Chari Cohen Promoted to Hepatitis B Foundation Director of Public Health and Recipient of Bucks County Forty Under 40 Award

DOYLESTOWN, PA, November 18, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer honored Hepatitis B Foundation Director of Public Health Chari Cohen, MPH, DrPH(c), with their inaugural Bucks County Forty Under 40 Award. The Forty Under 40 Award program seeks to recognize outstanding Bucks County business and community leaders under the age of 40. Recently promoted to serve as the Foundation's Director of Public Health, Cohen was recognized for her longtime dedication to the prevention and control of hepatitis B both locally and globally, as well as her innovative leadership and community impact.

The Foundation (www.hepb.org) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Previously the organization's Associate Director of Public Health, Cohen has worked with the Foundation for 11 years.

"Chari Cohen is a role model for women in the healthcare and nonprofit industries, a fierce advocate for those living with hepatitis B and an accomplished public health leader," said Hepatitis B Foundation Executive Director and Co-founder Joan Block. "The Hepatitis B Foundation is privileged to have Chari serve as our Director of Public Health, and we are proud of the recognition she has received for her professional and community efforts."

According to Cohen, "As the Hepatitis B Foundation's Director of Public Health, I am fortunate to work with an outstanding group of individuals who are singularly devoted to aiding those affected by hepatitis B. I am also honored that the work about which I care so deeply has led to recognition as a Bucks County Forty Under 40 Award recipient. I look forward to continuing to make a difference both professionally and as a community volunteer."

Through her dedication to addressing the severity of hepatitis B in our own backyard, Cohen developed and also leads Hep B United Philadelphia, a public health coalition of more than 60 organizations. Hep B United Philadelphia has offered free screenings to 1,200 high-risk individuals, steered 95 percent of infected people into care, educated more than 3,000 community members and trained more than 150 social service and health care providers. Cohen's innovative leadership has also resulted in the development of one of the first public-private partnerships with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDOH), in which the Foundation and the PDOH joined forces to offer a mobile HBV vaccine clinic. Bringing vaccines to the populations who need it most, the mobile clinic reaches underserved, high-risk adults by providing vaccines at local churches, community centers and other trusted community sites.

Cohen's additional community efforts include volunteering with the Fresh Air Program of Bucks County, the Red Cross Shelter in Levittown, Pa., the Shir Ami Bucks County Synagogue and the Goodnoe Elementary School.

About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The Hepatitis B Foundation is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. It is headquartered in the PA Biotechnology Center, which it created and co-owns in partnership with Delaware Valley College. To learn more, go to http://www.hepb.org, read our blog at http://wp.hepb.org, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call (215) 489-4900.