The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Amid this crisis, doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.

“While some types of medical care can wait, others can’t,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross. “Hospitals are still seeing accident victims, cancer patients, those with blood disorders like sickle cell disease, and individuals who are seriously ill who all need blood transfusions to live even as Omicron cases surge across the country. We’re doing everything we can to increase blood donations to ensure every patient can receive medical treatments without delay, but we cannot do it without more donors. We need the help of the American people.”

In an interview with HCPLive®, Edward Ivy, MD, MPH, Vice Chief Medical Officer, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), addressed the important elements currently at work in the field of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) from the blood shortage the nation's facing, to future treatments for the disease.

Ivy has a comprehensive perspective on the topic. In addition to being an MD and obtaining a Master of Public Health, Ivy is an individual living with sickle cell disease. He has first hand knowledge of how difficult it can be to get quality care as a patient. "We can do better, we can treat diseases better in the United States," Ivy said.

In January, The American Red Cross reported that it was facing “its worst blood shortage in over a decade” amid surging cases of the Omicron COVID-19 virus. For the first time since its inception, the Red Cross declared a “Blood Crisis”, with blood and platelet donations reaching critically low levels.

Among the patients in dire need of blood transfusions such as accident victims and cancer patients are patients with sickle cell disease. Approximately 100,000 cases of sickle cell disease have been recorded in United States, and the current blood shortage could prove dangerous to those affected.

Edward Ivy, MD, MPH, Vice Chief Medical Officer of the Sickle Cell Association of America (SCDAA), spoke of the implications of the blood shortage for patients with sickle cell disease in a wide-ranging interview with HCPLive.

We kick off our celebration recognizing world-renowned jazz artist Miles Davis. He struggled with health issues – arthritis, hip-joint problems and pneumonia – but wasn’t diagnosed with sickle cell disease until middle age. He began playing the trumpet at age 13 and at 18 convinced his parents to allow him to move to New York City to study at the prestigious Juilliard School.

It was a ploy so he could jam with the musical masters of his day and join the band of his idol, Charlie Parker. He was soon leading his own projects and bands, solidifying a career that spanned decades. His album “Kind of Blue” is one of the most successful and influential jazz albums in history. He passed away in 1991, but his music lives on. Take some time to listen to his music today and pay tribute to this influential sickle cell warrior.

Rare Disease Day® takes place worldwide, typically on or near the last day of February each year, to raise awareness among policymakers and the public about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. Each year, NCATS and the NIH Clinical Center sponsor Rare Disease Day at NIH as part of this global observance. Rare Disease Day at NIH aims to raise awareness about rare diseases, the people they affect, and NIH collaborations that address scientific challenges and advance research for new treatments.

The Goals of Rare Disease Day at NIH Are to:
• Demonstrate the NIH commitment to helping people with rare diseases through research.
• Highlight NIH-supported rare diseases research and the development of diagnostics and treatments.
• Initiate a mutually beneficial dialogue among the rare diseases community.
• Exchange the latest rare diseases information with stakeholders to advance research and therapeutic efforts.

Date & Time:
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST

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Join the Sickle Cell Community Consortium as they give The State of the Consortium on Friday, February 25, 2022 at 7pm EST. They will recap 2021, update on current projects and initiatives, and plan for future events, projects, and partnerships in this space.

Date & Time:
Friday, February 25, 2022
7:00 PM EST

This event has ended.

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America’s Medical and Research Advisory Committee notes that news about COVID-19 continues to emerge. Monitor your state or local health department for more information. Below are some updates and suggestions for individuals with sickle cell disease. 

Several studies have examined the effects of COVID-19 infection in individuals in the sickle cell community and shown concerning results to include:

• Individuals with sickle cell disease do have higher risks for severe COVID-19 disease and hospitalization compared to those of the same age without sickle cell disease. Poor kidney function raises the risk for severe COVID-19. A blood flow problem in the lungs called pulmonary hypertension also raises the risk for severe COVID-19.

• COVID-19 infection often triggers sickle vaso-occlusive pain in adults. This type of crisis can cause the most intense pain an individual with sickle cell has ever experienced.

The purpose of this survey is to gather information for a study by Chloe Kim, a student at George Walton High School. The study is to determine how the racial bias in sickle cell disease affects patient experience in Georgia. The survey is anonymous, and your answers are completely confidential and will be released only as summaries in which no individual's answers can be identified. There is no compensation for participation.

Remembering and Honoring the Life of Carlton Haywood, Jr, PhD

The virtual memorial service for Carlton Haywood Jr, PhD, will be held on Friday, February 25th by the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Dr. Haywood was an academic and advocate whose groundbreaking work highlighted issues of injustice, challenged assumptions and paved the way for improved care.

Virtual Event
Friday, February 25, 2022
Noon–1pm ET

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On behalf of the sponsor, CVSHealth, the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved issues a Call for Abstracts on the topic of Public-Private Partnerships and Health Equity. The scope of the supplemental issue is the significance and value of public-private partnerships (including but not limited to corporate, non-profit, local, state or national government, or academic) to advance health equity and/or address the social determinants of health; additionally, the issue will identify potential directions for future work in this area.

Abstracts should be blinded and should be no longer than 350 words long. The authors should include a list of key words (which will not count toward the word count of the abstract). Please submit abstracts to JournalAdministration@mmc.edu no later than midnight, February 1, 2022.

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