Missouri Governor’s Award for Quality and Productivity for Project Hep Cure

On June 22, 2023, Missouri’s Department of Social Services, Department of Health & Senior Services, and Department of Corrections were awarded the Governor’s Award for Quality and Productivity (GAQP) for their Project Hep Cure initiative. The Center’s SMART-D team worked with the Project Hep Cure staff in 2020 and 2021 to support the state’s planning to leverage multiple state agencies to solicit bids for discounted medication pricing to improve statewide access to lifesaving Hepatitis C treatments.

Missouri is now a leading state for access to hepatitis C curative drugs and has created an effective roadmap for treating more Missourians by increasing the number of healthcare providers delivering this treatment. During the first 12 months of the Project Hep Cure, 1,134 MHD participants were cured of hepatitis C, an increase of 23% from the year prior, and utilization has continued to accelerate over the last six months. Progress can be monitored on the Project Hep Cure Dashboard. Project Hep Cure is a 3-year initiative and is anticipated to reduce medical costs in the future.