Sickle Cell
Sickle
cell disease is a group of inherited
red blood cell disorders. It causes symptoms ranging from pain, to organ
damage, to anemia. In the United States, sickle cell disease is most
prevalent among African Americans, although it can be found in people
of all races. About one in 12 African Americans carry the sickle cell
trait, which means they are carriers of the disease. In addition, 1
of every 400 African Americans have sickle cell disease. People of Hispanic
and Asian descent are also disproportionately affected by the disease.
Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell
Agency serves the Piedmont region of North
Carolina. Our service area includes Alamance, Caswell, Forsyth, Guilford,
Randolph and Rockingham counties. We offer our clients the following
services in order to improve their quality of life and help them mange
their disease.
We Provide:
Newborn Screening:
We provide free testing for sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease
in our service area
Genetic Counseling: Genetic
counseling is provided to individuals with sickle cell disease, sickle
cell trait and other related genetic disorders. This service allows
our clients to make informed child-bearing decisions
Case Management: Clients
participate in a comprehensive case management program. Our case managers
and nurses develop all-encompassing plans in order to provide medical
services, referrals, education, transportation and even emergency financial
assistance in order to ensure the highest quality of life for our clients
Summer Enrichment Camp: PHSSCA sponsors a week-long
camp every summer for children in North Carolina with sickle cell disease.
The camp is designed to foster independence and social skills by allowing
campers to participate in a variety of recreational activities in a
medically supervised environment
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