Sickle Cell Disease Initiatives

The Sickle Cell Disease Initiative of the Center began in 2022 with a pilot program and has grown into a multi-faceted intervention and education program to teach frontline providers best practices in caring for patients who have Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

SCD is a lifelong, inherited blood disorder that affects hemoglobin, a protein carried by red blood cells that delivers oxygen to tissues and organs throughout the body. SCD affects about 100,000 people in the U.S., including 2,000 in the Mid-South.

The Sickle Cell Initiative began with the pilot Sickle Cell Boot Camp to Promote Nursing Excellence, a five-day intensive course. The program was developed in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates (IASCNAPA). Since 2022, 130 national and international participants have completed the program. Learn more about the SCD Boot Camp.

In 2023, the College of Nursing received a $364,502 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will allow a specialized education outreach to health care professionals in the Mid-South Delta region to improve care for patients with sickle cell disease. The college is working with St. Jude and Baptist Memorial Health Care to reach 240 health care professionals over the next two years, including health care providers of both primary and emergency care. Learn more about these efforts and our Sickle Cell Disease Area of Excellence.

Sickle Cell Comprehensive Management for Health Care Providers Conference

Supported by USDA funding, a one-day conference for health care providers will be offered from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm on March 28 at the FedEx Event Center. The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Management for Health Care Providers Conference is offered at no cost to providers. It is designed for providers including internists, general practitioners, emergency room physicians, hospitalists, advanced care practice nurses, registered nurses, and social workers with the information they need to treat sickle cell disease pediatric and adult patients. Please register here.