Sickle Cell Disease Association of America hires member coordinator

HANOVER, Md.—The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, a national nonprofit membership organization that advocates for people affected by sickle cell disease, named Kristen Cox as member engagement coordinator. The association has more than 50 member organizations throughout the United States.

Prior to joining the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Cox served as the membership and leadership manager for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists for five years, where she used her extensive experience in management and member cultivation to build relationships with the society’s over 1,000 members.

Previously, she served at the DiLorenzo Tricare Health Clinic at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where she advanced her administrative and customer service skills. Cox began her career as a certified nursing assistant.

She holds a master’s degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disease causing red blood cells to take a sickle shape, which leads to blockages that prevent blood from reaching parts of the body. As a result, people with sickle cell complications can experience anemia, jaundice, gallstones, stroke, chronic pain, organ damage and premature death. No universal cure exists.

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America advocates for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empowers community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure. The association and more than 50 member organizations support sickle cell research, public and professional health education and patient and community services. (www.sicklecelldisease.org