South Carolina’s Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Advocacy Coalition 
The South Carolina Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Advocacy Coalition

The Coalition’s Mission: To Empower the Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Community in South Carolina to speak to public and private decision-makers about improving Access to Quality and Affordable Health Care and Treatment.

We are thankful to the Advocacy Coalition Committee Members who came together from all regions throughout the state and nationally, to form the South Carolina Hemophilia and Bleeding Disorders Advocacy Coalition (SCHBDAC). Our commitment to the Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina and all South Carolinians affected by bleeding disorders is to improve access to Quality Care and Treatment. Improving lives is our mission.

We are very grateful to our 2024 Sponsors for supporting our advocacy program and the NBDF State Based Advocacy Coalition!

Novo Nordisk, INC. (Founding sponsor), BioMarin,  CSL Behring, Genentech, The Hemophilia Alliance,  Sanofi, Pfizer, and Takeda for their support of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation State Based Advocacy Coalition (SBAC) program.

Learn about them here by clicking on their logos in this program!

Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina is a proud recipient of the Advocacy & Public Policy Chapter of Excellence Award of the National Hemophilia Foundation in recognition of our commitment to advocacy and education initiatives both at the state and local level, aimed at improving the lives of those in the bleeding disorders community. Learn how you can help make a difference—join our advocacy efforts today!

       2024 Advocacy Coalition Members
Coalition Chair: BDASC Member: Cristal Day – Pickens County
SC State Coalition Lead: BDASC Executive Director: Sue Martin – Greenville County
BDASC President: Aaron Smith - Richland County
BDASC Member: Renita Johnson – York County
Shelley Crisp – Berkeley County
Taylor Upton
BDASC Board Member: Taylor Upton– Anderson County
Coalition Vice Chair: BDASC Board Treasurer: Joey Krakowiak, MD - Aiken County
BDASC Member: Tim Swanburg - Kershaw County
Sherlene Maloy
BDASC Board Member: Sherlene Maloy - Dorchester County
Edna Rabb
BDASC Board Member: Edna Rabb - Fairfield County
BDASC Member: Kristin Shelton - Fairfield / Richland County
BDASC Member: Candi Mitchum - Leesville County
Coalition Stakeholder Members

James Romano: BDASC Legislative Coordinator

  • Nathan Schaefer, Vice President of Public Policy, National Hemophilia Foundation
  • Josie Gamez, Government Relations Manager, National Hemophilia Foundation
  • Miriam Goldstein, Policy Director & Principal Legal Counsel, Hemophilia Federation of America
  • Kollet Koulianos, Senior Director, Payer Relations, National Hemophilia Foundation
  • Drew Clawson, Kinard Consulting, SC PhRMA Alliance Development
  • Sean Singh, Vice President Operations, Hemophilia Alliance
  • Annissa Reed, State Policy Manager, Eastern US, National Organization for Rare Diseases
  • Erin Foote Morgan, Partnership Director, Chronic Disease Coalition
  • Alison Clifford, Director, Therapeutic Advocacy and Policy, Takeda
  • Marcus Downs, Associate Director of U.S. Public Affairs, Southeastern Region, Takeda
  • Karla White, Senior Manager for U.S. Patient Advocacy, CSL Behring
  • Emily Ogden, Government Affairs, CSL Behring
  • Vitoria Cunningham, Government Affairs, Pfizer
  • Melissa Bishop-Murphy, Senior Director, National Government Relations & Multicultural Affairs, Pfizer
  • Gina Marie Dalferro Truslow, Senior Manager, Patient Advocacy Relations, Genentech
Advocacy Coalition Member Partners:
Advocacy Ambassadors

A vital component of the Advocacy Coalition is the Ambassador Program, which comprises volunteer members in leadership positions tasked with establishing a strong grassroots network of bleeding disorders advocates throughout the state.  Ambassadors serve as liaisons between the Advocacy Coalition and the public, focusing on increasing awareness of rare bleeding disorders and the challenges individuals and their families affected by them face. They also function as “county captains,” meaning that they serve as a regional or county resource and connection for people who have been, or have family members who have been, newly diagnosed, or who, for whatever reason, simply need information about issues (e.g., school nursing; educational resources; clinics and hospitals) relevant to bleeding disorders, particular to that county or region of the state.  If you would like to be put in touch with someone in your county who may be a helpful source of information and support to you and your family, please contact the chapter, and we will put you in touch with someone who can help.

           Coalition Advocacy Ambassadors
             20 State Counties Represented

if you don’t see your county represented, consider joining our robust advocacy program and be a voice for your community! Contact Sue Martin, Advocacy Coalition lead to find our how you can get involved today!

Upstate

April Baird representing Laurens County

Virginia Snead representing Laurens County

Martha Breitweiser representing Pickens County

Mike and Ann Ravan representing Spartanburg County

Mike Walden representing Union County

Felicia Alexander representing Greenville County

Meggan Burton representing Greenville County

Eric Dunton representing Spartanburg County 

Michelle Jackson representing Abbeville County

Corrie Snider representing Spartanburg County

Mandy Weber representing Greenville County

Brenda and Leroy Garrett representing Laurens County

Dana Gurley representing Anderson County

Ric Martin, representing Greenville County

Taylor Upton, representing Anderson County

Midstate

Christine Evans representing Lexington County,

Ward and Marilyn Keith representing Lexington County

Tiffany Maness representing Richland County

Brantley Smith representing Richland County

Mattie Watkins representing Richland County

Bonnie Phifer representing Aiken County

Jean Ford representing Sumter County

Edna Rabb representing Fairfield County

Holly Penfield representing Lancaster County

Demetrio Lopez and Miguelina Huerta representing Newberry County

Rolando Lopez and Sarali Hcosta representing Newberry County

James and Waltene Whitmire representing Richland County

Rimica Brown representing York County

Kristin Shelton, representing Fairfield / Richland County

Lowcountry

Mike and Brent Maloy representing Dorchester County

Woody Ford representing Horry County

Whitney Gallaway representing Horry County

  • 6th – Advocacy Coalition Call / Pre – Leg Breakfast Prep
  • 15th – Legislative Breakfast, Columbia
  • 21th – Bleeding Disorders Advisory Committee (Industry) Meeting
  • 21st – Virtual Reach and Teach Platelets, VWD, Ultra Rare Support Meeting
  • 3th – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • P and T Committee Meeting
  • 20th – Virtual Advocacy Days, Pre-State Days Training
  • 25 – 26th – Legislative State Days – Advocacy Training #1 (Teen Advocacy Leadership #1)
  • 28th – Rare Disease Day Celebration
  • 1st – BDASC VWD Awareness Day Virtual Event
  • 3th – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • 5 – 7th – NHF Washington Days
  • 15th – BDASC Untra Rare Bleeding Disorders Awareness Day Virtual Event
  • 30th – BDASC Women who Bleed Awareness Day Virtual Event
  • 7th – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • 17th –World Hemophilia Day Celebration
  • 5th – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • P and T Committee Meeting
  • 13th – Bleeding Disorders Advisory Committee (Industry) Meeting
  • 20th – Virtual Reach and Teach Platelets, VWD, Ultra Rare Support Meeting
  • 2nd – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • 7th – June Annual Meeting – Advocacy Training #2 (Teen Advocacy Leadership #2)
  • Teen Advocacy Retreat – DTBD- (Teen Advocacy Leadership #3)
  • 7th – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • 22nd – Virtual Reach and Teach Platelets, VWD, Ultra Rare Support Meeting
  • P and T Committee Meeting
  • 4th – Advocacy Coalition Call
September – ITP Awareness Month
  • 1st – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • 2nd – Virtual or Live Reach and Teach Platelets, VWD, Ultra Rare Support Meeting
  • 9th – Bleeding Disorders Advisory Committee (Industry) Meeting
  • 6th – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • TBD- 17 – 19th – Fall Family Advocacy Camp and Industry Symposium (Advocacy Training #3 (Teen Advocacy Leadership #4) NBDF Stakeholders Meeting
  • 4th – Advocacy Coalition Call
  • P and T Committee Meeting
  • 9th – NHF BDASC Stakeholders Meeting
  • 2nd – Advocacy Coalition Call

Additional Advocacy Events in 2024 – to be scheduled throughout the year!

  • NHF Insurance and Reimbursement Conference
Coalition Press Releases

Patient Advocates and Stakeholders Meet In Greenville To Discuss 2020 Outlook
By Jeremy Williams

On Friday, November 8, more than 30 advocates, healthcare professionals, policy experts, government officials, and industry representatives met in Greenville to continue ongoing discussions begun at HSC’s “South Carolina Bleeding Disorders Challenge” forum in 2018, regarding access to healthcare for persons with bleeding disorders living in the state. The day kicked off with heartfelt and moving personal stories from four HSC advocacy members: Cristal Day (Advocacy Coalition chair), Jameelah Malcolm, Eric Dunton, and Meggan Burton (Advocacy Ambassadors). Each of them offered compelling life lessons involving their (and their family members’) persistence in confronting the challenges of living with a bleeding disorder. MORE>>

Government Officials, Medical & Policy Experts, and Patient Advocates Meet in Columbia for Bleeding Disorders Forum

(Greenville, South Carolina) — On Thursday, August 16, and Friday, August 17, 2018, approximately 47 policy experts, government officials, medical professionals, and bleeding disorders advocates, met in Columbia, South Carolina, to address access to healthcare issues at a forum titled The South Carolina Challenge, coordinated by Hemophilia of South Carolina (HSC) and their Advocacy Coalition. MORE>>

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