Indeed, 2014 was a successful year in following through on its mission, in providing free hepatitis screenings, collaborating with established and new health partners, expanding community outreach, and promoting liver-health awareness for the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation.

In partnership with the William F. Ryan Community Health Network and the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center (LESHRC), ADRLF focused its energies on conducting free screenings and related health services, alongside co-presenting an educational seminar on November 17th to an at-risk community. Lively and well-attended, the day was a great first-time collaboration for all three organizations to combine their efforts at once.

The Ryan Network Mobile Health Care Unit, fully-equipped with a medical testing set-up and trained nursing practitioners, was stationed at the LESHRC in downtown Manhattan, and gave free rapid Hepatitis C tests and hepatitis vaccines. The patients who got tested received their results on the same day.Following the screenings, Jason Villareal, a nurse practitioner from the Ryan Center gave a talk on the basics of hepatitis: its causes, forms of transmission, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. The event aimed to promote increased hepatitis awareness, especially to vulnerable populations such as those of the “baby boomer” generation (born between 1945 –1965) and those who are uninsured. The free screenings were also geared to help substance users who are of higher risk to be infected with hepatitis C. ADRLF’s Board of Director members, Lisa Collins, Carson Kressley, Crayton Robey, and Dr. Carlos Ortiz attended the event, and presented LESHRC with a donation to support their medical services and future health awareness initiatives, particularly around Hepatitis.

 

With its new Lower East Side partnership, in concert with the Ryan Center, ADRLF looks forward to co-creating future events that will continue to promote liver wellness through various on-the-ground strategies.