ASH honors two individuals for sickle cell disease advocacy efforts
American Society of Hematology presented Advocacy Awards to two individuals at this year’s ASH Annual Meeting.
Rep. Michael Burgess, MD, and Mary Hulihan, DrPH, will be recognized for their efforts to improve the lives of individuals living with blood diseases.
“We are delighted to honor the steadfast commitment of Drs. Burgess and Hulihan to improving the lives of those living with sickle cell disease,” ASH President Mohandas Narla, DSc, distinguished scientist at New York Blood Center Enterprises, said in a press release. “Their efforts have greatly increased awareness of the disease at both the state and federal levels, paving the way for expanded research, education and advocacy resources. We at ASH are deeply grateful for their collaboration and support.”
Burgess, a physician and Republican congressman from Texas, received the ASH Public Service Award. The award recognizes leadership by an elected public official on issues of importance to hematology.
Burgess introduced and championed the Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act along with Rep. Danny Davis, a Democrat congressman from Illinois. The legislation aims to improve and standardize care for Medicaid beneficiaries with sickle cell disease by creating SCD Health Homes, which provide coordinated and comprehensive outpatient sickle cell disease care. Burgess also has supported federal sickle cell disease programs and sponsored educational briefings for his colleagues and congressional staff members about issues related to sickle cell disease.
Hulihan is a health scientist in the Blood Disorders Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch of the Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics at CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
She received the ASH Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrated effective behind-the-scenes leadership in areas relevant to the ASH’s mission.
Hulihan has served as an adviser and a partner to ASH for more than a decade. She led and expanded CDC’s sickle cell data collection initiative, a database that gathers information from 16 states about diagnosis, treatment and care access for people with sickle cell disease.