The University of South Alabama Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center will host its 6th annual conference, “Working Together to Manage Sickle Cell Disease,” from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. on March 11 at USA Medical Center Conference Center.

The one-day conference features faculty from USA College of Medicine, Vision Partners of Mobile and Virginia Commonwealth University. The goal of the conference is to increase the understanding of sickle cell disease, its complications and modern treatments available. This conference is targeted at physicians, nurses and other allied health personnel involved in the care of patients with sickle cell disease.

Wally Smith, M.D., chair of the division of quality health care at Virginia Commonwealth University, is the featured guest lecturer for the conference. He will discuss, “New Revelations Regarding Pain in Sickle Cell Disease.”

Leonard Rich, M.D., ophthalmologist at Vision Partners in Mobile, will discuss “Sickle Retinopathy.”

Felicia Wilson, M.D., chief of pediatric hematology and oncology at USA, will discuss “Management of the Febrile Pediatric Sickle Cell Patient.”

Johnson Haynes Jr., M.D., director of the USA Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, will discuss “Pulmonary Hypertension in Sickle Cell Disease.”

The conference, which is sponsored by the USA College of Medicine office of continuing education, will offer continuing medical education credits for physicians and 5.4 continuing education credits for nurses.

For more information regarding the conference, please contact Kathy Billingsly at (251) 470-5893.