This HCV Dashboard Blog program spotlight features a guest contribution from Luke Grandis at the New York State Department of Health.
Hepatitis C (HCV) remains a major public health issue in New York State, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID), who continue to experience disproportionately high rates of infection. Injection drug use is the primary risk factor for HCV transmission, yet many people who inject drugs face ongoing barriers to HCV screening, linkage to care, and access to curative treatment. Structural inequities, including stigma, housing instability, lack of transportation, and limited access to culturally responsive healthcare, contribute to gaps across the HCV care cascade.
Sun River Health addresses these gaps through their low-threshold HCV Innovative Model of Care. Rather than requiring clients to navigate complex healthcare systems, Sun River Health brings HCV education, testing, and care directly to people who inject drugs throughout Suffolk County. By co-locating services in community-based settings where individuals are already receiving care and support, the program helps normalize HCV testing, reduce stigma, and improve retention in care.
Sun River Health provides routine HCV education and screening within substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs, including inpatient, outpatient, opioid treatment, and residential settings. Educational sessions emphasize HCV risk, the importance of knowing one’s status, and the availability of safe, highly effective treatment that can cure HCV in as little as 8 to 12 weeks. By addressing common misconceptions and fostering open dialogue, these presentations empower clients to take the next steps toward testing and treatment.
To further reduce barriers to care, the program utilizes a mobile health unit to deliver HCV testing and treatment outside of partner sites such as Long Island Center for Recovery. The mobile unit increases access for individuals facing transportation or scheduling challenges and supports same-day linkage to care. Through the use of telemedicine, treatment initiation can often occur immediately following a positive test result, significantly reducing loss to follow-up.
“We’re literally meeting people where they are,” says Laura Shannon, Program Manager. “With compassion and consistency, we do everything we can to ensure our clients receive the quality of care and cure they deserve.”
From screening and diagnosis to treatment completion and cure, Sun River Health provides intensive care coordination and client-centered support. Services include assistance with insurance and prior authorizations, linkage to primary care, and ongoing follow-up to support treatment adherence and sustained virologic response (SVR).
By implementing low-threshold, community-based HCV services that prioritize people who inject drugs, Sun River Health contributes to New York State’s hepatitis C elimination goals. This model supports elimination priorities by increasing diagnosis, improving linkage to care, and expanding access to curative treatment among populations most affected by HCV.
Sun River Health’s HCV Innovative Model of Care is supported by the NYSDOH AIDS Institute’s Office of Hepatitis Health Care and Epidemiology.
