St. Luke's Texas Liver Coalition

St. Luke's Texas Liver Coalition is a non-profit organization for people with liver disease. It is based in Houston, and active throughout Texas. It also provides resources about Hepatitis C, sometimes known as the "Silent Epidemic" [cite web | title = C Sick | Newspaper = Austin Chronicle| date = 2006-11-24| url = http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:422659]

The organization provides support for patients and their families, as well as public education and awareness activities, an e-mail response program, a toll-free phone number (1-800-72-LIVER), and a speaker’s bureau for lay audiences. It also offers professional, accredited Continuing Education programs for nurses and counselors. One of the largest of these events is the Annual International Hot Topics in Liver Disease Conference for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to get leading edge information in hepatology.

History

The Texas Liver Coalition was founded in 1995 by Dr. Howard Monsour, a nationally respected researcher and clinician in liver disease, and Austin Jones, a patient. It was incorporated as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization with the mission to educate, support and comfort people with liver disease and their families. It became a part of the St. Luke's Episcopal Health System [cite web | title = St. Luke's Center for Liver Disease| url = http://www.sleh.com/sleh/Section004/index.cfm?pagename=StLukes_TexasLiverInstitute&PageMD=DIGESTIVE%20HEALTH] in 2002.

Non-Profit Services

The St. Luke’s Texas Liver Coalition provides:

The Liver Line is a toll-free hotline (1-800-72-LIVER) available to the general public to answer questions and provide information and support. It is anonymous and free and acts as an alternative to support groups.

Support groups can be found across Texas, from El Paso to Texarkana. Support groups provide a physical safe space to talk about day to day living with liver disease, going through treatment, coping with social stigma and to simply be with other people who have been through or are going through similar experiences. Training is available through the Texas Liver Coalition, and provides public education and awareness activities online at www.texasliver.org, an e-mail response program, and a speakers bureau for lay audiences. TLC offers professional, accredited Continuing Education programs for nurses and counselors.

Screening for hepatitis C is available free of charge. PCR testing is available as a confirmatory test to anyone who has tested positive to the hepatitis C antibody.

Achievements

* 2007 - over 1,500 clients were screened for Hepatitis C
* 2007 - over 100 clients went through the Treatment Training classes
* 2007 - over 230 people attended the Annual International Hot Topics in Liver Disease Conference
* 2007 - over 20 screening events organized
* 2006 - over 940 clients screened for Hepatitis C

References

External links

* [http://www.texasliver.org/ St. Luke's Texas Liver Coalition]
* [http://www.sleh.com/ St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital]
* [http://www.liverhottopics.com/ St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital - Hot Topics Conference]