Skip to main content

Evidence to Improve Care

Sickle Cell Disease

Care for People of All Ages



Ontario Health thanks the following individuals for their generous, voluntary contributions of time and expertise to help create this quality standard:


Isaac Odame (co-chair)
Hematologist and Hematology Section Head, The Hospital for Sick Children


Serena Thompson (co-chair)
Lived Experience Advisor


Madeleine Verhovsek (co-chair)
Hematologist, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Hamilton Health Sciences


Sharla Adams
Vice-President and Director of Administrative Affairs, Sickle Cell Association of Ontario
Lived Experience Advisor


Ola Ajisafe
Primary Care Physician, Olaniyi Ajisafe Medicine Professional Corporation


Uma Athale
Codirector, Pediatric and Adult (Joint) Hemoglobinopathy Clinic, McMaster Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University


Oyedeji Ayonrinde
Clinical Director, Community Psychiatry Programs, Providence Care
Associate Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Queen’s University


Gabriel Badejo
Lived Experience Advisor


Jennifer Bryan
Emergency Physician, University Health Network


Ken Farion
Vice-President, Quality, Strategy & Family Partnership and Pediatric Emergency Physician, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario


Karen Fleming
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Red Blood Cell Disorders Program, University Health Network


Judy Grandison
President, Camp Jumoke
Lived Experience Advisor


Cameisha Hemmings
Lived Experience Advisor


Mohammad Jarrar
Pediatrician and Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist, Windsor Regional Hospital


Brenda Martelli
Nurse Practitioner, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario


Kirk Myrie
Lived Experience Advisor


Sandra Newton
Counsellor, Psychometrist, and Clinician, Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario


Jacob Pendergrast
Medical Director, Blood Transfusion Service, University Health Network


Cheryl Prescod
Executive Director, Black Creek Community Health Centre


Ziad Solh
Hematologist, London Health Sciences Centre


Sinthu Srikanthan
Social Worker, University Health Network


Qutaiba Tawfic
Anesthesiologist, London Health Sciences Centre


Lanre Tunji-Ajayi
President and CEO, Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario
Lived Experience Advisor


Joel Warkentin
Chief of Pediatrics, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre


Linda Waterhouse
Social Worker, Hamilton Health Sciences


Alexandre Wong
Pharmacist, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario


For more information, contact QualityStandards@OntarioHealth.ca.

Let’s make our health system healthier

Join Our Patient, Family and Public Advisors Program

Patients, families and the public are central to improving health quality.


Man smiling

Sign up for our newsletter

Are you passionate about quality health care for all Ontarians? Stay in-the-know about our newest programs, reports and news.

Health Quality Connect - Health Quality Ontario's newsletter - on an iPad and a cell phone