Sickle Cell Disease


617.638.6428

BMC’s Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease is the largest center of its kind in New England, serving more than 600 patients annually, from newborns to adults. The center’s multidisciplinary team is committed to providing patients with highly personalized care across childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. Our goal is to help patients manage their symptoms throughout their entire lifespan so they can live as normal a life as possible.

We are proud to have been the first hospital in New England to offer new gene therapies for sickle cell disease, advancing our goal of providing cutting-edge care to all patients​. These transformative therapies use the latest medical advances to help alleviate the severe pain crises our patients with sickle cell disease can experience.

Our team includes physicians and nurse practitioners from pediatric and adult hematology and primary care, as well as other specialties. Nurses, social workers, case management, and a patient navigator are also available to help guide patients through their care. Our team works with departments across the hospital to provide coordinated and consistent care between the Emergency Department, inpatient services, and outpatient clinics, including the pediatric STAR unit and the Infusion Center in the Adult Hematology/Oncology Clinic. 

Highlights of our program include:

  • Largest combined pediatric and adult sickle cell disease (SCD) center in New England
  • A focus on research to learn how sickle cell disease affects the body and investigate new potential treatments
  • Unique programs to help patients navigate the transition of care from pediatrics to adulthood
  • Expertise in medical and surgical management of the complications of SCD  
  • Expertise in pain management
  • A diverse team that speaks several languages, including Spanish and French, as well as translation services for 263 languages 

Contact Us

Adult Clinic
830 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
3rd Floor
Moakley Building 617.638.6428

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Pediatric Clinic
850 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
6th Floor
Yawkey Center 617.414.4841

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:30PM Tuesday, Thursday 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Specialty Clinics

Conditions We Treat

Patient Stories

Our Team

sickle disease team

Elizabeth S. Klings, MD

Pulmonologist, Director of the Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease, Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Center

Robyn T. Cohen, MD, MPH

Associate Medical Director of Asthma Initiatives, Population Health Services, Boston Medical Center Health System

Reggie R Thomasson, MD

Medical Director for Blood Bank and Transfusion Medicine Service, Associate Program Director for Pathology Residency Training Program, Boston Medical Center

Department News

Athletes gearing up for Boston Triathlon on July 24

Athletes across the city are pumping up their tires and lacing up their shoes for the Boston Triathlon next weekend. Many are raising important dollars for critical programs at Boston Medical Center.

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Research

BMC researchers are finding innovative new ways to treat and cure blood disorders.

As our patient, you'll have access to a wide range of clinical trials from both BMC researchers and researchers at other institutions. While we enroll any and all eligible patients in clinical trials, BMC physicians are in particular leaders in the enrollment of under-represented minorities in clinical trials.

Learn more about clinical trials for Sickle Cell Disease at BMC.

Affiliations

BUSM

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

As the principal teaching affiliate of Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center is devoted to training future generations of healthcare professionals.  Learn more about Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.