Beaumont Children’s Hospital in Royal Oak has opened a Sickle Cell Anemia Center that will offer specialized care to infants, children, and adolescents with sickle cell anemia and sickle-thalassemia syndromes, officials announced Wednesday.
“The sickle cell diagnoses represent a broad range of congenital anemias,” says Dr. Kate Gowans, section head of pediatric hematology and oncology at the hospital. “It is important that these patients receive specialized care, along with acute and chronic treatment for possible complications including pain, infection, acute chest syndrome, stroke, and pulmonary hypertension.”
A hereditary disease, sickle cell anemia causes the body to produce sickle or crescent shaped red blood cells, which tend to be stiff and sticky, blocking blood flow. This results in pain and organ damage. The disease is estimated to affect 70,000 to 100,000 Americans.
The clinic team at the new center is comprised of pediatric specialists from hematology, pulmonology, infectious diseases, neurology, gastroenterology, intensive care, emergency care, surgery, and cardiology.
The center will also offer:
- Family-centered comprehensive specialized care, including an on-site laboratory, special immunizations and diagnostic studies recommended by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Inpatient and outpatient areas staffed by nurses certified by the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses
- Full-service outpatient clinic and infusion area
- Support from pediatric pharmacists, social workers, and certified child life specialists to assist with coping during hospital stays and surgeries
Part of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Beaumont Children’s Hospital features a team of more than 80 pediatric subspecialists and more than 200 board-certified pediatricians in addition to pediatric nurses and support staff.
