A Model for Student Run Hepatitis B Clinics at UCSF

Background:
Hepatitis B is an infectious disease of the liver that disproportionately affects Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). San Francisco's large API community is at risk for chronic Hepatitis B infection and its complications of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. There exists a safe and effective vaccine for the prevention of Hepatitis B infection. Recent health advocacy efforts have led to legislation and a countywide campaign (SF HepBFree) to promote the screening and vaccination of all APIs in San Francisco.

Setting:
Outreach at community centers. Two monthly Hepatitis B clinics at the UCSF Mt. Zion campus and the San Francisco Department of Health's Chinatown Public Health Center.

Population:
Our target population is the medically underserved API community in San Francisco.

Project Description:
Since 2004, the San Francisco Hepatitis B Collaborative (SFHBC), an interprofessional student organization at UCSF, has worked to raise awareness of Hepatitis B. We have two areas of focus: education and outreach. We educate health professional students through an elective course, which covers Hepatitis B pathophysiology, epidemiology, social issues, and basic training in phlebotomy and vaccine administration. In 2007, SFHBC opened two monthly Hepatitis B clinics staffed by student volunteers from SFHBC. These clinics, in cooperation with SF HepBFree, provide Hepatitis B education, screening, vaccination, and chronic clinical care. Volunteer interpreters are recruited from a pool of undergraduate pre-health professional students at UC Berkeley.

Results/Lessons Learned:
Approximately 150 students from the UCSF Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy take our elective course each year. These students, in addition to receiving training to staff our clinics, are equipped to provide ongoing advocacy for Hepatitis B and other unmet medical needs. Since November 2007, we have screened 550 patients and administered 400 vaccinations for Hepatitis B. 89% of those screened who are eligible for vaccination have completed or are on track to completing the vaccine series.