HepBFree SF LogoSF Bridge

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Golden State Warriors To Donate Proceeds From Their Annual Asian Heritage Night to San Francisco Hep B Free

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Christine Hsu, media@sfhepbfree.org or
Angela Pang, apang@asianweek.com, (415) 321-5894

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 16, 2009 – Celebrate Asian Heritage with the Golden State Warriors as they take on Yi Jianlian and the New Jersey Nets on Friday January 22, 2010. A portion of each ticket purchase will be donated to San Francisco Hep B Free – a citywide effort to screen and vaccinate all Asian and Pacific Islanders for hepatitis B.

Asian themed cultural performances will take place prior to the game and during half time. Cultural exhibits will also be on display in the arena. Attendees who purchase the special Asian Heritage Night tickets will receive a free commemorative Asian Heritage Night T-shirt.

For the first time ever, the Warriors are hosting a design contest for the back of the event’s t-shirt. Designs will be accepted through December 29, 2009, with the winner being announced during the week of January 4. Submissions can be sent to specialevents@gs-warriors.com. For rules and further information visit: http://www.nba.com/warriors/tickets/asian_heritage_tshirt_contest.html

"I'm excited to have the Warriors on board in our fight against Hep B and encourage the entire community to come to the game!" said Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco).

Hepatitis B causes up to 80 percent of all liver cancers, and disproportionately affects 1 in 10 Asian and Pacific Islanders. A safe and effective vaccine prevents infection and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B. The most important step towards eliminating hepatitis B disease is by being tested for infection in your doctor's office.

"We look forward to Asian Heritage Night at Oracle Arena and the excitement that is generated by this terrific event on an annual basis," said Warriors President Robert Rowell. "We've been fortunate to host similar events the previous four years and each one has been a resounding success from an entertainment standpoint. The unparalleled excitement of Warriors Basketball is unique and a great way to spend time together with family, friends and associates in a fun atmosphere. We’re thrilled that Asian Heritage Night has become a tradition and part of that electricity at Oracle Arena."

Community supporters for the event include Asian Americans for Community Outreach, Asian American Literary Review, Asian American Theater Company, Asian Firefighters Association, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Liver Center at Stanford, Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Asian Peace Officers Association, AsianWeek Foundation, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, California Dragon Boat Association, Cathay Post #384 Chinese American Veterans, Chinese Real Estate Association of America, Center for Lao Studies, Filipino American Arts Exposition, Hyphen Magazine, Indonesian Professionals Association, Laotian American National Alliance, Kearny Street Workshop, Nakayoshi Young Professionals, National Association of Asian American Professionals, Organization of Chinese Americans- San Francisco, Wells Fargo Asian Connection, Young Filipino Professionals Association, and ViveSF.com.

To Purchase tickets to the game visit:
https://www.gs-warriors.com/forms/secure/fct_asianamerican10.html

Groups of 15+ can contact Troy Corti for additional savings and Scoreboard Recognition at 510-986-5408 or tacorti@gs-warriors.com

###


ABOUT Hepatitis B
Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are disproportionately impacted by Hepatitis B. It is a disease of the liver caused by HBV, a virus often called a "silent killer" because it can cause liver cancer, cirrhosis or liver failure without producing symptoms. San Francisco has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation, and 80% of liver cancer in APIs is caused by HBV. But it's preventable with a simple vaccine.

ABOUT San Francisco Hep B Free
www.sfhepbfree.org

San Francisco Hep B Free is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between city government, private healthcare and community organizations. The program's goal is to make San Francisco a hepatitis B-free city by (1) creating public and healthcare provider awareness about the importance of testing & vaccinating APIs for hepatitis B; (2) promoting routine HBV screenings and vaccinations within the primary care medical community; and (3) facilitating access to treatment for chronically infected individuals. The campaign's theme is "B a Hero. See a doctor who tests for Hepatitis B."

Monday, December 14, 2009

City-wide Campaign Becomes National Hep B Model

By Fia Curley

Article on U.S. HHS Office of Minority Health website
Download PDF | OMH Homepage screenshot | OMH Article screenshot

National recognition, high-profile partnerships, in-kind donations and non-stop media buzz have the grassroots Hep B Free San Francisco Campaign looking attractive.

But if the campaign somehow lost momentum and funding dried up, organizers on the volunteer task force say they would still be working to spread the message: Hepatitis B can be eradicated.

"Nobody came into this campaign because of money," said Dr. Samuel So, director of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. "A lot of people don't actually do anything unless they're funded. We feel this is the right thing to do for the community and whether we get funded or not, we're going to do it."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at SF hep B Free press conference.

The Jade Ribbon campaign started in San Francisco in 2001 with the goal of testing and vaccinating San Francisco residents for hepatitis B. Since then the campaign has morphed into Hep B Free SF, spread in popularity in the Bay Area and across the country and gained national recognition, highlighted by a press conference in October with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, Dr. Garth Graham. Federal representatives and government officials are now looking to replicate the program in cities with high Asian-American populations.



Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver and can be passed through bodily fluids via blood transfusions, sexual intercourse or tattoos or acupuncture with unclean equipment.

The virus causes yellowing of the skin, aching muscles and joints, fatigue and loss of appetite. But for people with chronic Hepatitis B, which often doesn't cause symptoms and is transmitted from mother to child, the end result can be liver cancer and death.

The campaign's intention has been to emphasize the positive messages surrounding testing through diverse outlets in order to drive more people to their own doctors for screening, vaccination and monitoring.

And now in the second phase of Hep B Free, organizers are encouraging people to visit a doctor who tests for Hep B and touting a clinician honor roll - to harness doctors' competitive nature - that will advertise a list of doctors who perform the test in major area newspapers.

Tests and subsequent vaccinations create the possibility of curbing the No. 1 health disparity in the Asian-American community.

"We really need to seize on this opportunity to address this health problem, which in the past has never received any attention," said So, a surgeon and self-proclaimed "passionate, evidenced-based advocate," who's found that some health professionals are not aware of what tests to administer for Hepatitis B.

"We have to go back to the ABC's of Hepatitis," he said. "This is a disease we can't assume they know."

The fact that not all clinicians in the Bay Area are aware of the need for Hepatitis B screening has become increasingly apparent to Dr. Lisa Tang, a primary care physician for Kaiser Permanente, who balances more than two thousand patients and has worked with the campaign for the past two years.

"It's not a standard of care with hepatitis B screenings and that's why people are not doing it," Tang said. "The risk to liver cancer is real, but is it on people's radar?"

And although Tang readily admits to moving at frenetic pace, she's determined to tackle the topic of physician awareness as she heads the clinicians outreach committee.

"Personally as an Asian American I find l do have a responsibility to do this and to make this change," Tang said. "Being a physician you change life one at a time, but for me to be able to act as a physician leader and change the behavior of my colleagues and to change how they practice — I think that implication can do so much good for the common good."

However, eradicating the virus from the entire city has taken more than a few partners in the health community.

"A lot of initiatives only work with community health centers but that's not representative of the whole community," So said. "You need everybody involved. We reached across the aisle to all the groups. So in a way it really created the opportunity for city-wide implementation and adoption."

Partnerships include the San Francisco Giants, City College of San Francisco, DAE Advertising, and Office of California Assemblywoman Fiona Ma. About 40 percent of partners are not health care organizations.

The campaign was modeled after a social movement with intentional decentralized collaboration and an approach that would be embraced by Asian cultures, according to Janet Zola, health promotions specialist of Communicable Diseases for the San Francisco Health Department.

"The thing about Hep B is we have everything we need to put this in a box," said Zola, founder of the San Francisco Immunization Coalition. "What we're lacking is public awareness by the general population of why this is important. It was clear we needed everyone involved to take true ownership of this."

With at least five major cities poised to adopt and adapt the Hep B Free campaign, original members in San Francisco are looking toward the challenge of bringing clinicians on board to enact their multifaceted approach.

"We had a much bigger picture from the beginning," said Ted Fang, director of Asian Week Foundation and fellow board member whose expertise resides in diversity issues. "We want the onus to be on the patients and the clinicians."

As billboards, bus ads and radio PSAs remind residents to ‘Be a Hero,' Fang continues to see the possibilities of the movement. From the original small dinner of ideas and listening ears in 2007 to use of the Hep B Free logo and adoption by other cities, the goal of making San Francisco the first Hepatitis B-free city is something he sees as obtainable.

"I do see it as a turning point in the history of the Asian-American community," he said, although he is quick to add, "we're not done yet - the great thing about this project is that it has an ending."

While the campaign seems to be "taking on a life of its own" Fang continues to remind people that this is a goal they must all work toward.

"We can eradicate this disease; we will eradicate this disease; someday it will be eradicated," Fang said. "When hepatitis B is eradicated, there will be a book written. And when that book is written it will say it started with the Asian-American community."

Fia Curley is a writer for the OMHRC. Comments? Email: fcurley@omhrc.gov

Monday, December 7, 2009

Walgreens To Help Promote Hep B Awareness in Stores Citywide

-100,000 informational fliers to be distributed in pharmacies-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Download PDF

Contact: Christine Hsu, media@sfhepbfree.org or
Angela Pang, apang@asianweek.com, (415) 321-5894

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 7, 2009 – San Francisco Hep B Free is partnering with Walgreens to encourage all clinicians citywide to routinely screen their patients for hepatitis B. Beginning Dec. 7, Walgreens will distribute 100,000 informational hepatitis B fliers at more than 60 pharmacy locations throughout the city.

When patients pick up their orders, pharmacists will include the two-sided flyer with their prescription. One side of the flyer contains facts about the disease, while the other side lists several public testing sites and Walgreens locations that provide vaccinations. Those Walgreens locations include 745 Clement St., 1580 Valencia St., Suite 101, 2690 Mission St., and 5260 Diamond Heights.

"As we enter the next phase of the San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign - to influence clinician behavior to screen and test all Asian and Pacific Islanders for hepatitis B - we want to encourage the public to be involved by asking their clinicians about this disease. Having informational flyers about Hep B in Walgreens pharmacy bags will help do so," said Mitch Katz, MD, Director of the SF Department of Public Health. "We applaud Walgreens for their support of the campaign and hope that we can one day eradicate this disease."

"Hepatitis is a very serious disease that many people aren't even aware of," said Jeff Wong, Walgreens Pharmacy Manager. "In a city where more than one third of its residents are Asian, Walgreens is proud to be supporting a campaign that aims to raise awareness about this vaccine preventable disease."

Hepatitis B causes up to 80 percent of all liver cancers and disproportionately affects 1 in 10 Asian and Pacific Islanders. A safe and effective vaccine prevents infection and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B.

"With the cold and flu season underway, more patients will head to the pharmacy and will receive the hepatitis B flyers in their bags," said Dr. Lisa Tang of Kaiser Permanente who chairs the SF Hep B Free Clinicians Outreach Committee. "Our hope is that people will read the flyer - 'Be a hero. See a doctor who tests for hepatitis B' and ask their clinician for more information. As more and more patients discuss this with their clinicians, they will hopefully be motivated to learn more about the disease."

###

ABOUT Hepatitis B
Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are disproportionately impacted by Hepatitis B. It is a disease of the liver caused by HBV, a virus often called a "silent killer" because it can cause liver cancer, cirrhosis or liver failure without producing symptoms. San Francisco has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation, and 80% of liver cancer in APIs is caused by HBV. But it's preventable with a simple vaccine.

ABOUT San Francisco Hep B Free
www.sfhepbfree.org

San Francisco Hep B Free is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between city government, private healthcare and community organizations. The program's goal is to make San Francisco a hepatitis B-free city by (1) creating public and healthcare provider awareness about the importance of testing & vaccinating APIs for hepatitis B; (2) promoting routine HBV screenings and vaccinations within the primary care medical community; and (3) facilitating access to treatment for chronically infected individuals. The campaign's theme is "B a Hero. See a doctor who tests for Hepatitis B."
Contact Us | Copyright 2007-2010. San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign, a project of Community Initiatives, Inc. All Rights Reserved.