ASH Directions
2018 ASH President Alexis A. Thompson, MD, MPH, presents Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) with the ASH Public Service Award for his work on SCD.
An Advocacy Win for Sickle Cell Disease
As part of a multifaceted initiative to address the burden of sickle cell
disease (SCD) in the U.S. and globally, ASH has made expanding and
strengthening federal SCD programs a priority. Along with support
from patient groups and other medical associations, the Society played
a key role in a 2018 advocacy win for the SCD community – a major
triumph in the current political climate considering that so few bills
receive bipartisan support and become law.
The Sickle Cell Disease Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act
of 2018 (Public Law No: 115-327) was the product of nearly three years
of coordinated effort. ASH members and leaders educated Congressio-
nal lawmakers (Tim Scott [R-SC], Cory Booker [D-NJ], Danny Davis
[D-IL], and Michael Burgess [R-TX]) and their staff on the burden of
the disease and potentially curative scientific advances.
Julie Kanter, MD, formerly director of sickle cell research at the
Medical University of South Carolina, was particularly influential,
speaking directly with Senators about legislation to authorize SCD
treatment and surveillance programs. In addition, the Society orga-
nized and hosted multiple Congressional briefings and was instrumen-
tal in encouraging 60 organizations to sign letters to policymakers in
support of SCD legislation.
The newly minted legislation expresses support for SCD research,
reauthorizes SCD treatment grants awarded by the Health Resources
and Services Administration, and authorizes public health initiatives in
SCD – most notably a data collection program within the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data collection programs are
necessary to understand the health outcomes and health-care use pat-
terns of individuals with SCD, including geographic variability.
ASH remains committed to prioritizing patients with SCD. The
Society’s Committees on Practice and Government Affairs continue to
encourage federal agencies and Congress to fund, enhance, and expand
government activities in SCD research, training, and services.
ASH Clinical News Seeks Its Next Editor-in-Chief
ASH is in the initial stage of the selection process for the next editor-
in-chief of ASH Clinical News, for a three-year term beginning January
2020. Candidates with an MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent medical degree
must have a strong clinical background and be facile with translational
science, an eye for medical trends in the hematologic space, an
appreciation for an evidence-based approach, a working knowledge of
ASH programs and initiatives, and an interest in developing content
that would appeal to other medical disciplines, as well as demonstrated
writing, reviewing, and editing skills. To apply by the deadline of
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ASH Clinical News
February 28, 2019, ASH members should submit a resume and cover
letter, including a description of editorial experience. Applications can
be submitted via email to [email protected] or mailed to:
ASH Clinical News
c/o Kristin Hubing, Managing Editor
American Society of Hematology
2021 L Street, NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20036
February 2019