol). By doing these annual visits, men can catch potentially dangerous conditions early on and receive treatment.

How Men Can Stay Healthy: 

Tweak your Diet

Men's Health Month is a great opportunity to change the way you eat. Cut back on alcohol this month or up your intake of healthy fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir. You can do anything for a month, and if you do it for a month, you can do it for life!

Set some goals

Use this month to take hold of your health now and think about where you want it to be. Do you want to lose weight? Gain muscle? Simply eat more vegetables. Set small and achievable goals and work with your doctor to make them a reality.

Get educated

Take this opportunity to read about the common health issues that are specific to men and how you can prevent future health problems. Check out the CDC for information on health issues that men face.

If you would like to schedule a visit with one of our providers, please call (225) 665-6422.

Allan Edmunds, FNP-C

Resources:

www.menshealthnetworks.org

www.health.org

Unemployment Benefits and COVID-19

Unemployment Benefits and COVID-19

We know that a large number of persons have lost employment, are at risk of losing employment, have had their wages reduced, and are very limited in their ability to seek employment as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. We wanted to provide you with some information on accessing Unemployment Insurance benefits from the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC). 

What is it?

Unemployment Insurance provides temporary financial assistance to eligible persons with a minimum benefit amount of $10 each week and a maximum benefit amount of $247 each week. Payments may be received as early as 7-10 business days after completed applications are received by LCW. There is not a COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance fund. The benefit is pulled from the standard Unemployment Insurance. 

Who is eligible?

Anyone who loses employment, has had their pay or work hours reduced, or has been told not to report to work is strongly encouraged to file. Eligibility requires that you have worked during the first four of the last five quarters (currently January 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020.) You must be unemployed through no fault of your own and available to return to work.  You may still apply if you earned wages in another state. Again, if you do not meet all of these criteria, you are still strongly encouraged to file for the benefits during this epidemic.

How to apply?

Apply at louisianaworks.net or call 1-866-783-5567. The call center hours are 8am – 7pm, 7 days a week. In order to apply you must provide your name; social security number; address; alien registration number (if applicable) and the name, address, and phone number of the agency(ies) of your previous 18 months of employment. You should initiate the claim as soon as possible even if you do not have all of the previous employers' information. 

After you are approved, you must call or login every week to complete a certification in order to receive payment. As a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, the requirement that you complete at least 3 work searches every week is waived. 

Additional important information.

• When asked if you received vacation pay or sick time, answer "yes" if you are owed funds for that time, not if the company offered it.  

• You will be asked if you would like 10% of federal taxes withheld from the payment. If you decline, you will receive a 1099-G and the 10% will be deducted from your 2020 tax claim. 

• If you previously have had a fraudulent over-payment in Unemployment Insurance, you will not be eligible to receive benefits until you pay back the over-payment. If you previously have had an over-payment that was determined to not be fraudulent, you must call or login each week to certify the benefits and the benefits will be applied to the over-payment. You will not receive any payments until the over-payment is satisfied.