Harm Reduction Center of Southern Oregon: Hepatitis C Testing

Rural HIV/AIDS Protest: 1991

Protests in 1991 & 1992 represented a response by an outraged rural population robbed of vital tax dollars necesary to maintain services in the countryside. As a result of these protests, rural AIDS service organizations prospered through the 1990s. Through the first half of this decade, Portland bureacrats eager to promote their careers co-opted the Statewide Planning Groups responsible for distribution of these tax dollars.

S.F. AIDS/ARC Vigil: 1986

The AIDS/ARC Vigil on United Nations Plaza at the Civic Center first drew attention to the interrelated problems of poverty, homelessness and AIDS in 1985. Protestors chained themselves to the Federal Building to publicize the need for increased federal response to the crisis. Billy Russo, Harm Reduction Center of Southern Oregon founder, participated in the Vigil for three weeks in the spring of 1986. His participation influenced the evolution of the organization over its 20 year history.

JCC Memorial Park is named for the first person to publicly acknowledge living with HIV/AIDS in rural Southern Oregon. Trees are planted for the people who died in Southwest Oregon. The Park serves as a silent witness to how we addressed the epidemic through the dying years. THIS ALBUM IS UNDER CONTRUCTION.

Hepatitis C Testing

What do we do?

We promote Hepatitis C testing through syringe exchange and health education presentations, both at our Roseburg office and during outreach in the counties we serve. We offer Hepatitis C testing daily at our Roseburg office. In collaboration with the local health department, we offer Hep B testing and Hepatitis A/B vaccinations Fridays 2-3 at our Roseburg office. We dialog continually with public health authorities, Veterans Administration Medical Center staff, treatment staff and pharmacutical companies advocating Hepatitis C prevention. A Hep C Support Group meets at our Roseburg office on the second Thursday at 6:00 P.M.

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Major accomplishments are centered around HIV and Hep C Integration:

We established a Roseburg Hepatitis C Task Force in 2003. We partner with the Douglas County Health Department and the Roseburg VA Medical Center to offer presentations to promote Hep C awareness. We host a monthly support group for persons affected by Hep C. It is held on the second Thursday at our Roseburg office from 6-7.

In conjunction with Roche Labratories, we sponsored an evening dinner presentation featuring Doctors Atif Zaman and Ken Ingram from the OHSU Hepatology Clinic in Portland, OR. Local physicians, staff from our community clinic, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Douglas and Coos County Health Departments, addiction treatment programs, the Cow Creek Tribe, and paramedics participated.

We offer Hep B screening and Hep A & B immunizations weekly Fridays 2-3 at our Roseburg location. Through a grant from Roche Labratories, we offer Hep C screening at our Roseburg office from 9-3 pm, Monday through Friday.

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For more information:

The October issue of Health Matters, the newsletter of Douglas County Public Health, has a good article on Hep C. Click here to read the newsletter online.

Other Sources:

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention

Hep A, B, C - Know the Difference

Hepatitis C Advocate

The Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program

Department of Veterans Affairs

HIV and Hepatitis.com

Hep C Connection

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