Growth in Our Services Embracing Our Community: Sickle Cell Disease Care Center

In 2021, Loma Linda University Medical Center received a $500,000 state grant to fund the development of a Sickle Cell Disease Care Center. This grant supports a medical home model of care in a community setting with a design that offers integrated comprehensive care for patients from a multidisciplinary team. With a focus of comprehensive care, the team consists of healthcare providers, including a nurse practitioner, a social worker/program manager, community health workers from the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation, behavioral health interns, a family medicine resident, a palliative care fellow and a hematology/oncology and internal medicine attending physicians.

The interprofessional healthcare team will coordinate care for patients with sickle cell disease in both the inpatient and outpatient service areas including infusion services. This model will allow for greater continuity of care and increased visibility, allowing for the building of trust within the sickle cell community. The Sickle Cell Services team is working with a community advisory board, SACHS clinic, and the healthcare team within Loma Linda University Medical Center East Campus’ Advanced Urgent Care and inpatient units. This diverse collaboration seeks to guide the consistency of care through the care continuum from the inpatient units through outpatient clinics and community resources.

Through the grant there will be a development of resources the comprehensive sickle cell clinic will offer that focuses medical treatment alongside behavioral, emotional, and social support. Additionally, these services will help bridge the gap that currently exists in the transition of pediatric patients to adult services, reducing pauses in treatment. The team will customize the care to the individual patient, help them understand and manage their health, manage symptoms, reduce urgent or emergency care visits, and improve the quality of life of those with this chronic condition.

“San Bernardino County was specifically identified among five regions in the state by the legislature as a funding priority because of the large number of individuals with sickle cell disease in the region,” said Lyndon Edwards, senior vice president of Adult Hospital Services.

“The development of this center marks a new paradigm in caring for individuals with sickle cell disease in the Inland Region. This is an opportunity for the Medical Center to provide comprehensive and compassionate care those affected deserve,” said Chanell Grismore, DrPH, MPH, MCHES, director of Sickle Cell Services.