As we reflect on 2024, we are proud to share the incredible strides we’ve made together in raising awareness, advancing education, and supporting those impacted by blood clots and clotting disorders. Thanks to the support from this community, we’ve expanded our reach, deepened our impact, and laid the groundwork for future success.
Here are some key highlights from this year:
Expanding Awareness and Education
- During Blood Clot Awareness Month alone, we reached a record-breaking 4.8 million people with crucial information about blood clots.
- Thanks to a generous donation from a blood clot survivor, we had an incredible opportunity to run a blood clot awareness public service announcement on the seven-story-high NASDAQ digital billboard, appearing four times per hour, around the clock during the month of March.
- Our amazing volunteers hosted a record-breaking 150 awareness events and activities in 2024, reaching communities across the nation and globally.
- NBCA Community Thrombassadors program grew participation to 160 certified Thrombassadors across the country and globally. Since program inception in 2022, Thrombassadors have reached more than ONE MILLION people with blood clot awareness and education. Thrombassadors now represent 42 of the 50 states, and nine additional countries, with the goal of achieving 100% state representation by March 2025.
- Trained approximately 2,500 clinicians and allied health professionals via our online VTE curriculum, Stop the Clot® – What Every Healthcare Professional Should Know.
- Attended more than 15 medical meetings and conferences, conducting outreach to specialties related to VTE, including oncology, hematology, obstetrics, radiology, urgent care, sports medicine, and Black maternal health, sharing NBCA resources and patient-centric presentations to improve patient and clinical outcomes.
- Had the largest-ever team of Team Stop the Clot athletes for the TCS New York City Marathon and TD Five Boro Bike Tour, collectively raising more than 10% of the organization’s overall annual budget!
Partnerships for Health Equity
- Collaborated with Black maternal health and doula organizations to expand resources addressing disparities in blood clot risks among Black women and communities.
- Launched the B.L.A.C.K (Black Lives Advocating for Clot Knowledge) Thrombassador program to increase awareness among Black communities.
- Received funding for a seven-city Stop the Clot bus tour throughout March 2025 for Blood Clot Awareness Month to spread education and awareness among Black churches and community hospitals in southern cities, representing more than 50% of the US Black population.
Strengthening Advocacy
- Organized an in-person day of advocacy on Capitol Hill in which patients, caregivers, patient advocates, and healthcare professionals from across the country met with more than 50 Congressional offices and staff members.
- Launched first-ever NBCA Advocacy Institute to train patients, caregivers, clinicians, and others impacted by blood clots to advocate for blood clot education and awareness initiatives and influence public policy at both the state and federal levels. The Advocacy Institute trained 30 new advocates representing 20 states during 2024!
- The National Blood Clot Alliance Volunteer President Leslie Lake called upon Congress to protect the American public from blood clots by supporting the bipartisan Charles Rochester Blood Clot Prevention and Treatment Act (HR 5699) during a press conference hosted by Senator-Elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.).
- Work continued on the policy workgroup, resulting from the The Emily Adkins Prevention Act, that will consider recommendations around standards of care guidelines for blood clot patients and determine how many Florida residents are affected by blood clots. It will also identify how data is collected, identify emerging treatments and therapies, and develop a recommendation for risk surveillance systems. The workgroup, including NBCA volunteer president Leslie Lake, will issue its final report on Jan. 4, 2025 – Emily Adkins’ 25th birthday.
Patient Support and Empowerment
- Released new patient materials, including a monthly NBCA newsletter and the second edition of NBCA’s New Patient Guide, empowering patients to better manage their blood clot diagnosis and recovery.
- Supported over 20,000 members across NBCA’s online patient support groups, providing a safe space for connection and information sharing.
- Conducted 12 live patient webinars, or PEP Talks (Patients Educating Patients), led by patients with expert insights from the clinical community. PEP Talks covered a variety of topics of interest to the patient community, garnered more than 4,000 registrants, and thousands more watching the recordings.
- Published more than 150 new patient stories on NBCA’s website and social media, amplifying voices and building awareness through personal experiences.
- Launched season two of NBCA’s award-winning podcast, “Taking a Breath: A Stop the Clot Podcast,” which was awarded Best in Science and Medicine by the Quill Podcast Awards.
Innovating Partnerships
- Launched the NBCA VTE Centers of Excellence, a novel program and first of its kind in the VTE space. Focusing on the triad of patients, clinicians, and community with a focus on identification and treatment, prevention and community engagement, the program offers an ongoing partnership between NBCA and the COE community.
- Designated Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals – Butterworth Hospital, the inaugural VTE Center of Excellence with support from Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-3).
- Joined the Veteran Affairs Community Council in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, a budding partnership for 2025.
Patient-Centered Research
- Partnered with a medical device company to conduct a research study about the experiences of patients with venous blood clots at the time of diagnosis and treatment, feelings concerning clinical studies, and willingness to participate in further discussions on clinical study design.
- Conducted a study in partnership with members of our Council of Emerging Researchers (CERT) to help break the silence on heavy menstrual bleeding for women on anticoagulants. The study was published at the American Society of Hematology annual conference in San Diego, sharing key insights, For example, 86% of respondents reported that heavy menstrual bleeding negatively affected their quality of life, yet less than half received treatment to help relieve it.
Looking Ahead
As we step into 2025, we remain committed to saving lives and reducing the impact of blood clots through education, advocacy, and support. Together, we can continue to create a future where fewer lives are lost to this often preventable and treatable condition. Thank you for standing with us in this mission. Your support makes all the difference.
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