“I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself, and others like me.”
-Maya Angelou
The Houston Sickle Cell Collaborative (HSCC)
Initiated on September 1, 2016 by the Houston Health Department (HHD) under the leadership of HHD Director Stephen Williams. The HSCC is a cooperative of community sickle cell organizations, self & caregiver sickle cell advocates, and healthcare institutions who work towards common goals for Houston’s sickle cell community.
Each member of the HSCC has a unique focus and collectively their impact includes, but is not limited to, education/outreach activities, caregiver support, transportation, case management, and direct healthcare services. Our crowning achievements have been our impactful Advocacy Summits which have been facilitated by the HHD and Houston Health Foundation.
On September 20, 2018, our first Sickle Cell Advocacy Summit with HSCC was attended by over 100 participants from across Texas and featured a keynote address from Beverley Francis-Gibson, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Then on October 8, 2020, we hosted our second Sickle Cell Advocacy Summit (virtual) and had 150 attendees from Texas, US, and Canada; and featured keynote speaker Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, FACS, President of Howard University, as well as Texas Senator Borris Miles (District 13) and the Chief of Staff of Texas Representative Jarvis Johnson (District 139). The collective discussions from stakeholders at our summits fuel the HSCC's future directions and objectives.
Our Mission
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Increase awareness of SCD/SCT in the Greater Houston region.
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Improve access to sickle cell-related community resources for affected families.
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Strengthen the education of stakeholders, including affected individuals, families, healthcare providers, and local/state policymakers.