Creating Connections at the Goulburn Valley Networking Dinner

The Goulburn Valley Regional Hepatitis C Dinner brought together 23 clinicians across the region in Shepparton to discuss the impact of hepatitis C in the region, particularly on people who use drugs and access services. Representatives from several clinics, AOD services, Rumbalara Health Service and the region’s PHU came together to hear Dr Vinay Menon, Steven Taylor, Jon Kok, and Prof Ed Ogden speak and set the foundation for a community of practice in the region.

Vinay and Jon hosted the evening, with Vinay giving an overview of the current state of play across the region, and Jon speaking to the impact of stigma in healthcare. They were joined by lived experience speaker, Steven Taylor, who provided poignant personal insights into the direct impacts of hepatitis C, and Prof Ed Ogden spoke to his experiences in AOD services and the challenges that people who use drugs experience in healthcare.

The event has already led to several services engaging with the Motivate C project to incentivise treatment, and there has been overwhelming interest in being part of the region’s community of practice!