7th Annual Sickle Cell Care Coordination for Achieving Patient Empowerment (SCCAPE)

7th Annual Sickle Cell Care Coordination for Achieving Patient Empowerment (SCCAPE) is organized by VCU Health Continuing Education and will be held from Sep 17 - 20, 2026 at Richmond Marriott Short Pump,Glen Allen, Virginia, United States of America.

Description:
Now in its 7th year, SCCAPE is a four-day, interdisciplinary conference designed for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists, community health providers, patients, and their families. With tiered learning pathways for novice and advanced participants, SCCAPE covers Sickle Cell Disease pathology and treatments, behavioral and mental health, transition from pediatric to adult care, equity and structural barriers, team-based care models, advocacy, and emerging innovations such as gene therapy and pharmacogenomics. Each year, the conference attracts a growing number of physicians and allied health professionals, reflecting the expanding commitment to improving care for individuals living with SCD. SCCAPE also includes two special networking events outside of regular conference hours: a Sunset Social Off-Site Networking Reception and a Show and Tell Expo, where participants can share innovative projects in a collaborative environment. Through interactive workshops, expert-led panels, and community-driven discussions, SCCAPE equips attendees with practical tools, evidence-based strategies, and shared insights to enhance outcomes and quality of life for individuals with SCD.

Objectives:

1. Describe sickle cell disease (SCD) pathology, complications, treatments and the impact on patients’ general health and lifestyle.
2. Summarize the newer SCD modifiers and emerging curative therapies.
3. Identify the impact of mental health concerns in SCD care and discuss behavioral health screening tools and strategies to assist patients.
4. Discuss how a sickle cell medical home is developed and describe the critical components of a program including staffing, financing, daily operations and monitoring.
5. Describe an effective program to transition patients from pediatric to adult services while providing quality comprehensive SCD care.
6. Discuss the role and responsibilities of a sickle cell disease medical care team with emphasis on the newer emerging expanded roles of social workers and the inclusion of patient navigators.
7. Discuss the impact of racism, complicit and implicit bias, and health disparities on the health of persons living with sickle cell disease.
8. Describe the U.S. health care delivery system as it relates to SCD care and identify the role of the National Academics of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine consensus report, “Addressing Sickle Cell Disease A Strategic Plan and Blueprint For Action.”
9. Identify the principles of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, confidentiality and ethical boundaries between patients and health care team members as it relates to SCD health care.
10. Identify effective communication using techniques such as motivational interviewing based upon knowledge of communication theories such as adult learning theory, health belief model and the transtheoretical model.
11. Discuss the patient perspective of SCD care and how the medical care team can support patients’ efforts to reach optimum health 2 of 7 Number Objective within limitations of living with a chronic disease such as SCD.