The ASH Public Service Award recognizes and honors an elected public official who has served as an effective advocate for government support of biomedical research and hematology practice.
Last February, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) — recipient of the 2023 ASH Public Service Award — met with ASH representatives to express his interest in working on issues related to sickle cell disease (SCD). He shared that a member of his staff had passed away from complications related to the disease the preceding fall.
Following this initial meeting, the senator and his team worked with ASH advisors to introduce the Sickle Cell Care Expansion Act, which aims to incentivize physicians to conduct SCD-related research and treat individuals living with SCD. It would do so by expanding the National Health Services Corps loan repayment and scholarship program to include classical hematology as an eligible area of study. Sen. Van Hollen subsequently introduced the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Centers Act, which would establish a national coordinating center to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to oversee a nationwide network of SCD treatment centers based on a “hub-and-spoke” framework.
ASH continues to work with Sen. Van Hollen’s office on the reintroduction of the Sickle Cell Care Expansion Act and the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Centers Act and to explore additional avenues for advancing SCD legislation.
This advocacy award provides an opportunity for ASH to continue to build relationships with congressional champions of health care. Join ASH in congratulating Sen. Van Hollen for his unwavering dedication to advancing the Society’s mission at the Announcement of Awards session, which takes place Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in Hall A of the Convention Center.
