Jefferson Award Winner Diagnoses Hope In The Midst Of An Epidemic
OAKLAND (KPIX) Hepatitis C is the most common bloodborne infection in the country. In fact, nearly two out of every 100 people have been exposed. This week's Jefferson Award winner started a clinic in Oakland to help those infected with this liver damaging virus -- a unique place where patients are not only changing their lives, but also a community.
Orlando Chavez grew up on the streets of Oakland, where he contracted Hepatitis C through intravenous drug use.
"I had no clue what Hep C was, what it does, what it meant," Chavez remembered.
No one had answers or seemed to care until he found OASIS (Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance-Abuse), a non-profit clinic started by Dr. Diana Sylvestre.
"Nobody wanted to see these folks because they are under insured or poorly insured, and they have a lot of other barriers to care," Sylvestre explained.
The barriers stacked against them included homelessness, addiction, and mental illness.
Chavez added, "People who everyone else has counted out, they come (to OASIS) and get rid of their virus and improve their lives. It's fantastic!"
From her small office near downtown Oakland, this Harvard-educated doctor serves a diverse community: 70% of Hep C cases come from shared needles, 15% from sexual transmission, 10% from blood transfusions. Treatment is available to all, no matter how they contract the disease.
She holds a weekly education class, and she credits her patients with taking what they learn to the streets, where they advocate for getting tested and treated.
"I realize everyday how lucky I am when I see these folks who get themselves out of their homeless shelter, or on the streets, that they come here and do the good work that needs to be done on Hep C," she said. "I feel so lucky."
So does Orlando Chavez, who now leads the clinic support group. His success fighting Hep C was the first step in many personal victories.
"I stopped dosing," he said. "I started tapering off my methadone dependence. I was able to quit that. I stopped hanging around with people who were into negativity."
"We use Hep C to tell them, 'We can help you with that, and how about some of these other things? We can work on these too,'" Sylvestre added.
When she started treating patients at OASIS 15 years ago, the success rate in treating Hep C was 10%. Today, new drugs are up to 90% successful.
So for giving her community a diagnosis of hope in the face of an epidemic, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Dr Diana Sylvestre.
