10-year study shows Loyola Medicine’s Sickle Cell Program reduces emergency department visits and costs

CONTACT:
Allison Peters 
allison.peters@luhs.org
708-216-6140

MAYWOOD, IL – A 10-year study from Loyola Medicine reveals that its comprehensive sickle cell program dramatically improved patient outcomes—reducing emergency department visits, hospitalizations and the financial burden on patients. The program, launched in 2014, shifted care from crisis-driven emergency visits to proactive outpatient management.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects an estimated 100,000 individuals in the United States, 90% of whom are African American. A major complication of SCD is pain caused by sickled red blood cells blocking the blood flow and oxygen delivery to the tissues. This pain is the main cause of emergency department visits, which leads to high costs and opioid usage. 

Loyola’s comprehensive program addresses the unmet needs of sickle cell care

One of the greatest challenges for sickle cell patients is the lack of continuity of care, which can lead to misunderstandings about the disease by both patients and providers. Without specialized, consistent care, patients struggle to achieve long-term health outcomes. In many cases, severe pain leads patients to the nearest emergency department, where they are often prescribed opioids and discharged, and the cycle begins again. “Most sickle cell patients who live to see 25 have been accused of being drug addicts at some point in their lives,” said Gail Kellberg, APRN, one of the study’s co-authors.

Kellberg has been with the Loyola Sickle Cell Program since its inception. “We wanted to look at these patients as people with an illness, not a hematology case,” said Kellberg. “Their blood may look the same, but they each have individual problems. They live in fear of pain and just knowing they’re not alone helps a great deal.” 

One example of the program’s success is 38-year-old Ryan Sturdivant. He first came to Loyola in 2015 and has seen Kellberg each month for more than 10 years. He has significantly reduced his use of opioids for pain management.  “This program might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I was at another program, and I felt like a number there. At Loyola it’s completely different. I feel like a whole person.”

Prior to finding the program, Sturdivant was hospitalized three to four times a month and was prescribed many redundant medications, including four different types of a similar narcotic. He joined the program to reduce his opioid usage and decrease the number of hospitalizations. “I just wanted to be as close to normal as possible and be as healthy as possible because it's hard to make progress when you're sick all the time,” said Sturdivant.

Study reveals 10 years of improved outcomes for Loyola’s sickle cell program patients

Loyola’s Sickle Cell Program began in 2014 with the goal of better understanding and treating sickle cell patients. Patients are seen on a routine basis and provided with preventative care whenever they need it. A 2024 study analyzing outcomes from the program’s first 10 years revealed significant improvements in patient care, including shorter hospital stays and lower financial burden for patients.

During the course of the study, more than 300 patients were seen for a total of 7,114 encounters. From January 2010 to December 2020, outpatient encounters increased from 36.5% to 70.9%, while inpatient encounters decreased from 38.6% to 20.3% and emergency department visits decreased from 20.3% to 8.8%. When comparing average charges per time period, the median charge per encounter decreased by $1,838 post-intervention compared to pre-intervention.

According to the study, “patients have reported improved attendance at college, finding and maintaining employment, improvement in family dynamics with their spouse and children, and improved mental well-being. Overall, the feeling of finally being heard and having a dependable partner in their care removed the anxiety and fear that most SCD patients, unfortunately, associate with health care across the United States.”

Sickle cell program helps patient avoid hospitalization and live a fuller life

It has been a long road for Sturdivant but he has achieved many of the goals he set at the beginning of the program. He got his first job after being told he would be unable to work because of his frequent hospitalizations. He is on a very low dose of an opioid, which he uses only for intense pain. Sturdivant hasn’t been hospitalized in so long; he cannot remember the last time he was in an emergency room.

“When I first met him, he was a frequently hospitalized person on opioids, and now he doesn’t come in for pain anymore,” said Kellberg. “I told him I was proud of him, and he became emotional. It brought tears to my own eyes. It hit home that in health care people just need personal care. Look at them as a person and hear their story.”

“I wish I knew about this sooner; not only do I feel more physically healed, but Gail took the time to help me heal mentally,” said Sturdivant. “Gail likes to say that I did all the work, but I promise you she enabled me and gave me the information that I did not have, that's not necessarily online or anything and it changed everything for me.”