Wave Staff Report
WILLOWBROOK — The Jeffrey Smith Sickle Cell Clinic at the Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Clinic celebrated its 10th anniversary of providing patient care Sept. 28.
The clinic serves California’s largest sickle cell population, with more than 2,500 adults and children living with sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells’ ability to carry oxygen. While anyone can inherit the sickle cell trait, the disease disproportionately impacts Black and Latino communities.
A lack of provider education, unconscious bias, poor reimbursement for team-based outpatient care, and inadequate research led to a system of care that grossly undertreated and neglected people with sickle cell disease.
“The Jeffrey Smith Sickle Cell Clinic was founded to fill a critical gap in care for adults living with sickle cell disease, and what began here has grown into a model for care across California,” said Dr. Susan Claster, a hematologist and clinic director. “Many of our patients come to us after years of facing barriers to care and feeling that their needs weren’t fully understood or addressed.
“Our goal has always been to change that; to see each patient as a whole person, listen to their experiences, and provide compassionate support and care they need to live healthier lives,” Claster added. “It is incredibly meaningful to see this work recognized and, most importantly, to know that our patients feel heard, supported and cared for.”
As part of Los Angeles County’s Health Services Department, the clinic allows patients to access specialized sickle cell care within one of the region’s largest public health systems. That integration has helped connect patients to the services they need earlier, reducing emergency room utilization and hospitalizations while providing a stronger foundation for long-term disease management.
“Across the Ambulatory Care Network, we’re committed to delivering coordinated, patient-centered care that helps people manage complex conditions and stay healthy,” said Shari Doi, CEO of the Ambulatory Care Network, for LA Health Services. “The Jeffrey Smith Sickle Cell Clinic reflects that commitment, bringing together teams who listen to patients, understand their needs, and support them in every step of their care. We’re proud of this milestone, and of the work our community-based clinics do every day to improve access and outcomes for communities across Los Angeles County.”
Since opening its doors in 2016, the clinic has become a model for coordinated, patient-centered sickle cell disease care, bringing together primary care, specialty care, and community health workers to improve disease management and patient outcomes.
As the flagship clinic for Networking California for Sickle Cell Care, the Jeffrey Smith Sickle Cell Clinic has helped shape best practices that are now being replicated across California.
“Jeffrey Smith’s legacy is the reason this clinic exists,” said Assemblyman Mike Gipson, D-Gardena. “As a close friend of his father, former Carson Mayor Gil Smith, I saw how Jeffrey’s passing at just 23 from complications of sickle cell impacted their family and fueled my commitment to improving care for others living with this disease.
“For the past decade, this clinic has delivered on that promise, providing patients and their families access to providers, staff, and a facility that truly understands the complexity of this disease. It has been an honor to champion the legislation that made this clinic possible and to see its impact touch so many lives.”
The anniversary comes at a pivotal moment for sickle cell care in the California. Through the Budget Act of 2026, the state reaffirmed its commitment to the sickle cell disease community by investing $6 million annually for five years to support and expand Networking California for Sickle Cell Care clinics. That model has helped increase the median life expectancy of adults living with sickle cell disease from 43 to 54 years, reduced pain crises, and set a standard for sickle cell care nationwide.
“What started at the Jeffrey Smith Sickle Cell Clinic has grown into a statewide network of 12 centers serving more than 1,100 patients,” said Mary Brown, president and CEO of the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation. “That is a tremendous accomplishment, but what matters most is what it means for people living with sickle cell disease.
“The sickle cell community saw a need and worked together to build something better, with the leadership and commitment of Assemblymember Mike Gipson helping make that vision a reality,” Brown added. “Ten years later, we are seeing that vision take hold across California. We owe that progress to the patients and families who have shared their voices and experiences and continue to push us to do better.”
