Ohio State’s world-class sickle cell disease team treats every aspect of the condition, providing physical, mental and social support to help patients lead full and active lives. Sickle cell disease is a blood condition in which patients’ red blood cells change to a crescent shape, becoming more rigid and, subsequently, becoming stuck in blood circulation. These abnormal cells can block blood flow, causing pain, organ damage and an increased risk for infection. An inherited disorder, sickle cell disease affects approximately 70,000-100,000 Americans, mainly African Americans who have ancestors from Africa, South or Central America (especially Panama), Caribbean islands, Mediterranean countries (such as Turkey, Greece and Italy), India and Saudi Arabia. As an advanced-level organization, Ohio State’s sickle cell program provides patients with the latest treatments to maximize quality of life for patients in and out of the hospital. “We provide comprehensive care,” says Payal Desai, MD, the director of sickle cell research for Ohio State and the co-director of the university’s sickle cell program. “We have a hematologist and have integrated primary care. We have a social worker, a patient care coordinator, nurse practitioners, and we have mental health support.” Sickle cell disease patients at Ohio State benefit from this comprehensive care in many ways, including access to new therapies and techniques. “We treat people with supportive fluids, oxygen and pain medicine,” Desai says. “We also have three new therapies which have come out over the last two to three years, all of which are potentially options for treatment.”