Community Health Leaders
In order to stay up to date on latest treatments, drug discovery, clinical studies and how to manage Hepatitis C everyday HepatitisC.net brings you frequent articles, points of view and advice from health leaders and experts.
Current Health Leaders
Canadian Pharmacist
She is a pharmacist working in the field of specialty medicines and community pharmacy. She received her Bachelor of Science, English and Pharmacy degrees from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. Read more.
Leslie Castro
Leslie has been an advocate for congenital heart disease since 2006 advocating with Adult Congenital Heart Disease Association and Conquering CHD. Read more.
Emma Currie
Hi! I’m Emma! I’m a person with the lived experience of hepatitis C. My hepatitis C journey started when I was diagnosed at the age of 18. I was attending university in Vancouver and began to feel very ill: nosebleeds, yellowing eyes, and malaise. Read more.
Emily Feikls
Emily has been in the wellness space for years after a childhood trauma caused her to struggle with mental health, an eating disorder, and undiagnosed health concerns. She started to build an online community through Instagram and her podcast to help others feel less alone in their struggles. Read more.
Karen Hoyt
A Hepatitis C survivor who beat the virus, liver cancer, and is still living with end stage cirrhosis. She is an incurable optimist who refuses to quit. She is also a teacher who has learned a lot on her journey and gets a big kick out of sharing tips and tricks with others. Read more.
Daryl Luster
As a person who has lived with hepatitis c, it is my hope that through my efforts I can educate and inform. As a hidden illness -until the disease is more advanced, people are far too often isolated. This impacts quality of life in tragic ways for some. People are frequently marginalized by their hepatitis c diagnosis, and this is something I have experienced first-hand. Read more.
Jessica Mangiaracina PA-C
Jessica Mangiaracina is a Dermatology Physician Associate practicing in Westchester New York. She diagnoses and treats general dermatologic disorders, conducts full body cancer screenings, performs skin biopsies, melanoma imaging, suturing, and wound care. Read more.
Kimberly Nash
Kimberly Nash President of The Bonnie Morgan Foundation for HCV, is a strong advocate for Hep C. Kim is very active within the liver community participating in numbers liver life walks, community fairs, and various city festivals across the United States putting a face to hep C. Through her own personal battle with the disease she shares her journey and experience in speaking engagements across the U.S. along with managing several blogs, posting personal victories, and struggles she has encountered through fighting hepatitis. Read more.
Former health leaders
Bill Bartlett
Bill is a native Marylander but has lived in Vermont and California for most of his adult life. Having a passion for motorcycles, boats, and cars, Bill married his English degree and mechanical skills into a career as an automotive driving event planner/designer. He got paid to play with cars. Read more.
Paul Bolter
I was diagnosed in March of 2001 almost by accident. At the time I was experiencing issues with my PCP over the way I was feeling physically. I couldn’t get him to listen to me. During this time I decided to get a second opinion. I was continuously so tired by mid-afternoon and needed naps after work. I was given a name of a new doctor and she was very pro-active; after listening to my past history and other information I provided she decided to get to the root of things. Together we couldn't understand why at my age, at the time, I was worn-out, she gave me comfort while waiting for lab's and other test results to return. Read more.
Joseph Burke
Joseph is not only a survivor of the horrors during the dark days of the pharmaceutical industry, but a living miracle by medical standards. Born with severe Hemophilia Type A (less than 1% clotting factor in the bloodstream), the very product used to treat the blood disease (Anti-Hemophiliac Factor VIII) to many became a death sentence in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Read more.
Jenelle Marie Davis
Jenelle Marie Davis is the Founder & Executive Director of TheSTDProject.com - a multi-award-winning independent website and progressive movement, the STD Expert for Answers.com, an adjunct professor, and a professional speaker. Read more.
Lauren Dicair, LCSW, MSW, MEd
Lauren is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Sexologist, and Certified Hepatitis C Educator. She has extensive experience working as a psychotherapist, and as a case manager for persons with a dual diagnosis of HIV and Hepatitis C. She is also the daughter of a parent who had chronic Hepatitis C and succumbed to hepatocellular carcinoma in 2018. Read more.
Barry Edge
Barry was a novelist, musician, hepatitis C advocate, blogger, and medical journalist. His novel, Final Arrangements, a comedy about a southern funeral home, debuted in 2002, to critical acclaim. He was a finalist in Barnes & Noble's Discover Great New Writers program. According to Barry, “After my novel, I wanted to do more with my writing than entertain.” So he dedicated himself to writing for the hepatitis C community. Read more.
Jessica Ento
Jessica know first-hand the frustration of not having easily accessible treatment for Hepatitis C. It was after her mother was diagnosed, that she too was HCV+ at the age of 24. Unfortunately, her mother, Jay, lost the battle four months after beginning treatment. Once her mother passed away she realized the only way she was going to get treatment was to fight for it. Jessica has been denied treatment numerous times. Seven years later and she is still untreated. Read more.
Jeanne Hecht, MPA, PMP
Jeanne Hecht is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Site and Patient Networks at Quintiles, a position she was appointed to in October 2014. In this role, Jeanne is responsible for leading, implementing, and driving a site and patient network-centric global strategy that leverages leading-edge technology. Read more.
Abhinav Humar, MD
Dr. Humar is the Clinical Director of the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute (STI), and Chief, Division of Transplantation in the Department of Surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Humar oversees all clinical and clinical research activities at one of the worlds most active and prestigious transplant programs. Read more.
Jess Lamb
My name is Jessica Lamb. I am 31 years old. I currently live in the community of Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada. I am blessed with a loving partner, and we share three beautiful doggy fur-babies. Read more.
Mariah Zebrowski Leach
Mariah is a writer and patient advocate who lives in Colorado with her husband and two young sons. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the middle of law school, Mariah now uses her law degree to help people with chronic health issues. Read more.
Amy Lusk
My name is Amy Lusk and I am a patient Navigator for hospitals in 2 states for Hepatitis C. I have worked in infectious disease and addiction for 10 years now. Read more.
Patricia Maciel
Patricia Maciel was a caregiver for her husband for five years while e had hepatitis C. Until his transplant occurred, her family went through so many emotional problems, as many go through when they have someone with hepatitis C in the family. Read more.
Carleen Mcguffey
James and Carleen Mcguffey married 26 years ago. Together the Mcguffeys have 5 boys and 1 girl. Several years ago they learned Carleen was carrying the Hepatitis-C virus. Carleen went in for a Liver Biopsy when her son, Kyle, was just 8 weeks old, complications almost took her life. During that time James became frustrated with the lack of good information and resources for Carleen and other Hepatitis-C patients. Read more.
Corinne Miga
Corinne Miga, is a Licensed Master’s Social Worker born and raised in Buffalo, New York. She earned my Master’s degree from the University of Buffalo in the spring of 2012. For the past two years, She have been employed as a Medical Social Worker in the Immunodeficiency clinic at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC). In my role, She has had the privilege of working in the HIV/HCV Co- infection clinic, offering support to patients coping with these chronic illnesses. Read more.
Megan Muñoz, RN, MSN, CMSRN, CDCES
Megan Muñoz holds a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing, along with certifications in medical-surgical nursing and diabetes education. While most of her care now focuses on diabetes, her past experience included work on a medical-surgical unit at a large teaching hospital. Read more.
Rick Nash
Diagnosed at 12, He is a vertical transfer receiving Hep C (HCV) from his mother who successful cleared the virus in 2010. Rick was not so lucky, having failed five treatments including Sovaldi/Olysio and Harvoni, he has become an active HCV and invisible disability advocate. Read more.
Audrey Sheridan
I am a board-certified OBGYN doctor-turned-caretaker for my dad. I decided to pursue a medical career after a college year abroad in Nepal showed me the need for accessible, compassionate and thoughtful healthcare, especially for women. Read more.
Sue Simon
Soon after her diagnosis she began to work in the hepatitis community as an advocate and an educator. In 1999 she started the Hepatitis C Association and with a mission is to educate patients and providers about this insidious disease and give patients a place to talk about their fears, their hopes and their dreams for a healthy life. Meeting and getting to know other patients inspired her and took away some of her fear. She learned that helping others helped her, as well. Read more.
Debra Walters
Debra is a writer, a scientist, a doctor of pharmacy, and has spent the last twenty five years in field research for pharmaceutical companies. Her areas of expertise include Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Hemostasis (blood clotting), and Cardiovascular/Stroke. Read more.
Connie Welch
Certified Life Coach, Writer, Speaker, Hep C Patient Advocate, Founder Life Beyond Hepatitis C, Christ Follower, Mom and Wife to Mr. Fix-It. Hepatitis C lived with Connie for 20 years, experiencing 3 treatments during that time and receiving the cure. Her passion is to help and encourage others in their journey, and receive hope for a new life beyond Hep C. Read more.
Deb White
I was diagnosed with Hep C in 1992 when I went in for a physical and the nurse practitioner asked me if I had been tested for Hep C , that it was a new testing protocol. I had previously had Hep A and B which thankfully B did not become chronic. Read more.
Marissa Wilson
Marissa received a call to foster a 17-day old baby boy named Joshua. On the call, the family was notified that the baby had been exposed to Hepatitis C in utero. This incredible baby changed Marissa’s life in the most amazing way possible. Read more.
Daniel Winterbottom
Daniel Winterbottom lives in Seattle, Washington where he is a professor of landscape architecture at the University of Washington. One of his foci is the design of, and research on, therapeutic and restorative gardens. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2002 and underwent successful treatment in 2017. He understands the stigma surrounding the disease and uncertainty about accepting the diagnosis. Read more.
Matthew Zielske
Matthew has extensive experience providing harm reduction, hepatitis C education and resources to persons who inject drugs. In May of 2016, he created Umbrella Way to provide specialized training and education to community members, organizations and providers. Matthew is a frequent guest speaker at universities and support groups. He has also presented at the Institute on Alcohol and Drug Studies (IADS) conference on three occasions. Read more.
Regular contributors and moderators at HepatitisC.net are offered compensation for their contributions to the HepatitisC.net community. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact us at contact@hepatitisc.net.