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Aventis Behring Foundation Awards Third Round of Grants to Benefit Bleeding Disorders Community

 

King of Prussia, PA — 05/30/2003

The Aventis Behring Foundation for Research and Advancement of Patient Health has selected the first grant recipients of 2003; awarding approximately $450,000 for projects designed to benefit the bleeding disorders community; including medical research studies, educational programs for healthcare professionals, and community outreach initiatives. This is the first disbursement of the $1 million in incremental funding provided to the Foundation by Aventis Behring in 2003. The next grant cycle will be initiated in May 2003.

Governed by an independent Advisory Council that has the sole authority to award grants, the Aventis Behring Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to charitable, scientific and educational purposes that advance the standard of care for persons affected by bleeding disorders. In response to this grant cycle, which was initiated in January 2003, numerous high quality applications were received from hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs), non-profit organizations such as hemophilia chapters, foundations, and associations, and healthcare professionals dedicated to the treatment of people with bleeding disorders. Of these applicants, 11 were selected by the Advisory Council to receive funding.

"The Advisory Council was extremely pleased with the community's response to the Foundation last year, and this year promises to be more successful," explained Val Bias, Advisory Council Chair. "The number of high quality applications we receive always makes the selection process challenging. However, we selected applicants who most clearly demonstrate the positive impact their proposed work will have on the community, with special consideration given to projects that would help to fill unmet needs and could serve as model programs nationally."

In 2002, its first year of operation, the Foundation awarded grants totaling approximately $1 million to 21 applicants. "It has been both exciting and rewarding to see the impact the funding provided by the Aventis Behring Foundation has made within the community, "said Michael Sumner, MD, Executive Director of the Foundation and Medical Director of Aventis Behring's North American division. "We are honored to continue to support the mission of the Foundation in 2003."

About the Grant Recipients
Following is a listing of the 11 grant recipients with brief descriptions of the projects that received funding:

  • Alaska Hemophilia Association (Anchorage, AK): Outreach program for high-risk adolescents with bleeding disorders designed to help them make the transition to adulthood. As part of this program, adolescents will be paired with adult mentors.
  • Children's Hospital of Michigan (Detroit, MI): Fourth-year clinical fellowship program designed to attract and train well-qualified pediatric hematologists to the field of hemophilia and related disorders.
  • Florida Chapter, National Hemophilia Foundation (Spring Hill, FL): Educational program for healthcare professionals designed to raise awareness of and provide education about bleeding disorders and encourage increased collaboration among HTC's, physicians, local organizations, and healthcare groups.
  • Hemophilia Association, Inc (Phoenix, AZ): Co-learning project designed to address the language and cultural barriers experienced by Spanish-speaking families affected by bleeding disorders. The project will bring together hospital clinical staff and patients and their families into one bilingual class.
  • Hemophilia Association of San Diego County (San Diego, CA): Family camp weekend designed to create community camaraderie, supportive networks, and nourish future community leaders while providing education about various topics important to families affected by bleeding disorders.
  • Hemophilia Foundation of Nevada (Henderson, NV): "Learn Where You Live, Care Where You Live," a collaborative project between the Hemophilia Foundation of Nevada and the Hemophilia Treatment Center of Las Vegas to reach people with bleeding disorders and their healthcare providers in rural areas of Nevada through educational services and rural comprehensive clinics.
  • Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center (Indianapolis, IN): Two-year post-fellowship training program in hemostasis and thrombosis designed to increase the number of well-trained, outstanding physicians dedicated to the bleeding disorders field.
  • Kasper, Carol K, M.D. (Pasadena, CA): Educational booklet for physicians learning to treat people with bleeding disorders. Content of the booklet will be focused upon the fundamentals of von Willebrand disease (VWD) diagnosis and treatment.
  • Penn Comprehensive Hemophilia and Thrombosis Program (Philadelphia, PA): Research study designed to help address the difficulties in diagnosing VWD, particularly in the older patient population.
  • Puget Sound Blood Center (Seattle, WA): Research study designed to determine if there is a link between the genes of people with severe hemophilia A who develop inhibitors and their response to factor VIII replacement therapy.
  • United Virginia Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation (Chesterfield, VA): Three-day fitness training seminar for children with bleeding disorders and their families.