HoG Reflections: 50th Anniversary Year in Review

The year 2023 has been a very exciting and successful one for Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG)! We are delighted and grateful to have celebrated 50 years of serving the bleeding disorder community. Throughout the year, HoG’s 50th anniversary milestone was recognized and celebrated at community events, in our monthly e-newsletter, and on social media.

A commemorative book encompassing 50 years of HoG history was created, published, and mailed to constituents. The goal of the book entitled, It Takes More Than Medicine, Hemophilia of Georgia Since 1973, was to capture some of the rich history of the organization, as well as share how far HoG has come as a nationally and internationally recognized nonprofit organization and a premier provider of programs and support services for people with bleeding disorders.

HoG is proud of our long history of service and dedication to enhancing the health and wellness of the bleeding disorder community by providing excellence in comprehensive health care, education, advocacy, and the support of research.

We are excited that there have been many wonderful accomplishments on behalf of the bleeding disorder community in 2023:

1. We reflected on and celebrated our commitment to funding research to improve outcomes for the bleeding disorder community. HoG’s commitment to advancing care and research at HTCs is demonstrated through our Hemophilia Clinical Scientist Development Grants. Since 2003, Hemophilia of Georgia has directly funded physician researchers to conduct translational research on hemophilia and its complications. Each grant is for eighty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($82,500.00) per year, renewable for up to five years. This funding allows a physician who has completed research training to advance to the status of an independent investigator. Our goal is for the achievements of these scientists to improve the lives of people with bleeding disorders. Additionally, since 2012, Hemophilia of Georgia has funded gene therapy research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center to find a cure. Our contributions of over $8 million have been made to help develop a cure for hemophilia (factor VIII, factor IX, and factor VII deficiencies). Over a five-year period, HoG also provided funding totaling $1.25 million to the NHF (now NBDF-National Bleeding Disorders Foundation) to endow the Judith Graham Pool Fellowship which has supported five research fellows.
    
2. The Georgia General Assembly recognized and commended Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG), its staff, and volunteers for 50 years of service to the bleeding disorder community and our work on behalf of those individuals in Georgia, throughout our nation, and around the world!
    
3. Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG) launched a second telehealth clinic location in Perry, Georgia which provides high-quality, comprehensive care and clinical services to the bleeding disorder community. (The first telehealth clinic site was successfully launched in March 2021 in Savannah, Georgia.)
    
4. Camp Wannaklot was held and celebrated 30 years of providing children and teenagers who have hemophilia or other bleeding disorders the opportunity to have a wonderful time, while experiencing new adventures, making new friends, overcoming fears, and learning about their own bleeding disorder. 85 campers attended 2023 Camp Wannaklot which took place over the week of July 4th holiday and included an amazing fireworks display!
    
5. Hemophilia of Georgia awarded John W. Youtsey Memorial Scholarships to 25 Georgians in the bleeding disorder community totaling one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to be used for the 2024 academic year. John W. Youtsey, was a former professor and Associate Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Georgia State University. John provided leadership to Hemophilia of Georgia from its beginning in 1973, until his death in 1996. He was a board member of Hemophilia of Georgia and chaired the Scholarship Committee. Over the years, the John W. Youtsey Memorial Scholarship Program has awarded more than $1 million to deserving students to help them achieve their dreams.
    
6. Hemophilia of Georgia’s Evening of Gratitude & Celebration, a donor appreciation event, was held. At the event, HoG celebrated 50 years of service to the bleeding disorder community and honored over 200 donors, stakeholders, and distinguished guests for all their hard work and dedication in support of our mission.
    
7. Hemophilia of Georgia and Beacon pharmacies once again earned specialty pharmacy accreditation from the URAC. URAC accreditation is the gold standard for specialty pharmacies and having it enables HoG to maintain dual-accreditation status, as we are also ACHC accredited. URAC is the independent leader in promoting health care quality by setting high standards for clinical practice, consumer protections, performance measurement, operations infrastructure, and risk management.
    
8. Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG) representatives attended the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Youth Leadership Training and Comprehensive Care Summit (CSS): New Developments in Bleeding Disorders and Musculoskeletal (MSK) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the event, Youth Leadership was a key strategic focus and HoG nominated four young adult clients to also attend the leadership training and participate in CSS.
    
9. Hemophilia of Georgia launched its inaugural week-long event in Washington, D.C. visiting senators and legislators that serve the state of Georgia. This was an opportunity to highlight the great work that we do for people with bleeding disorders.
    
10. Hemophilia of Georgia was named a winner of Atlanta Top Workplaces by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the second year in a row.
     
11. The 2023 Teen Retreat was held in Gatlinburg, TN, and 22 HoG teens and 12 volunteers/staff participated. One of the most memorable experiences was the Titanic Museum. Teens received a guided tour and learned all about the artifacts from the ship, its passengers, and the night it hit an iceberg. Many of the teens also fearlessly stepped outside their comfort zone by riding a SkyLift to Anakeesta and experiencing breathtaking views of the Great Smokey Mountains on the SkyBridge. While the group had tons of fun, Hemophilia of Georgia (HoG) also provided them with transition education. The group participated in an interactive, two-hour, education workshop on college readiness and adulting skills.
     
12. HoG held a volunteer appreciation reception where our volunteers were treated to a wonderful afternoon enjoying tasty food and an exciting baseball game with our World Series Champion Atlanta Braves!
     
13. The 2023 Trot to Clot raised over $102,000 for Camp Wannaklot and included 369 participants, 22 fundraising teams and 26 volunteers. The event took place at the Battery at Truist Park, and it was wonderful to see children and their families out enjoying the fresh air, music, and fun activities like face painting, cornhole, and balloon twisting.
     
14. Hemophilia of Georgia held Spring Family Camp at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia. Thirty-one families enjoyed a weekend of fun and educational activities and networking with other families affected by a bleeding disorder.
     
15. Hops for Hemophilia event raised more than $50K for research for a cure and there were 195 supporters participating in the event enjoying live music, games, great food, and hard cider.
     
16. Fall Family Camp took place the weekend at Camp Twin Lakes (CTL) in Rutledge, Georgia; 178 people from 27 families attended for a weekend filled with fun and educational activities in a peaceful and relaxing environment. Families loved the education offered according to surveys and an average of 90 percent of our families learned something new in the sessions they attended.

This is just a small sampling of what HoG has accomplished on behalf of the bleeding disorder community this year. It is wonderful and heartwarming to know that many lives have been touched and impacted by the programs and services HoG provides. We thank our partners, board, staff, and volunteers who make it all happen year after year. They bring their heart and passion to the work we do…and we extend our deepest gratitude for their commitment and dedication given throughout the year.