ASH Directions
Learn About Legislation and
Health Policy from the ASH
Advocacy Leadership Institute!
This October marks the ninth annual ASH Advocacy Leadership Institute (ALI): An opportunity for selected
ASH members to gather in Washington, DC, to learn about legislation and health policy affecting hematology
research and practice and to get a better understanding of the Society’s advocacy efforts.
Nominations are now being accepted for this two-day workshop, taking place October 21-22, 2019, at
ASH’s headquarters. The first day of ALI focuses on learning about health policy and the legislative process
through guest speakers from Congress, the Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and other health
agencies. Those skills are applied on the second day, when participants head to Capitol Hill to visit their re-
spective congressional delegation.
Self-nominations for ALI are welcome and individuals may nominate more than one colleague. ASH is seek-
ing participants from across the country with diverse experience and hematologic interests, and from different
practice/research settings. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, be interested in health policy and advocacy, and want
to become more involved in ASH activities.
Learn more or submit a nomination at hematology.org/ali by June 28, 2019.
Members of the 2018 ASH Advocacy Leadership Institute on Capitol Hill.
Focus on Safety with the ASH EQUIPS
Trainee Competition
The Empowering Quality Initiatives in Patient Safety (EQUIPS) Trainee Competition is
a new ASH initiative designed to encourage trainee innovation and foster enthusiasm
for quality improvement.
Trainees are invited to submit a 500-word response to the question, “What is one
change in clinical practice or care delivery that could improve the safety of care for patients
with blood diseases?” Submissions should focus on new ideas and should outline the target
population, key stakeholders, implementation strategy with potential barriers, and outcome
metrics. Aspirational submissions for projects not previously implemented are welcome.
Three finalists will be invited to the 2019 ASH annual meeting in Orlando to deliver a
five-minute presentation during the Special Symposium on Quality. The finalists will de-
fend their proposals during questions from the session speakers, co-chairs, and audience,
who will then select a winner and award a prize.
All trainees are encouraged to apply by the June 14, 2019 deadline. Submit your idea
for consideration at www.hematology.org/equips.
2020 Brings New Editor-in-Chief for
ASH Clinical News
David P. Steensma, MD
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ASH Clinical News
ASH Clinical News is excited to announce the selection
of its next editor-in-chief, David P. Steensma, MD,
who will take the helm with the January 2020 issue.
Dr. Steensma is an institute physician at Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute and associate professor of medicine
at Harvard Medical School whose primary area of re-
search and clinical focus is myelodysplastic syndromes.
He has been an associate editor of the publication since
its founding in 2014.
Recently, Dr. Steensma’s Editor’s Corner about hand-
ling the daily deluge of emails (“Draining the Email
Swamp,” November 2018) received a Communicator
Award of Distinction for editorial writing from the
Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.
ASH Clinical News is the American Society of
Hematology’s monthly magazine, offering news and
views for the hematology/oncology community.
ASH and ASCO Update Joint
Guidelines on Erythropoiesis-
Stimulating Agents
This April, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and the American
Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published an evidence-based clinical
practice guideline addressing management of cancer-related anemia with
erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), as well as recently approved
biosimilar agents.
The publication, which represents an update to the previous 2010
edition of the guideline, recommends that ESAs and biosimilars be
offered to patients with chemotherapy-associated anemia whose cancer
treatment is not curative in intent and whose hemoglobin has declined
to <10 g/dL.
The guideline states that ESAs should not be offered to most cancer
patients with nonchemotherapy-associated anemia, aside from certain
patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. During ESA treatment, hemo-
globin may be increased to the lowest concentration needed to avoid trans-
fusions. Iron replacement may be used to improve hemoglobin response
and reduce red blood cell transfusions for patients receiving ESA with or
without iron deficiency.
Find these clinical practice guidelines and more at hematology.org/
guidelines.
June 2019