Sickle Cell & Hemoglobin

Photograph of a mother playing pool with her two sons.

Comprehensive Care for Sickle Cell & Hemoglobin Disorders

Patient Stories
Meet Briana and read about her journey with sickle cell disease.

Patient Stories

Photograph of sickle cell disease patient, Briana, with her family.

Meet Briana and read about her journey with sickle cell disease.

The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is a national leader in caring for children with sickle cell disease, thalassemia and other hemoglobin disorders. We work closely with families to help their children thrive in the midst of health challenges.

The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center is large enough to offer exceptional patient care and research, yet small enough for us to get to know children and families and meet their specific needs. Our team of physicians, nurses and other health professionals currently care for over 300 patients. They provide comprehensive care, psychological support, social services, education and counseling.

Our partnerships with national research organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, provides patients with access to the latest innovative therapies.

Comprehensive Support

A chronic illness, such as sickle cell disease, presents many challenges for patients and their families. That is why we provide a number of supportive services, including a monthly parent support group, assistance with school issues, a summer camp for patients who are 7 to 12 years old and many more.

Our multidisciplinary team plays an important role by helping patients and families understand their medical condition and by guiding them to helpful community resources.

The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center program director, Clinton Joiner, MD, PhD, has dedicated his career to caring for children with sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders.

History of Sickle Cell Research & Clinical Care Leadership
Established in 1971, the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center was one of the first of its kind in the U.S. We have a reputation for innovative patient care and research. Cincinnati Children’s was one of the first hospitals to test newborns for sickle cell anemia, starting in the late 1970s. Marilyn H. Gaston, MD, while serving as our clinical director, began the study of prophylactic (preventive) penicillin for newborns to guard against infection. Later, while director of the National Institutes of Health Sickle Cell Program, Dr. Gaston led the national study that proved the benefit of prophylactic penicillin, providing the rationale for universal newborn hemoglobin screening. Donald Rucknagel, MD, PhD, pioneered the use of incentive spirometry to prevent acute chest syndrome, a common complication of sickle cell anemia. This therapy is now the standard of care across the country. Cincinnati Children’s performed the first blood and marrow transplant for sickle cell anemia in the US. Dr. Clinton Joiner, center director, served as vice-chair and then chair of the Steering Committee of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Centers, which is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health).

History of Sickle Cell Research & Clinical Care Leadership

Established in 1971, the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center was one of the first of its kind in the U.S. We have a reputation for innovative patient care and research.

Cincinnati Children’s was one of the first hospitals to test newborns for sickle cell anemia, starting in the late 1970s.
Marilyn H. Gaston, MD, while serving as our clinical director, began the study of prophylactic (preventive) penicillin for newborns to guard against infection. Later, while director of the National Institutes of Health Sickle Cell Program, Dr. Gaston led the national study that proved the benefit of prophylactic penicillin, providing the rationale for universal newborn hemoglobin screening.
Donald Rucknagel, MD, PhD, pioneered the use of incentive spirometry to prevent acute chest syndrome, a common complication of sickle cell anemia. This therapy is now the standard of care across the country.
Cincinnati Children’s performed the first blood and marrow transplant for sickle cell anemia in the US.
Dr. Clinton Joiner, center director, served as vice-chair and then chair of the Steering Committee of the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Centers, which is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health).