Expansion and Inclusion in Hematology

As the world’s largest professional society of clinicians and scientists dedicated to conquering blood diseases, ASH seeks to expand the availability of hematologic care while promoting the highest standards of excellence in hematology research, training, and practice.

Our Approach

Acting through various ASH programs and committees, ASH seeks to further these objectives by continuing its longstanding commitments to:

Inspire, recruit, educate, and support talented researchers and clinicians from all backgrounds and experiences to pursue and excel in careers in hematology and related fields.

Provide resources, education, and training to build awareness of the disproportionate effects of certain hematologic disorders on specific segments of the patient population, and to overcome impediments to the delivery of quality care across all segments of the population.

Advocate for policies and support programs aimed at increasing access to care and allowing for a tailored treatment approach for patients with blood diseases.

ASH also supports the education, development, and enlistment of skilled and dedicated scientists and clinicians from all backgrounds in the fight against blood diseases. ASH vigorously opposes all forms of discrimination, harassment, violence, and bigotry that impede patients’ access to high-quality care or deny qualified clinicians and scientists access to educational and professional development opportunities that serve to expand the universe of qualified professionals devoted to the field of hematology. ASH’s commitment to excellence through expansion and inclusion takes many forms.

Examples include:

  • Helping researchers to better understand how and why diseases can disproportionally affect some populations, thus enabling clinicians to tailor treatments to individual patients or subsets of patients for better health outcomes.
  • Educating health care providers about how to overcome barriers to providing quality care, including how to deal with patient fears and how to have culturally and situationally appropriate conversations with patients about their conditions and the available treatments.
  • Catalyzing progress in discovering new treatments and cures for rare diseases that have historically been neglected.
  • Reducing harm to patients by updating or correcting outdated or flawed medical information and data, including algorithms that inappropriately use race broadly as a proxy for specific genetic characteristics.
  • Enriching the hematology workforce through a longitudinal pathway of competitive awards that strives to ensure that hematology reflects and better serves the heterogenous world we live in.

ASH Inclusion Program Retained and Engaged Hematologists Underrepresented in Field, 20-Year Analysis Shows

Participants in the ASH Minority Recruitment Initiative had lower attrition rates in graduate and medical programs, were more likely to pursue a career in hematology, and had high levels of engagement at ASH beyond their participation in the program, according to a study published in Blood Advances.

Read the Article

Initiatives

The Duffy-null Associated Neutrophil Count (DANC) project is a two-year project focused on improving care for individuals with the Duffy-null phenotype, characterized by the absence of the Duffy antigen on red blood cells. The project seeks to enhance understanding of DANC and its impact, from clinical trials to patient care. To achieve this, the initiative aims to better inform health care systems, educate professionals, and implement population-level interventions. This project is funded by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. 

Learn More About DANC and the Project

The ASH Hematology Inclusion Pathway (HIP) (and its predecessor program, the ASH Minority Recruitment Initiative) offers a comprehensive 13-year longitudinal career pathway of competitive awards that strives to develop and foster a new generation of leaders in hematology – from medical students to mid-career professionals.

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The Women in Hematology Working Group (WIH) was created in 2019 to support the careers of women in hematology. It recognizes their contributions in the field and offers networking, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities. WIH also hosts the annual Women in Hematology Networking Reception, featuring talks by prominent women in the field.

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In 2021 ASH established the Health Impact Collective, a cooperative enterprise of support for organizations seeking to help improve outcomes by removing barriers to high-quality care. This initiative builds on ASH’s work over the last decade and holds the promise of what ASH can do in the future with partnering organizations.

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Federal funding cuts are affecting research around disparities in hematologic conditions. ASH is supporting these investigators with a new funding program: the Treating Fairly Research Award. This program will lead to better understanding of health outcome gaps and interventions to help all hematology patients.

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Resources

ASH Toolkit for Clinical Trial Sponsors

This guide is designed to help trial sponsors take practical steps throughout the trial life cycle and to enhance access and overall representation in clinical trials with the ultimate goal of yielding results that are generally applicable to patients impacted by the disease or therapy. It includes actionable recommendations, reference articles, and additional resources from both national and international regulatory bodies and research organizations.

Download an offline version of the Toolkit here.

Access the Online Toolkit

Conversations for Change

Conversations for Change are innovative educational cards designed for hematologists and other health care professionals that offer opportunities for reflection and scenarios for discussion. Each card provides a question designed to spark important conversations about how to provide care that is culturally sensitive and conduct research in a way that is relevant to the needs of the broad population.

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ASH Agenda for Hematology Research

The ASH Agenda for Hematology Research and ASH Sickle Cell Disease Research Priorities serve as roadmaps to prioritize research within the field. ASH encourages the hematology community to embrace the cross-cutting themes of the agenda that strive to enhance health outcomes for all patients, and particularly for patients in those segments of the population that are most dramatically affected by certain blood diseases.

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ASH Maternal Health Resources

ASH is committed to maternal health, advocating for reproductive services, addressing hematology disparities, and supporting clinicians serving vulnerable populations.

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Making an Impact

Get to know some of the individuals who are leading the way in bringing excellence to their health care communities.

Navigating Her Own Journey to Hematology

After travelling the world, working in finance, and attending performing arts school, Dr. Tamara Dunn finds her own path to becoming a doctor.

From a Small-Town Farm in Oklahoma to Epidemiologist

Dr. Deirdra Terrell, a first-generation college graduate, grew up on a farm in a small town in Oklahoma, with death and disease as a large part of her identity.

A Chemistry Lover Finds Her Calling in Hematology

Dr. Lachelle D. Weeks was all set to pursue a career in chemistry when she fell in love with oncology, after learning that nitrogen mustards were used to treat cancer in a medicinal chemistry class.

A Competitive Runner on the Clinical Research Track

Dr. Christopher Flowers’s competitive streak led him far beyond his local, regional, and national track and field championships.

Inspiring Lyrics Help Fight Childhood Cancer

Dr. Rayne Rouce is not your “classic” physician. Her patients and their families are glad that’s the case.

Mentoring in Classical Hematology

In this edition of ASH Clinical News, Mark Crowther, MD, and Brianna Bakow, MD, discuss their mentor-mentee relationship and why career mentoring is critical for the field of classical hematology.

Lift as You Climb: An Interview With Michael R. DeBaun, MD, MPH

Michael R. DeBaun, MD, MPH, one of two 2019 ASH Mentor Award recipients, speaks to ASH Clinical News about his family code of serving others, which he passes along to generations of mentees.

A Look Into ASH’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts

Writing for The Hematologist, Christopher R. Flowers, MD, MS, and Chancellor E. Donald, MD, detail ASH's commitment to upholding diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Pulling Back the Curtain: Barbara A. Konkle, MD

In this edition of ASH Clinical News, Barbara A. Konkle, MD, discusses why she chose a career in medicine and her love of coagulation.

Get Involved

Volunteer

As the world's largest global society of hematologists, ASH offers many volunteer opportunities. Sign in or create a free ASH account and share general information about your experience, skillset, and interests in hematology so you can be informed as new volunteer opportunities arise.

See Opportunities

Donate

Every gift to the ASH Foundation is a vital philanthropic investment in ASH’s mission of helping hematologists conquer blood diseases worldwide. All monetary donations help sustain the future of hematology.

Ways to Give

Mentor

Serve as a mentor to prospective hematologists in the ASH Hematology Inclusion Pathway.

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