Relinkage Case Management for HBV and HCV is Needed

43 organizations have been awarded grants across four rounds of funding. Grantee organizations ranged from departments of health to large hospital systems, small clinics and non-profits of varying size and reach. Each program attests to the need for services focused on reconnecting people with chronic Hepatitis B or C, and who have fallen out of care, to the support they need.

Learn more about our grantees here.

Iowa Health and Human Services’ Experiences with Relink

One Death Too Many: Fixing the Last Mile of Hepatitis C Care

In this installment of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s Health Equity Series, Relink PI Mariana Gomez de la Espriella, MD, reflects on hepatitis C care in rural Appalachia, barriers to treatment, insights from qualitative work with patients and providers, and care models to improve linkage to cure this Hepatitis Awareness Month.

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Grantees Are Charting New Courses for Diligent, Comprehensive, and Effective Patient Care

Round One grantee Philadelphia Fight’s Education, Outreach and Navigation Services(EONS) has implemented the “Call 2 Care” initiative. The program will direct intensive outreach and care coordination to any patient within the organization who has not been seen in over eighteen months. This new direction is based on the outreach and navigation model established during their relink program. It will ensure that all patients (not just chronic Hepatitis B or C patients) stay connected to their primary and subspecialty healthcare.

Similarly, Round Two grantee Iowa Department of Health and Human Services has created a permanent position for a Re-engagement Specialist to support a broader spectrum of patient re-engagement efforts.

Other grantees, recognizing that people whose basic life needs are not being met cannot prioritize treatment, are expanding their relink program services to offer cross-contextual support to people who need treatment. Yet others are presenting their program findings and winning research awards!

Primary Investigator Eddie Brown of the Norton Healthcare relink program presenting at the 2025 Global Hepatitis Summit in LA.
Patient Navigator Jillian Smith of the Carilion Clinic relink program uses a mobile van equipped with secure telemedicine capability to reconnect patients directly to care in their communities.
Primary Investigator Maggie Beiser (L) and Patient Navigator Nikita Bhatnagar (R) of the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless relink program.
Project Manager Lauryn Ursey of the UNC relink program presenting their research at the UNC Evening of Scholarship.
Patient Navigator Victoria Jackson of the HBI-DC relink program making a house call to find a relink client.

“What I realized is that it’s far more effective to complete confirmatory testing, engage with clients through incentives, and secure accurate contact information at the start. The time and capacity required for re-engagement later is significant. Thankfully, through Relink, we now have the capacity to continue to do this critical detective work and help individuals return to care.”

— Sandra Marrero-Ashford, HBI CEO & Outreach Lead

The Message Is Simple: Patients Matter