County awarded $1.2M to address Hepatitis C
Published on:
July 16, 2026
Award will fund a comprehensive expansion of services within Greene County Public Health’s safety-net clinic network, including its primary Catskill clinic, Hudson satellite site, and mobile health unit. Photo contributed.
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CATSKILL― Hepatitis C is usually asymptomatic, leaving many of those infected unaware of their condition.
On Thursday, it was announced that Greene County Public Health has been selected by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute to receive a $1.2 million, five-year grant to expand low threshold Hepatitis C (HCV) testing, treatment, and care for residents at highest risk.
“This award will significantly expand our ability to meet people where they are and deliver high-quality, compassionate care,” said Laura Churchill, DNP, FNPBC, director of Greene County Public Health.
Greene County Public Health will receive $240,105 annually from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, for a comprehensive expansion of services within its safety-net clinic network, including its primary Catskill clinic, Hudson satellite site, and mobile health unit.
Estimates show that between 2.4 million and 4 million Americans are infected with HCV, with between 69,000 to 100,000 new cases of infection added each year.
Untreated hepatitis C can result in the development of additional chronic diseases including cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Severe and long-term complications claim the lives of around 11,000 people each year in the United States.
Antiviral therapies can cure the disease with minimal side effects, making it possible to eliminate HCV. But it first needs to be diagnosed.
According to Greene County, residents face disproportionately high rates of opioid use, overdose fatalities, and Hepatitis C infection, compounded by limited access to specialty healthcare and transportation barriers.
Statewide, the HVC diagnosis rate is 21.4 per 100,000 people, according to the latest data from 2024 released this past May. For Greene County, that rate is 33.4 per 100,000.
According to Greene County, the expanded program will strengthen access to equitable, low-threshold HCV treatment for people who use drugs, individuals recently released from incarceration, and others who face longstanding barriers to care.
With the funding, Greene County Public Health will:
- Implement universal Hepatitis C screening across medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) programs, reproductive and sexual health services;
- Expand onsite Hepatitis C treatment, building on the clinic’s successful launch of treatment services in 2025;
- Strengthen partnerships with Reentry Columbia, which operates a Greene County unit, to improve linkage to care for individuals returning to the community after incarceration; and
- Collaborate with the Columbia-Greene Addiction Coalition (CGAC) to establish a community-driven HCV Advisory Board and support outreach, media campaigns, and stigma reduction efforts.
“By integrating Hepatitis C screening and treatment across our clinical programs and strengthening partnerships with community organizations, we are taking an important step toward eliminating Hepatitis C in Greene County,” Churchill said.
