RESEARCH

• In March 2007, ALF announced the winners of its 2007 Research Awards. Sixteen scientists representing 12 medical and research institutions were awarded more than $1.2 million to support their research in the areas of autoimmune hepatitis, biliary atresia, cirrhosis, cholestatic liver disease, chronic liver inflammation, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, liver fibrosis, liver regeneration, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and primary biliary cirrhosis. ALF is proud to support these research efforts and hopeful that they will bring us closer to finding cures for liver disease.
• Additionally, 20 residents whose applications had the best scores were chosen to each receive a Resident Scholar Travel Award, a $1,500 award, to help cover the costs of attending AASLD’s annual The Liver Meeting®. Each recipient also received complimentary admission to the Postgraduate Course, Meet-the-Professor luncheon and Career Development Workshop and were recognized at the ALF/AASLD Awards Reception.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

• During fiscal year 2007, chapters in the American Liver Foundation’s national network conducted 129 patient and public education programs attended by nearly 4,500 patients, their families and caregivers, health and social service professionals, students, corporate employees, volunteers, and the general public. Two programs, in particular, were nationally implemented by chapters – the Treatment Choices Initiative and the Think B initiative. ALF completed the first year of the Treatment Choices Initiative (TCI) during the fiscal year.
• Created a cadre of 41 community-based partner organizations (including substance abuse treatment centers, VA hospitals and Rotary Clubs)
• Recruited 91 -- and trained and deploying 53 -- volunteer speakers (health care and social service professionals and HCV patients)
• Conducted 41 tailored and targeted programs, reaching a total of some 1,300 generally hard-to-reach individuals ALF also completed its third year of the Think B Initiative.
• Disseminated hepatitis B education materials in seven languages to thousands of patients, family members and clinicians, and reached thousands more via www.thinkb.org and www.liverfoundation.org
• Involved 1,290 diverse Asian-Pacific Americans from across the nation in a range of hands-on, culturally and linguistically appropriate hepatitis B education programs.
• Reached an estimated additional 10,000 Hmong Americans through two, hour-long, culturally and linguistically-tailored radio programs on the impact of hepatitis B in their communities.
• Trained nearly 400 Asian-Pacific American and other volunteers with strong connections to the Asian-Pacific American community to distribute translated brochures and to conduct hepatitis B education programs within their communities.
• Provided 848 Asian-Pacific Americans with hepatitis B screening and testing services, as well as with counseling and referrals for vaccinations or ongoing medical care, as necessary and appropriate. 
• In fiscal year 2007, ALF’s chapters conducted 41 professional education programs attended by 1,191 primary care physicians, specialists, physician’s assistants, nurses, and other health care professionals.

QUALITY OF LIFE

• Throughout the 2007 fiscal year, the network conducted or participated in community service activities. Chapter reported a total of 576 outreach programs including 234 support group sessions, 28 screening and testing programs, as well as 32 health fairs, conferences, 11 community meetings, and 20 other unique activities to raise awareness about liver disease, the American Liver Foundation, and provide support to patients and families.
• ALF distributed more that 61,000 brochures to over 82,500 individuals who participated in these outreach activities. Screening and testing programs help to identify individuals at risk for hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• In fiscal year 2007, 8 screening and testing programs were held. Of the 423 individuals who were tested, 1.7% tested positive and were referred for additional health care services.
• During fiscal year 2007, ALF’s HelpLine received to more than 8,000 calls and 6,000 e-mails and countless mailed requests for liver-related information, counseling and support.
• ALF'sTransplant Fund Program assists patients and families with the administration of funds they raise for liver transplants and assure that contributions made to transplant patients are used for the intended purpose.
• In fiscal year 2007, 296 people were enrolled in the program.

ADVOCACY

• ALF also engages in public policy and advocacy efforts in order to more greatly impact the liver of individual with liver disease. As part of Hepatitis Awareness Month, ALF coordinated a national effort to raise awareness about hepatitis A, B, and C, ALF’s chapter network, in collaboration with local community-based organizations, reached out to more than 500 decision makers around the nation.
• State and local legislators, local health commissioners and health departments and many media outlets received an ALF information packet that included an overview of hepatitis, and data that underscores the devastating toll that chronic hepatitis B and C has on communities across the nation.
• Through ALF efforts, the governors of Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Rhode Island proclaimed May 2007 Hepatitis Awareness Month in their respective states, while Michigan received a gubernatorial proclamation that May was Hepatitis B Awareness Month.
• The Think B Initiative also supported national and local policy and advocacy work. These efforts contributed to: • The USFDA’s agreement to accept the validity of – and to establish guidelines regarding – the use of Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin Therapy (HBIG) in cases in which a candidate for a liver transplant has chronic hepatitis B. • The defeat – or appropriate amendment – of legislative measures that had sought to limit access to hepatitis B vaccinations in, respectively, Hawaii and New York State.