J. Nathan Hagstrom, MD, Appointed Regional Director for Mid-Atlantic Region Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs)

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. This leads to prolonged bleeding following injuries or surgery and spontaneous bleeding. Over time, it can also lead to chronic health problems such as joint disease. However, if the disorder is managed properly, people with hemophilia can live long, healthy lives.

Often a hemophilia treatment center (HTC) is the best choice for managing hemophilia, as studies show that people with hemophilia who receive care at an HTC are 40 percent less likely to die of a hemophilia-related complication. HTCs have emerged as specialized, multidisciplinary health care centers with unique expertise to meet the physical, psychosocial and emotional needs of people with hemophilia (factor VIII or IX deficiency) or a related bleeding condition such as Factor XI deficiency, von Willebrand disease (VWD), other factor deficiencies or a defect in platelet function.

With Dr. Hagstrom as Regional Director, the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Core Center for HTCs has transitioned to LVHN after being located at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the last 14 years.

Founded over 30 years ago, the Hemophilia Treatment Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Muhlenberg is one of approximately 150 HTCs in the United States. It’s also now a national leader in hemophilia care with the recent appointment of J. Nathan Hagstrom, MD, Physician in Chief of Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital and Chair of Pediatrics at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), as the Regional Director for the Mid-Atlantic Region of federally funded HTCs. With Dr. Hagstrom as Regional Director, the Mid-Atlantic Region’s Core Center for HTCs has transitioned to LVHN after being located at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for the last 14 years.

Dr. Hagstrom, a board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric hematologist oncologist, has been committed to hemophilia care for over 30 years. Having served on the Regional Executive Committee for the Mid-Atlantic Region for the past four years, Dr. Hagstrom is honored to be appointed to Regional Director.

“The previous Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic Region was someone who introduced me to hemophilia care when I was a resident at CHOP,” says Dr. Hagstrom. “She asked if I might be interested in making sure our region remains the best in the country. It was hard to say no to such an honor.”

As Regional Director, it’s Dr. Hagstrom’s responsibility to ensure the Mid-Atlantic Region’s HTCs meet certain standards and requirements of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants. He also works with other leaders across the country to advance care for people with bleeding disorders.

The Mid-Atlantic Region III consists of 16 HTCs in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. The Core Center works to ensure individuals with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders and their families have access to appropriate hematologic, genetic and other medical expertise and information in the context of a medical home model that provides family-centered, culturally sensitive, high-quality and comprehensive care.

As a Core Center, LVHN oversees the services provided by the Mid-Atlantic Region’s HTCs and collaborates with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) and the CDC to improve treatment and support for people with hemophilia and other inherited bleeding and clotting disorders. Mid-Atlantic Region HTCs are a valuable resource at the local, regional and national level for information about bleeding disorders.

Prior to being appointed as Regional Director, Dr. Hagstrom has been involved in the inaugural work to spread quality improvement across the nation's HTCs for over 10 years. He was also previously director of the UCONN HTC and chair of the Regional Executive Committee for New England.

If you or your child have hemophilia (factor VIII or IX deficiency) or a related bleeding condition such as Factor XI deficiency, von Willebrand disease (VWD), other factor deficiencies or a defect in platelet function, learn more about how you or your child may benefit from the care provided at the Hemophilia Treatment Center at LVH–Muhlenberg, now a Mid-Atlantic Region Core Center.