Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Medical Center's Emergency Room Offering Baby Boomers No-Cost Hepatitis C Screening

nly Bergen County Hospital To Receive Gilead Grant For Testing

March 1, 2016

Patients coming into Holy Name Medical Center's emergency department, who were born between 1945 and 1965, are being offered a Hepatitis C test at no cost. The blood test identifies patients who are infected with the hepatitis C virus, an often undetected condition that can lead to liver disease, liver cancer and death.

"Part of Holy Name's commitment to help our community achieve the highest attainable level of health is through education and early intervention," said Michael Maron, President and CEO. "And helping patients find out if they have Hepatitis C is one aspect of that mission. We are pleased to offer this free testing, with support from Gilead Sciences, which may help prevent the spread of this disease and ultimately save lives."

An estimated 3.5 million people are infected with the Hepatitis C virus, with 75 percent of them being baby boomers. Based on the high rate of infection, the Centers for Disease Control has recommended people born between 1945 and 1965 be tested. Most people infected do not know they have the virus since symptoms, which include fever, fatigue, vomiting and loss of appetite, dark urine, yellow skin and joint pain, may take decades to appear. Once symptoms are evident, liver disease has usually developed and may be in an advanced stage.

The virus is spread from person to person through the blood supply. People who received a blood transfusion or an organ transplant before 1992, when widespread testing for the virus started, are especially vulnerable. Today, most people get the virus from sharing needles, syringes, and other equipment used to inject drugs. In rare cases, it may also be spread during sexual activity.

"Testing for Hepatitis C is usually not part of an annual physical and most people don't think about getting screened for it," said Kyung Hee Choi, Vice-President of Holy Name's Asian Health Services. "These screenings can detect if someone is infected with the virus early on and prevent liver disease from advancing."

Holy Name is the only Bergen County hospital to receive funding from Gilead for Hepatitis C screening. The facility aims to screen all baby boomers who come through the emergency department and agree to the testing. The hospital anticipates screening 9,000 individuals this year. The screening is part of Holy Name's ongoing commitment to the education and diagnosis of liver disease.

For further information about Hepatitis C testing, call 201-833-3344.