Alameda Health System (AHS) patient Nicholas Veal has been suffering from painful boils on his skin since he was 15 years old.
Officially diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa, he has been trying different treatments with varying success for decades, but didn’t feel like he was being taken seriously until he met Dr. Leon Clark.
Clark, AHS’ dermatology chief, has collaborated with Dr. Becky Li to open a new clinic at AHS that specifically helps patients suffering from hidradenitis suppurativa. The clinic runs every other Monday at the Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus on the K Building’s 7th floor and takes walk-in patients.
The new clinic, which launched just in time for hidradenitis suppurativa awareness month in June, is the only one of its kind in the East Bay, providing critical access to patients who might otherwise not receive care.
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a painful disease characterized by inflammation and painful bumps, especially in areas where skin touches or rubs together such as the armpits, breasts, groin and buttocks.
While hidradenitis suppurativa can affect people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, research shows African Americans are three times more likely than white people to have it.
Clark said almost all of his patients are African American. They often have advanced versions of the disease because they have either been misdiagnosed by doctors who have never heard of hidradenitis suppurativa before, or because they have experienced barriers to accessing medical care in the past.
“If you catch it early and treat it early, you can make a huge difference in someone’s life,” Clark said. “It’s a huge health equity issue that we are really focusing on.”
Research on treatments lags well behind other skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, said Li. There are so many treatments for psoriasis and eczema — more than 20 — that most affected people will find a treatment that works and will live most of their lives without acute symptoms. That’s not the case for hidradenitis suppurativa.
“I have patients who can’t lift up their arms because they are so inflamed. One of my patients stays standing for her entire appointment because it’s too painful to sit,” said Li.
Having a clinic dedicated to helping those patients means they can drop in for a quick steroid shot if they are in too much pain to wait for their next appointment. And, Li has many more goals for the clinic.
“We really want our patients to have an in-person community where they can support one another,” Li said. “We want them to feel less alone.”