Newswise — St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Methodist Healthcare announced today a new agreement to advance research and clinical care for adult sickle cell disease patients in the Memphis area.
The collaboration coincides with expansion of the Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Methodist University Hospital. The center will develop new infrastructures to strengthen clinical research, generate new therapies and provide the best possible care for adult sickle cell patients, many of whom have received care as pediatric patients at St. Jude. Jane Hankins, M.D., associate member of the St. Jude Department of Hematology, will oversee the growth of the center, including work to investigate the long-term outcomes of sickle cell disease and the development of new clinical trials.
“Our goal with the expanded clinic is to offer support for further research into this debilitating disease and enhance evidence-based clinical care for sickle cell patients,” Hankins said. “We see a decrease in survival rates after children leave pediatric treatment and want to help these young adults learn the independent skills they need to make a smooth transition to adult care. This is an extension of our Teens in Transition program at St. Jude that works to ensure a smooth continuum of care.”
Sickle cell disease affects approximately 2,000 individuals in the Mid-South region alone, which includes parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri. In the United States, more than 100,000 people are affected. If not treated effectively, sickle cell disease causes acute and chronic complications that may lead to organ failure and premature death.
“Our mission at Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center is to improve the quality of life for sickle cell patients in the Mid-South,” said Mark Yancy, manager of the Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. “Thanks to the new partnership with St. Jude, we are able to further expand the resources available to the patients and families who rely on our center to help manage their condition.”
The Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center first opened in fall 2012 in an effort to provide comprehensive care to adults of any age and to ensure a smooth transition of care for patients who had received pediatric care at St. Jude. The patient population has grown to approximately 200 patients since the program’s inception. The center offers multidisciplinary care in a patient-centered environment. The long-term goal is to build an adult center that will become a national model of research and care for adults living with sickle cell disease.
St. Jude has been researching sickle cell disease since the hospital opened in 1962. The first research grant ever received by the hospital was for the study of sickle cell disease. In 1983, a St. Jude patient was the first in the world to be cured of sickle cell anemia through a stem cell/bone marrow transplant. St. Jude cares for approximately 900 pediatric sickle cell patients each year, 40 of whom transition to adult care annually. For more information see www.stjude.org/treatment/disease/sickle-cell-disease.html
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