The Akron Children’s Hospital Hemostasis and Thrombosis Center has been awarded a $320,000 health education grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to target the Amish hemophilia community in Ohio’s Holmes and Wayne counties, in the northeastern section of the state. According to The Times Reporter, the Akron HTC currently serves the largest population of hemophilia B patients in the world. The initiative will start in January 2008, promoting preventive dental care, and early and adequate treatment of bleeding episodes.

"The CDC recognized the expertise we have in treating bleeding disorders and the strong relationships we have with the Amish community and other health organizations throughout Ohio," said Jeffrey Hord, MD, Director of the Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Akron Children’s Hospital. He is also the principal investigator of the grant. "I fully expect that our educational initiatives through this CDC-funded project will have a significant positive impact on the health of the Amish with hemophilia and be a model for other programs."

Source: The Times Reporter, November 15, 2007