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Committee on Communications

Committee Roster

Chair
Mikkael  A. Sekeres, MD  ('24)

Vice Chair
Surbhi Sidana, MD  ('24)

Appointed Members
Uma Borate, MD  ('27)
Alexandra Gomez Arteaga, MD  ('26)
David  J Hermel, MD  ('24)
Jonathan Hoggatt, PhD  ('25)
Anita  J. Kumar, MD, MS  ('24)
Gabriel  N. Mannis, MD  ('26)
Ruben  A. Mesa, MD  ('27)
Bhumika  Jayantibhai Patel, MD  ('25)
Naveen Pemmaraju, MD  ('27)
Michael  T. Tees, MD, MPH  ('28)
Saad  Zafar Usmani, MD  ('24)
Sangeetha Venugopal, MD, MS  ('27)

Ex Officio Members
Belinda Avalos, MD  ('25)  - President-Elect
Cynthia  E. Dunbar, MD  ('24)  - Secretary
Mohandas Narla, DSc  ('24)  - President
Robert Negrin, MD  ('26)  - Vice President

Liaisons
Amy  E. DeZern, MD  ('24)  - Committee on Educational Affairs
Kaitlyn  C Dykes, MD, BS  ('25)  - Trainee Council
Aaron  T. Gerds, MD, MS  ('25)  - Editor-in-Chief, ASH Clinical News
Livia Hegerova, MD  ('26)  - Committee on Practice
Leidy  Lismeris Isenalumhe, MD, MS  ('27)  - Committee on Training
Shaji  Kunnathu Kumar, MD  ('25)  - Editor-in-Chief, The Hematologist
Douglas  W. Sborov, MD, MSc  ('25)  - ASH Foundation Committee
Vivien  A. Sheehan, MD, PhD  ('25)  - Publications Committee
Kirsten Williams, MD  ('28)  - Committee on Government Affairs

Staff Liaison
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Committee Mandate

The Committee on Communications is responsible for enhancing communication with ASH members, promoting the science and practice of hematology, and creating a sense of community and pride in ASH and hematology.

The Committee on Communications is charged with developing and executing a media relations strategy that demonstrates the value and quality of hematology research and medical care to the press and the public. To this end, the committee oversees the society’s media relations efforts that seek to promote research presented at the ASH annual meeting and published in the Blood journals, increase the visibility of ASH initiatives that promote clinical research in hematology, and increase the profile of ASH as a leading advocate on issues of importance to hematologists. In addition, the committee works with staff and the society’s public relations consultants to develop, manage, and evaluate programs and processes that are designed to respond quickly to issues of national importance relating to hematology. The committee continually evaluates the public image of the specialty and ASH to ensure an accurate and positive public perception of hematology.

In its effort to regularly evaluate and improve communication with members, the Committee on Communications has oversight of ASH member communications vehicles (e.g., news magazines, email news bulletins, annual meeting daily newspaper, etc., but not peer-reviewed journals) as well as more public-facing channels, such as its website, social media, and other electronic communications. In addition, the committee serves as a conduit for bi-directional communication with the ASH membership (for example, by helping to develop and oversee appropriate survey, research, and assessment tools for ASH services).

Another function of the Committee on Communications is to (in collaboration with other ASH committees) explore the Society’s options for developing patient education materials, or for developing a referral mechanism to direct patients to information already available through other sources.

The Committee on Communications structure includes liaison positions from the following committees:

·         ASH Foundation Committee

·         Committee on Educational Affairs

·         Committee on Government Affairs

·         Committee on Practice

·         Publications Committee

·         Committee on Training

·         Trainee Council

The Committee on Communications also includes the editors-in-chief of The Hematologist and ASH Clinical News as liaison members and the Secretary as an ex officio, non-voting member.

Members of the Committee on Communications are required to attend two meetings per year: one in the summer and one prior to the ASH annual meeting. Additionally, committee members may be solicited to serve on the ASH Web User group and/or the Media Experts Subcommittee (service which includes receiving media training and being “on call” to respond to reporters as expert spokespersons on a particular topic for the Society when called upon by staff).

The chair of the Committee on Communications serves as a liaison member of the Program Committee and is expected to attend the meetings of that committee. S/he also chairs the Media Experts Subcommittee and facilitates the media training and orientation session held for new members (typically held once per year). A member of the Committee on Communications serves as a liaison member of the Committee on Quality and is expected to attend the meetings of that committee.

Committee on Communications members are privy to proprietary and confidential information about ASH publications over which the committee has oversight. Therefore, ASH members who serve as editors or in editorial board positions of trade publications that are in direct competition with ASH publications may be deemed ineligible to serve on the committee.

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