Hepatitis C in Indian Country Needs Teams That Finish the Cure

Hepatitis C in Indian Country is curable, and Tribal health programs reach more cures when trained phlebotomists, nurses, and providers work on site where people are screened and treated.

Why Hepatitis C in Indian Country Still Demands Attention

Our Relatives still carry a heavier burden from this virus. In 2023, non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native people died from hepatitis C at an age-adjusted rate of 7.75 per 100,000, compared with 2.52 nationally, roughly three times higher, according to CDC hepatitis C death rate data.

The Cherokee Nation shows what sustained work can achieve. Its elimination program, launched in 2015, has screened more than 92,000 people and diagnosed 2,180, with a 99.4% cure rate among those who finished treatment, according to a May 2026 Cherokee Nation report.

Where Patients Fall Out of Care

Screening alone does not produce cures. A 2025 study in Frontiers in Public Health by Ashley Comiford, Jorge Mera, and colleagues followed a Cherokee Nation community testing program from January to September 2024. Of 102 people with a reactive antibody test, only 36, or 35%, completed RNA confirmation.

In the second year, Cherokee Nation Health Services hired a phlebotomist for onsite blood draws and added a nurse and an advanced practice provider for patient evaluation. The authors recommend onsite treatment options to reduce barriers for patients who struggle to reach a distant clinic.

How Staffing Helps Finish the Cure

Tribal health leaders can map each step from screening to confirmation, treatment, and cure, then assign trained staff to the steps where patients stall most often. Eligible I/T/U teams can also apply for the IHS Hepatitis C Elimination Exemplar designation.

Ellsworth, a Native-owned healthcare staffing company serving IHS, Tribal and 638, and rural facilities, views missed confirmation tests as coverage gaps that skilled, culturally aware people can close. If your clinic needs phlebotomy, nursing, or provider support to bring testing and treatment closer to home, Ellsworth is ready to help.