Stacey B. Trooskin Md, PHD Steering Committee
Dr. Trooskin initially developed her interest in Hepatitis C in 1999 while pursuing her MPH at Yale University. Her work has involved evaluating the HCV reporting databases for the State of New Jersey and Connecticut and identifying the clusters of disease within the State. In 2001 she enrolled in the MD/PhD program at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and UMDNJ School of Public Health. She continued to pursue her interest in Hepatitis C and returned to Philadelphia to conduct her dissertation work. Her research focused on identifying barriers to screening and testing for Hepatitis C in minority populations. After completing her doctorate degrees in 2007, she went to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for internal medicine residency and fellowship in Infectious Diseases. She has used her fellowship to develop clinical expertise in the areas of HIV and HCV. Dr. Trooskin has started an outreach program for medical students, which trains them to become certified HIV and (soon) HCV counselors and testers. In July 2012, Dr. Trooskin became a faculty member at Drexel University School of Medicine where she continues to pursue her clinical and research interests in hepatitis C. Now, rather than identifying barriers to screening, testing and treatment, she spends most of her time strategizing ways to overcome them.
Melissa Hobkirk
Melissa joined the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) as the Viral Hepatitis Prevention, Policy, and Community Outreach Manager and governmental Co-Chair of HepCAP in August 2020. She comes to us by way of Denver, Colorado, where she worked in the field of hepatitis at a nonprofit named Liver Health Connection (formerly known as Hep C Connection) seven years. She has experience working one-on-one, directly with special populations to educate, link to cure, and provide HCV and HIV rapid testing and at a community level linking organizations to resources they may need to better serve those living with HCV, and at a governmental level advocating for changes within the healthcare system.
Alex Shirreffs, MPH (Founder)
Since 2011, Alex has applied a community oriented approach and collaborative spirit to her Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator work at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, forming Hepatitis C Allies of Philadelphia (HepCAP) and participating in the Hep B United coalition. In this role, Alex has realized that improving the lives of people living with or at risk for hepatitis B and C requires innovation, silo busting, and engaging the marginalized and voiceless. She has been honored with the Mayor’s Award for Distinguished Service and Harm Reduction Hero award from Prevention Point Philadelphia. Alex’s passion for social justice was inspired by the Jesuit aims of Fordham University, at a University of Washington MPH program that focused on social inequalities, and in the villages of Cote d’Ivoire and Madagascar where she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Alex now serves as the city’s HIV/Hep C coordinator at the AIDS Activities Coordinating Office.
HepCAP is an affiliate program of the Health Federation of Philadelphia
The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to improve access to and quality of health care services for underserved and vulnerable individuals and families. Since 1983, The Health Federation has served as a network of the community health centers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, providing a forum for the region’s federally qualified health centers and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to collaborate and mobilize resources for their shared goals of improving the health of the population by expanding access to high quality care.
Building on their work with health centers, HFP has developed additional programs and expertise. Their training and technical assistance arm supports capacity building within the public health system and human service organizations throughout the region. Through direct service programs, HFP serves some of the neediest families in our community, focusing primarily on support for young children and their families. By taking an integrated approach to their work with health centers, systems and families, we ensure that each aspect of our work informs and advances our mission.
