Special-Interest Session on Sickle Cell Disease Centers

Care delivered through specialized clinical centers has resulted in demonstrated improvements in patient care outcomes for hematological and non-hematological diseases alike. Unfortunately, the formation of specialized centers for the care of adults living with sickle cell disease has lagged behind advances leading to the potential for greater longevity and improved quality of life as well as the recognition that the transition out of pediatric care can be a significant event leading to early mortality.

In November 2019, ASH will convene a workshop to help interested institutions advance their plans to create specialized clinical centers for adults living with sickle cell disease. To extend these efforts beyond that workshop, this special interest session will address topics important in the formation of specialized centers, potentially including sessions on institutionalizing approaches to pain management, securing funding from the C-suite and other sources, and engaging patients, the community, and other stakeholders to achieve success. Additional details on session topics and speakers will be available in fall 2019.