The Infectious Disease Clinic (in agreement with the Gastroenterology Department) is now the PREFERRED management team for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Please make referrals in EPIC to the Infectious Diseases section, for HCV evaluation and management.

In December of 2017, VMC expanded its services in the Infectious Disease Clinic to provide chronic viral hepatitis outpatient care and specialized management of chronic HCV treatment with new Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) therapies. Dr. Greg Morlin is offering disease-specific evaluation, treatment, and chronic management for all forms of viral hepatitis. Other specialty services include viral therapies in advanced liver fibrosis, viral resistance monitoring, and co-infection management. Our HCV specialty clinic also offers support through pharmacy oversight, RN case-management, and disease-specific social services.

Dr. Morlin has been treating HCV since the FDA’s approval of these novel DAA therapies over seven years ago. Since then, over 50 patients with HCV have completed therapy and have obtained sustained viral responses (SVR). And, under the direction of Dr. Morlin, the HCV clinic is currently managing over 30 additional patients with HCV at various stages of antiviral therapies.

The Infectious Disease Clinic is also available to treat HIV, Hepatitis B, and combinations of these chronic life-threatening infections. The providers include Greg Morlin, MD and Mike Hori, MD. You’re welcome to contact them with questions via Epic Staff Message or email.

Clinical Update on Hepatitis C

It is estimated that 2.5 million Americans have chronic liver disease associated with the hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and there are over 41,000 new cases of acute disease per year. 80% of these new cases will go on to develop chronic liver disease adding to this healthcare related burden. Of these chronic cases, 20% will develop cirrhosis and 5% will develop hepatocellular cancer.

Acute and chronic hepatitis C is frequently asymptomatic and many patients with HCV do not know they have the disease. Screening, therefore, is very important and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Patients born between 1945 and 1965, patients with any history of IV drug use, patients with a distant history of blood transfusion, pregnant women, and patients who have abnormal liver tests without explanation should all be screened for hepatitis C antibody. People can be saved by this simple test. In 2016, 18,000 lives were lost to hepatitis C. Many or even most of these patients with HCV can now be treated and cured with easy, safe and effective antiviral therapy.

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