Timmins, ON – The Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) Liver Health Team is committed to helping eliminate the hepatitis C virus by 2030 by testing, treating, and potentially saving the lives of people infected in the district.

This national and provincial goal to improve population health by eliminating hepatitis C is particularly critical in our area, as Northeastern Ontario has higher rates with 10% of the provincial reported cases, but only 3% of the population.

“We don’t want anyone to suffer needlessly,” said Patrick Nowak, Program Manager of Outpatient Mental Health and Addiction Services. “Hepatitis C is now very treatable. We want to get that treatment to everyone who needs it and to stop the spread.”

It’s estimated that one-third of Ontarians living with hepatitis C are unaware that they have this virus that attacks the liver. If left untreated, chronic infection can lead to liver failure or liver cancer. In fact, it’s the leading cause of death and illness from infectious disease in Canada.

Hepatitis C is now treatable through an 8-12 week course of medications that is estimated to be 95% effective. Besides preventing liver failure and cancer, treatment can also improve a person’s quality of life. The best way to find out if you have the virus is through testing, as not everyone experiences symptoms.

Since the hospital team’s launch in October 2024, it has conducted more than 200 tests for blood borne illness. Of that number, 15 people have initiated treatment, five of which have completed treatment, which the team also supports.

People can request testing at the hospital, or the team will come to them. Collaborating with the Cochrane District Emergency Medical Services, Living Space, and Northeastern Public Health, the Liver Health Team does regular testing at the low barrier shelter and during outreach.

“Working with partners, we’ve taken a ‘no wrong door’ approach,” said Nowak. “That means that a person could call any partner and be connected to the Liver Health Team.”

The name of the hospital’s Liver Health Team –which includes an outreach worker, a registered nurse, and clerical support– was chosen after consulting with people with lived experience. Hepatitis C still carries stigma, something that the team is working to address.

While hepatitis C, transmitted through blood, is associated with the sharing of needles, anyone who may have received a blood transfusion prior to 1980 might be at risk (before regular testing of the blood supply), and it can be passed from mother to baby at birth.

To contact the hospital’s Liver Health Team, call 705-267-2131 ext. 2175.

Quick Facts:

• More than 110,000 Ontarians are living with hepatitis C, which is one of the leading causes of death and illness from an infectious disease in Canada.
• Hepatitis C infection is caused by a virus that attacks the liver.
• During the initial infection period, people often have mild or no symptoms. Early symptoms can include fever, dark urine, abdominal pain, and yellow tinged skin. The virus persists in the liver, becoming chronic, in about 70% of those initially infected.
• It is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact with an infected person, including through sharing needles or other drug-related equipment. It can be passed from an infected mother to her baby and via sexual practices that lead to exposure to blood (for example, people with multiple sexual partners and among men who have sex with men); however, these modes of transmission are less common.
• Hepatitis C can cause both acute and chronic infection, often without symptoms. Chronic infection can lead to serious liver disease or cancer. There is currently no vaccine to prevent hepatitis c, although effective therapy is now available.
• Hepatitis C Elimination Roadmap Ontario provides more information including targets to reduce new infections by 80%, diagnose 90% of people living with hepatitis C, and begin treatment for 80% of people with hepatitis C.

Photo Caption: The Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) Liver Health Team is testing, treating and saving lives at the hospital and in community. Left to Right: Courtney Lachapelle, Outreach Worker; Tania Rivers, Registered Nurse; Patrick Nowak, Program Manager, Addictions and Outpatient Mental Health. 

For more information contact TADH’s Communications Team: 705-267-2131 Ext. 2705 or communications@tadh.com