Thank you for your sponsorships — Pfizer, Agios, Chiesi and MTF Foundation
Founded 2021 · Patient-led nonprofit · Orlando, FL
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Nobody should
fight for care
during a pain
crisis.
SCMA trains certified Sickle Cell Healthcare Navigators who stand beside patients — virtually, in real time — through every ER visit and hospital stay, backed by national treatment guidelines.
LIVE CASE SUMMARY
Avg. response time
15 min
Active hospital cases
44
ASH Guidelines
2020 edition
Navigator on call
130+
300+
Navigators
Certified
Total Patient Support
100+
21,000+
Hospitals Reached
Advocacy Hours
Why SCMA exists
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Three commitments that guide every call.
Our Mission
​
Our Vision
​
Our Objective
​
Sickle Cell Medical Advocacy Inc. empowers patients, caregivers, and community advocates with comprehensive education and advocacy training to improve healthcare outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease. Through education on national sickle cell management guidelines and one-on-one advocacy training, participants gain the skills to navigate timely medical intervention, leading to faster recovery and reduced hospital stays
​Our vision is to optimize medical management, decreasing the incidence of end-organ damage
and increasing the quality of life and lifespan in sickle cell patients.
Our objective is to dismantle the barriers that obstruct effective ER and hospital treatments for those with sickle cell disease through a comprehensive virtual health and mental health center. We offer services such as healthcare navigation, mental health support, community outreach, and educational initiatives for sickle cell patients. Our commitment is to empower sickle cell patients with improved healthcare access and enhance their treatment outcomes in emergency and hospital settings.
How it works
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From first call to discharge — you're not alone.
01
Request
Patients or caregivers complete a registration form, day or night.
02
Match
A certified navigator is assigned to your case within the hour.
03
Advocacy
A navigator and a provider from SCMA call your hospital to share NHLBI/ASH guidelines and discuss treatment with your care team.
04
Stay with you
We remain engaged for the full hospital stay, not just the first hour.
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Get Started
Two ways into SCMA
I want to learn how to advocate
Enroll in our 10-week Navigator certification program (restarts 3/28/27) or the Empowered Patient Training track to build self- advocacy skills (restarts 8/2/2026)
Community Voices
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What patients and navigators say
"
As a nurse, it was not enough to know the definition of Sickle Cell disease to understand the disorder. This course has increased my awareness of the need for advocacy of Sickle Cell warriors.
"
"
As a nurse, it was not enough to know the definition of Sickle Cell disease to understand the disorder. This course has increased my awareness of the need for advocacy of Sickle Cell warriors.
"
"
As a nurse, it was not enough to know the definition of Sickle Cell disease to understand the disorder. This course has increased my awareness of the need for advocacy of Sickle Cell warriors.
"