Rocket was walking toward the Homeless Alliance Day Shelter to pick up his mail and get a meal when he saw a handful of colorful tents propped up in the parking lot.
"I couldn't get here fast enough," he said.
The 62-year-old was one of dozens of Oklahomans who took advantage of the free health screenings, HIV and syphilis testing, peer recovery support and harm reduction services being offered last week outside the Oklahoma City homeless shelter.
People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk for infectious and non-infectious diseases, including the bloodborne illness hepatitis C, and underlying medical conditions and limited access to care can exacerbate their negative health outcomes.
Rocket, who is being referred to by his nickname because he is discussing his health and housing status, said he has been experiencing homelessness "on and off" for 30 years, spending intermittent periods in transitional housing, shelters or prison.
He was excited for the chance to take care of himself. The Midwest City native said a lack of transportation and stable housing make accessing healthcare difficult.
The event outside the Homeless Alliance was the latest stop on the Every Moment Counts ElimiNATION Awareness Tour, an effort sponsored by the pharmaceutical company AbbVie. Over the past year, AbbVie has sent a large, decorated Airstream to more than 20 cities across the U.S. to provide on-site rapid hepatitis C tests to underserved communities.
Joe Famighette, a spokesperson for the initiative at AbbVie, said they have conducted more than 1,100 tests, around 270 of which came back positive for hepatitis C or prior hepatitis C exposure.
"These are people that, [painting] with a broad brush, I can say generally wouldn't have been diagnosed," he said.
Hepatitis C is the most commonly reported bloodborne infection in the United States. For some, it's a short-term illness, but for more than half of people who contract hepatitis C, it becomes a long-term, chronic infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can cause liver scarring, cancer and death.
Hepatitis C is most commonly spread through sharing drug-injection equipment, birth, healthcare exposures, sex with an infected person, unregulated tattoos or body piercings, blood transfusion and organ transplants.
But hepatitis C is treatable. Treatments can cure most people in eight to 12 weeks, according to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. SoonerCare, the state's Medicaid program, covers the simple blood test needed to determine whether a person has hepatitis C, and medication to treat the infection is available without prior authorization.
In Oklahoma, 4,805 SoonerCare members had hepatitis C in state fiscal year 2025. Oklahoma is also part of the federal health region with the nation's highest rate of newly reported chronic hepatitis C in 2023, at 85.6 cases per 100,000 people, more than twice the national rate of 36.2. Experts believe many cases go undiagnosed, especially among populations that don't have regular access to healthcare.
The CDC recommends universal hepatitis C screening for all U.S. adults and pregnant women. Symptoms may take a while to present themselves, meaning people with hepatitis C could unknowingly spread the infection before receiving a positive test result.
Caila Garcia, board secretary for the Oklahoma City harm reduction nonprofit Shred the Stigma, said community-based events that remove barriers for people experiencing homelessness are crucial for decreasing hepatitis C rates.
"Lots of people don't know they have it. And people don't really have access to sterile supplies to help prevent spreading it," she said. "So testing and treatment is the best prevention."
Famighette said the AbbVie events succeed because local healthcare partners step in to provide services after the testing caravan leaves.
"The goal is not to just screen that patient," he said. "It's to provide linkage to care for that patient as well."
GuidingRight, a public health nonprofit headquartered in Oklahoma City, was also on site. Staff directed people who tested positive to GuidingRight's tables, where employees, including pharmacist Henry Thai, helped them connect with treatment.
"We get them signed up, get to our clinic, and then of course, our pharmacy is in-house," Thai said. "We can treat them right then and there."
Other groups present included the Tulsa Health Department, New Hope Wellness Center, Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, Oklahoma HIV & Hepatitis Planning Council, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Office of Recovery and Oklahoma City-County Health Department.
"We're just trying to do our part," said Barry Botone, a peer recovery support specialist with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe, handing out condoms, naloxone and other supplies. "We don't want a bad choice to be a death sentence."
Rocket sat in a plastic chair next to the Airstream where he'd just had his blood drawn, waiting for his hepatitis C test results. He said he didn't know if he'd ever been tested before.
He said homelessness is "devastating," but he's working hard to take care of himself and be "a productive citizen" without being a "burden" to his family. Next, he's focused on applying for Social Security benefits.
"There's so many things I need to take care of in a short amount of time," Rocket said.
He was feeling overwhelmed but said he might as well "soak up the beautiful sunshine" and take a moment to relax, knowing he could check one concern off his list.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
