ASH Co-Hosts Congressional Briefing on Sickle Cell Disease, Blood Journal’s Impact On the Rise, and more

ASH Co-Hosts Congressional Briefing on Sickle Cell Disease

ASH President-Elect Alexis Thompson, MD, at the SCD Briefing. (Photo credit: National Marrow Donor Program/Be the Match)

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) co-hosted a congressional briefing on sickle cell disease (SCD) and gene editing June 7 on Capitol Hill. The briefing, presented in partnership with the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy, the National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match, the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc., and the Pediatric Hospital Sickle Cell Collaborative, as well as the House Research and Development Caucus, the Congressional Caucus to Cure Blood Cancers and Other Blood Disorders, and the Congressional Sickle Cell Disease Caucus, educated members of Congress and their staff on scientific advances that could potentially cure this devastating disease.

ASH President-Elect Alexis Thompson, MD, from the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, moderated the session and provided an overview of SCD. Linda Burns, MD, vice president and medical director of health services research for National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match and former ASH president, and Daniel Bauer, MD, PhD, from the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Harvard Medical School, discussed the progress in SCD research, as well as curative options such as bone marrow transplantation and gene editing. Constance Benson, a former SCD patient and a transplant recipient, presented her personal story of living with the disease and choosing transplant as a cure. Rep. Doris Matsui of California and Reps. Bill Foster, PhD, and Danny Davis of Illinois also participated.

Learn more and watch a recorded livestream at hematology.org/SCDBriefing.

Blood Journal’s Impact On the Rise

Clarivate Analytics’ Journal Citation Report®, released in June, revealed that Blood’s impact factor increased from 11.847 to 13.164. Blood was also the most-cited journal in hematology in 2016 and was ranked 19th in total citations generated out of all 12,085 scientific journals. With a 0.31360 Eigenfactor score, Blood is first in the hematology category and 23rd out of all scientific journals. These and other metrics released in the report mark Blood as a top journal in hematology and a leading medical journal worldwide. Read more at bloodjournal.org.

22 Medical Students Selected For 2017 MMSAP

Twenty-two medical students have been selected to take part in the 2017 Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP). This program encourages eligible underrepresented minority medical students to pursue careers in hematology by supporting them as they implement their own hematology-related research project in the lab of a research mentor.

MMSAP participants will each receive $7,000 to help cover the cost of their research projects and travel expenses to the 59th ASH Annual Meeting in December, where they will present their research findings during a special session. In addition, each student is paired with two ASH mentors: a research mentor and a career-development mentor. They will also receive complimentary subscriptions to Blood, ASH Clinical News, and The Hematologist during their medical school and residency years.

For the full list of MMSAP participants and their research topics, visit hematology.org/2017MMSAP.

ASH Offers New MACRA Resources

In an effort to keep members up-to-date on the Quality Payment Program (QPP), part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), ASH has launched hematology.org/MACRAResources. Clinicians billing Medicare Part B who meet the eligibility requirements must participate in the QPP through one of two tracks: the Merit-based Incentive Payment System or the Advanced Alternative Payment Models.

The webpage provides members with answers to frequently asked questions, links to comment letters ASH has submitted related to MACRA, and access to “MACRA 101 for Hematologists,” an educational webinar featuring speakers Joseph Alvarnas, MD, from City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, and Erika Miller, JD, from CRD Associates in Washington, DC.

Register for the 2017 ASH Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies

Attend the 2017 ASH Meeting on Hematologic Malignancies September 8-9 at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, to hear how the top experts in the field treat patients with hematologic malignancies. During the meeting’s “How I Treat” presentations, speakers will present cutting-edge scientific data that can be translated into new strategies for diagnosis and treatment, showcase their own evidence-based treatment approaches, and address what to do for patients with conditions for which evidence-based guidelines are not available. Online registration is now available. For information visit hematology.org/Malignancies.

Save the Date for the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting

The world’s most comprehensive hematology event of the year, the 59th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, will be held December 9-12 in Atlanta, Georgia. Join the global community of more than 25,000 hematology professionals from every subspecialty for an invaluable educational experience and the opportunity to review thousands of scientific abstracts. Registration and housing open July 19 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time for ASH members and August 9 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time for non-members. Visit hematology.org/Annual-Meeting for more information.