The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/Be The Match has announced the recipients of its annual NMDP/Be The Match Awards. These awards recognize individuals, organizations, and groups that have made significant efforts to increase awareness or access to life-saving cell therapy. The prestigious Dennis Confer Innovate Award went to Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil, for his groundbreaking cancer treatment research. Stanford Health Care Epic BMT IT Team, SHC BMT Donor Search Team, and HLA Lab received the Simplify Award for their collaboration with NMDP/Be The Match on a project that automated patient data entry.
The Be There Award was given to the GVHD Alliance for their support of patients after transplant by providing relevant information, support services, and connections with healthcare providers. Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Fraternity received the Grow Award for their efforts in growing the registry and raising awareness among 18 to 24-year-olds, resulting in over 11,000 new registry members and 20 donors so far. The Service Award was presented to the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center for their consistent assistance with urgent needs. The Marrow Collection Program Alliance (Marrow Alliance) received the Thrive Award for their work in overcoming challenges in marrow harvests, improving patient outcomes. Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Network won the Lives Award for their enhanced access to treatment for transplant, cell therapy, and leukemia patients. The Equality Award was given to Kristin Akin, a caregiver and advocate for NMDP/Be The Match, who helped secure increased funding from Congress to support donor recruitment and patient outcomes.
The NMDP/Be The Match Awards recognize the innovative work of individuals and organizations in advocating for patients and donors, increasing awareness of cell therapy programs, and improving understanding of the transplant process. These efforts have a significant impact on saving lives through cellular therapy. Amy Ronneberg, the CEO of NMDP/Be The Match, expressed gratitude for the dedication shown by these award recipients and emphasized the real impact their work has on saving lives.
