It is challenging for Arkansas Physicians to provide optimal care to adult sickle cell patients. It is presumed that many adults with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Arkansas don’t regularly see a primary care physician. Thus, they are forced to react to their disease crises, instead of focusing on a preventative approach to managing their disease before it becomes critical. This is expensive – not only for the patients but for the state. As the statewide leader in health care, UAMS is charged with finding a better way to manage SCD patients, and it aims to do so through the Adult Sickle Cell Clinical Program.
The Adult Sickle Cell Clinical Program will strive to improve with the following efforts the standard of care for adult Arkansans with SCD by the following:
Patients, as they grow to adulthood, will be transitioned to UAMS gradually, and in an organized fashion. Biannually, the social worker and APN will meet with the Pediatric Sickle Cell team at Arkansas Children’s (ACH) hospital to identify patients who are reaching adulthood. They will meet the patients at ACH. Records will be transferred to UAMS, and the ACH APN and the UAMS social worker will schedule the patient’s initial yearly clinic visit to UAMS. They will identify a primary care physician in that patient’s community, and invite the patient to participate in the Registry.
Patients will be scheduled for yearly appointments with the Sickle Cell Clinic at UAMS and see a physician or APN assigned to the Sickle Cell Clinical Program. Labs will be ordered and interpreted. Consults to ophthalmology, gynecology, and hematology will be placed if necessary and a plan will be articulated that will be communicated to each patient’s primary care provider. Patients will be seen by the social worker as well, to address any potential social concerns.
The Adult Sickle Cell Clinical Program realizes the Primary Care Providers of Arkansas need easily accessible resources and support services in order to provide the best standard of care available. Let us help you provide your sickle cell patients with the best possible care. Please see links of resources and support services listed to the left of this page.
For more information, read our Sickle Cell Annual Reports.