UCGH Nurse Practitioner Jamie Armijo Brings Hepatitis C Program to Northeast New Mexico

Jamie Armijo, a certified nurse practitioner at Union County General Hospital, is currently helping distinguish UCGH as the sole hospital in Northeast New Mexico involved in the University of New Mexico’s ECHO Outreach Program for Hepatitis C (HCV). The ECHO program is specifically designed for clinicians in underserved and remote areas of the state to help treat the disease. Armijo works closely with an HCV specialist from the University of New Mexico (UNM) to bring back the knowledge she obtains to assist in treating and curing HCV patients.

Armijo’s involvement with the program began while she attended nurse practitioner school and did a rotation with an HCV specialist. She was inspired by the specialist’s passion for eradicating the disease in his community, and shares that she is “hopeful that people who have Hepatitis C or are curious if they may have it will come in and ask questions.”

Hepatitis C or HCV affects approximately 2.3 million people in the United States. Chronic HCV is caused by a virus that infects the liver, causing inflammation and immune system attacks on healthy liver cells. It is typically spread through blood-to-blood contact, and common examples include shared needles or being born to a mother with HCV. Other, less common ways of spread are through sex or piercings. The Center for Disease Control and United States Preventative Task Force recommends screening for Hepatitis C among all adults, eighteen and older, in the US at least once in a lifetime. Routine periodic testing should happen more often for people with ongoing risk factors.

Through the ECHO Outreach Program, there is additional resources, information, and treatment available for those living with the disease. Armijo explains that through innovative telementoring, the ECHO model uses a “hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing approach” where teams of experts lead virtual clinics, allowing providers a higher capacity to deliver great care to their communities. This program equips Armijo and UCGH to be a much-needed resource for treatment and medications that will put patients on track to be cured of the disease.

As a mother of two, Armijo is passionate about caring for the people of Northern New Mexico where she and her husband have called home all their lives. She is proud to be on staff at UCGH and says, “My role is not only to be a primary care provider, but to establish long lasting, trusting relationships with the community.”

UCGH thanks Armijo for her work with the ECHO Outreach Program for Hepatitis C and is pleased to offer patients the benefits of the program. Anyone who has questions or concerns is encouraged to contact UCGH to take advantage of the resources offered to assist in treating HCV.

If you would like to set up an appointment to learn more about Hepatitis C and be evaluated, please call Union County Health Center at 575-374-CARE (2273).