Lessons from the Health Connect study: Enhancing STBBI testing and linkage-to-care for people who use drugs

Kate will present preliminary findings from the CIHR-funded Health Connect research project, based at the Hope to Health complex in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The Health Connect research project aims to expand opportunities for STBBI testing and linkage to care for people who use drugs, while also examining the systemic barriers to healthcare engagement that hinder these efforts. Presenter bio Kate Salters (PhD, MPH) (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at UBC and a Senior Research Scientist at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. She is proud to lead an equity-focused program of epidemiological and health services research that aims to improve health services and health outcomes in the context of intersecting public health crises. Learning objectives: · To deepen understanding of the barriers to STBBI testing and treatment in the context of the DTES · To deepen understanding of the potential role of dried-blood spot testing for STBBI testing

BC CDC Presenter

9/23/2025 7:00:00 PM