Michael Burgess, MD
Mary Hulihan, DrPH
Mohandas Narla, DSc
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) honored Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) health scientist Mary Hulihan, DrPH, for their leadership on issues of importance to hematology research and practice at the 2024 ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego.
“We are delighted to honor the steadfast commitment of Drs. Burgess and Hulihan to improving the lives of those living with sickle cell disease,” said Mohandas Narla, DSc, ASH President and distinguished scientist at New York Blood Center Enterprises. “Their efforts have greatly increased awareness of the disease at both the state and federal levels, paving the way for expanded research, education, and advocacy resources. We at ASH are deeply grateful for their collaboration and support.”
Rep. Burgess is the recipient of the 2024 ASH Public Service Award, which recognizes unparalleled leadership by an elected public official on issues of importance to hematology. He is being recognized for introducing and championing the Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act alongside Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL). This legislation seeks to improve and standardize care for Medicaid beneficiaries living with sickle cell disease (SCD) through the creation of SCD Health Homes, which will provide comprehensive and coordinated outpatient sickle cell disease care in states that submit a state plan amendment. Rep. Burgess has also supported federal sickle cell disease programs and sponsored educational briefings on issues related to sickle cell disease for his colleagues and congressional staff.
Dr. Hulihan, a health scientist in the Blood Disorders Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch of the Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics at the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, is the recipient of the 2024 ASH Outstanding Service Award. This award recognizes individuals in either the public or private sector who have displayed effective behind-the-scenes leadership in areas relevant to the mission of the Society.
Dr. Hulihan has served as an advisor and a partner to ASH for more than a decade through her role at the CDC. Specifically, she led and expanded the CDC’s Sickle Cell Data Collection program, a 16-state comprehensive health database assessing long-term diagnosis, treatment, and health-care access trends for patients in the United States living with sickle cell disease. This program has greatly informed ASH’s efforts to advance and improve access to comprehensive care through ASH’s SCD initiative, and it has increased evidence for public health programs and to establish cost-effective practices to improve and extend the lives of individuals with sickle cell disease.
