In 2016, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, University of California, San Francisco, and more than 30 other community partners launched End Hep C SF (EHCSF), the first city-focused HCV elimination strategy in the US. This mission of this collective impact initiative is to end new HCV diagnoses in the city, increase access to low-threshold testing and treatment services, and support all San Franciscans living with and at risk for HCV to maximize their health and wellness.
Facente Consulting was hired during the formation of EHCSF to provide “backbone support” for the project. Ongoing backbone support activities include planning and facilitating meetings of the Coordinating Committee, Executive Advisory Committee, individual workgroups, and large open community forums to inform community stakeholders of progress toward EHCSF’s goals. Facente Consulting also led two strategic planning processes for EHCSF, resulting in strategic plans for 2017-2019 and 2020-2022. In addition to general help with strategic planning and coordination, Facente Consulting helped the initiative earn $1,275,000 in grant funding to support its work in the early phases. Finally, Dr. Facente has led research and surveillance activities for the initiative, including the first ever estimate of the number of people living with hepatitis C in San Francisco, published in PloS ONE in 2018.