Findhelp Partners with State of Colorado to Fight Spread of Infectious Diseases

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Oct 18, 2023, 09:00 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Findhelp is proud to announce it has been awarded a contract with the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) to build a Drug User Health Hub Project to reduce transmission of viral hepatitis and to promote the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the infectious disease consequences of drug use. Findhelp is a technology company that connects individuals in need of social care services with providers in an efficient and easy-to-navigate system while protecting their privacy; this is known as a closed-loop referral system.

Coloradans trust findhelp to connect them with the social care services they need. Nearly 560,000 users in the state have conducted 1.74 million searches on the findhelp platform. Findhelp works with 6,109 listed programs serving the state.

"We are immensely grateful to CDPHE for allowing us to help with this crucial need," said Erine Gray, founder and CEO of findhelp. "Due to institutionalized stigma, insurance issues, financial barriers, and lack of treatment options, Coloradans in need of these services have not been able to access them. We are glad to be able to help change that."

Substance use disorder programs often focus on treating addiction and preventing overdoses, often to the detriment of addressing the infectious diseases associated with injected drug use. People who inject drugs are at high risk for viral hepatitis, HIV, and bacterial or fungal infections, which require costly and prolonged medical care. But many barriers exist to accessing longer-term medical and social care services. This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nationally, the number of acute hepatitis C cases doubled from years 2014 to 2020. In Colorado, intravenous drug use is the most common risk factor associated with acquiring hepatitis A and C. At the same time, overdose deaths in Colorado have risen sharply since 2019, tracking the national trend. In 2020, the state suffered an historic high of 1,477 fatal overdoses; in 2022, that number rose to 1,799.

About findhelp

Findhelp is the company modernizing America's social safety net by simplifying the process of connecting people with help. We've built a comprehensive platform of products and services that make it easy to find resources for people, follow them on their journey, and track the impact in a fast and reliable way. Our industry-leading social care network includes more than half a million local, state, and national programs that serve every ZIP Code in the country, from rural areas to major metropolitan centers. Findhelp is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has been enabling healthcare, government, education and other organizations with privacy and security, since 2010.

For more information, visit https://company.findhelp.com.

SOURCE Findhelp