Sickle Cell Fact Sheet

University of Illinois at Chicago Sickle Cell Center

Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that can be lethal, with half of
those affected dying before the age of 50.1
Sickle cell disease causes changes in the shape of red blood cells that
carry oxygen, resulting in severe pain episodes that are unplanned,
unpredictable, and reoccurring and require multiple prolonged
hospitalizations and frequent readmission with upwards of 40% of patients
readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge.2,3,4
In the United States, between 90,000 to 100,000 people are affected by
the disease, 4,000 to 5,000 of whom are residents of Illinois5
Sickle cell disease disproportionately afflicts people whose ancestors
come from sub-Saharan Africa, India, Middle East, and Mediterranean
with 1 out of 500 African-Americans affected by the disease.6,7
University of Illinois at Chicago Sickle Cell Program
The Sickle Cell Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago serves as a
regional leader in sickle cell disease, providing care to 650 adult and 192
pediatric sickle cell patients in 2014.8
UIC is a pioneer in providing a safe approach to stem cell (bone marrow)
transplantation that offers a cure for sickle cell disease with twelve
patients having been cured to date.
Funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health has allowed for the
opening of an acute care infusion clinic at UIC that is open sixteen hours a
day/five days a week to control sickle cell pain episodes in an observation
unit which has been shown to reduce hospital admissions.9
UIC is vigorously investigating new treatments and strategies to prevent
hospitalization in patients with sickle cell disease, to shorten hospital
length of stay, and reduce 30-day readmission.
The Sickle Cell Program provides support groups and has dedicated
outreach workers that reach into the community to support education and
screening programs.
Advocacy - SIGN THE PETITION
Restore IDPH funding for UICs Sickle Cell Program. Funding for the sickle cell
center has been cut from the current state budget that is under development.
Elimination of funding will directly impact patient services, including the continued
operation of the acute care infusion clinic.
Waive sickle cell disease from 30-Day Re-Admission Rule. Medicaids 30 day
Re-Admission Rule states that if a patient is re-admitted into the hospital within
30 days of discharge, the discharging hospital will be fined in the form of a
reduction in reimbursement from the State. This rule has an adverse effect on
sickle cell patients due to their complicated medical problems and frequent
severe pain episodes requiring hospital admission.

Rees DC, Williams TN, Gladwin MT. Sickle-cell disease. Lancet 2010; 376:2018-31
Strouse JJ, Jordan LC, Lanzkron S, Casella JF. The excess burden of stroke in hospitalized
adults with sickle cell disease. American journal of hematology 2009;84:548-52
3
Vichinsky EP, Styles LA, Colangelo LH, Wright EC, Castro O, Nickerson B. Acute chest
syndrome in sickle cell disease: clinical presentation and course. Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell
Disease. Blood 1997;89:1787-92
4
Nouraie M, Gordeuk VR. Blood transfusion and 30-day readmission rate in adult patients
hospitalized with sickle cell disease crisis. Transfusion 2015:In press
5
Strouse JJ, Jordan LC, Lanzkron S, Casella JF. The excess burden of stroke in hospitalized
adults with sickle cell disease. American journal of hematology 2009;84:548-52
6
Saraf SL, Molokie RE, Nouraie M, et al. Differences in the clinical and genotypic presentation of
sickle cell disease around the world. Paediatric respiratory reviews 2014;15:4-12.
7
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Disease and conditions index. Sickle cell anemia:
who is at risk? Bethesda MD, 2009.
8
Information Services UIC. 2015.
9
Lanzkron S, Carroll CP, Hill P, David M, Paul N, Haywood C, Jr. Impact of a dedicated infusion
clinic for acute management of adults with sickle cell pain crisis. Am J Hematol 2015.
2