Hemophilia of Georgia at 40: Program Staff Spotlight

Horizons in Hemophilia, February 2013

By Karen Daniel, Marketing and Communications Director

Two Hemophilia of Georgia staff members have provided dedicated service to the bleeding disorder community for many years. 

Jeff Cornett joined the HoG staff in 1990 as Training and Research Coordinator.  Today his title is Director of Training, Research, and Advocacy. 

Jeff says the most rewarding experience of his career at Hemophilia of Georgia is “getting to work with families long-term: seeing children with bleeding disorders grow up into healthy and happy adults and start their own families.” 

According to Jeff, “Two legislative accomplishments also stand out – working for passage and funding of the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act and passage of the Affordable Care Act.  Both had major benefits for people with bleeding disorders.  The Ricky Ray act provided money to people with hemophilia who had been infected with HIV.  It wasn’t enough money, but it helped.  It also brought together a community that had been divided by the infected blood scandal.  The Affordable Care Act is a game changer for people with hemophilia.  The ability to purchase quality, affordable health insurance as an individual means that young people with bleeding disorders can choose careers that match their passions and talents and not just those that involve large employers with group health insurance.  My work on The Hemophilia Handbook has also been very rewarding.  When someone comes up to you at an event and says, 'Your Handbook saved my life,' it’s a pretty good feeling.”

Jeff says his favorite part of his job is “attending Camp Wannaklot and our Family Camps.  I’m the only staff person who has been at every year of Camp Wannaklot.  Camp is an opportunity to spend in-depth time with our clients and Family Camp gives me the chance to meet the whole family.  I think these events enrich my life as much as they do the clients who attend.”

In 2010, Jeff was named Advocate of the Year by the National Hemophilia Foundation.   

Rueleen Kapsch joined the HoG staff as Quality Assurance Nurse in 1997.  She says her experience as nurse coordinator at the Emory Hemophilia Treatment Center gave her “a unique understanding of the challenges that people with bleeding disorders experience, as well as helping other staff and families know how they can have a better health outcome and also how to advocate for themselves.”   

According to Rueleen, one of the most rewarding experiences of her job at Hemophilia of Georgia “is seeing people go from grief and despair over their bleeding disorder diagnosis, to becoming independent, accepting and positive,  then helping serve as volunteers and role models for other families.  Ultimately, they can learn that their bleeding disorder does not define them, and does not have to limit their enjoyment of life.”

Rueleen’s favorite part of her job is “interacting with families, teaching and helping them find their way to independence, to help people come to terms with and remove some of the fear of the diagnosis. Events such as Family Camp, Camp Wannaklot, Teen Retreats, dinners and even telephone conversations to help direct and problem solve with families is very rewarding. I have always been thankful for a career that allows me to make a difference, to be challenged, to continue to learn and serve.  HoG is such a positive work environment, with people who are committed to the goals and standards of making life better for people with bleeding disorders.  The HoG staff has become a second family, a group of people who care about each other as well as our clients.   I enjoy the teamwork between the HTC staff and our HoG staff, especially for Camp Wannaklot where we all come together for a week of fun and teaching, and seeing our kids with bleeding disorders blossom.”

Rueleen received an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Nursing Excellence award in 2009. 

Everyone on the Hemophilia of Georgia staff is proud of what has been accomplished over the past forty years and looks forward to continuing to serve the bleeding disorder community in the future.