Every year at the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation’s (NBDF) annual Bleeding Disorders Conference, NBDF presents Awards of Excellence to those who have made significant contributions to the inheritable blood and bleeding disorders community.
The following award recipients were honored at the 2024 Awards of Excellence ceremony in Atlanta.
Ryan White Youth Award
Gabi Flores
St. Louis, Missouri
Diagnosed with qualitative platelet dysfunction at 14, Gabi Flores was inspired to become deeply involved in the bleeding disorders community and pursue a degree in political science to focus on health care policy. They are now active in state and federal legislation, having helped pass laws on copay accumulators and step therapy. They reflect on their journey with gratitude for the strengths it has revealed.
Advocate of the Year
Kate Bazinsky
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Kate Reinhalter Bazinsky has over two decades of experience in health policy and advocacy, and became a passionate advocate for the bleeding disorders community after her son was diagnosed with severe hemophilia A. She co-founded and chairs the Bleeding Disorders Substance Use & Mental Health Access Coalition, working to ensure equitable access to treatment for individuals with bleeding disorders.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Tarantino, M.D.
Peoria, Illinois
Tarantino is a board-certified pediatric hematologist/oncologist with over 30 years of experience and serves as a professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria. A national and international leader in bleeding and clotting disorders, he has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized for his advocacy and contributions to the field, including awards from the NBDF.
Physician of the Year
Mark Reding, M.D.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Reding is the director of the Center for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders and a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, where he has been a faculty member since 1999. He has received multiple awards for his clinical excellence and mentorship, and he is also involved in research on immune responses to factor VIII.
Chapter Volunteer of the Year
In Memory of Joey Smiles
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Joey's warmth, resilience, and dedication made him a beloved presence at every advocacy event and a cherished member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Bleeding Disorders Foundation. As a devoted board member and natural teacher, he shared his experiences to uplift others, inspiring the community with his courage and compassion. Joey passed away unexpectedly on April 22, 2024, but his legacy of strength, advocacy, and kindness will continue to resonate within our hearts.
Lived Experience Expert of the Year
Sammie Valadez
Peru, Illinois
Valadez, a respected expert in inheritable bleeding disorders, has von Willebrand disease and is a devoted mother to children with bleeding disorders. She co-chairs the Lived Experience Experts Working Group for the National Research Blueprint and is board president of the Bleeding Disorders Alliance of Illinois, reflecting her deep commitment to improving lives within the bleeding disorders community.
Physical Therapist of the Year
Jennifer Newman, PT, MSPT
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Newman, a physical therapist with a master’s from Ithaca College, has been with the UNC Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center since 2011, expanding her role from part time to full time. She is involved in research, advocacy, and various projects at the center and actively participates in multiple professional organizations and committees related to bleeding disorders.
Social Worker of the Year
Kathaleen Schnur, MSW, LCSW
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Schnur has a decade of experience from the Hemophilia Center of Western PA, where she addresses social work issues at multiple levels and collaborates with national groups to develop educational initiatives. As the NBDF Social Work Working Group chair and a recent member of the World Federation of Hemophilia Psychosocial Committee, she is dedicated to empowering individuals and advocating for change in the field of bleeding disorders.
Mary M. Gooley Humanitarian of the Year
Craig Hooper, Ph.D.
Atlanta, Georgia
After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Hooper joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Host Factors, now known as the Division of Blood Disorders, where he directed the laboratories and later served as division director from 2015 to 202.
Philanthropists of the Year
Scott and Kim Martin
Houston, Texas
Private investors Scott and Kim Martin have dedicated their efforts to improving the lives of those with bleeding disorders, inspired by their son with severe hemophilia. Scott, who is a former chair of the NBDF board and co-founded Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals and Martin Midstream Partners, serves on multiple nonprofit and corporate boards.
Nurse of the Year
Donna Cardi, RN, BSN
New York City
Cardi began her nursing career in 1975 at the New York Hospital’s neonatal ICU, where she spent 19 years and earned distinctions including senior staff nurse and head nurse. In 1993, she transitioned to the hemophilia treatment center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, where she spent 31 years as a clinical nurse coordinator, making significant contributions to patient care, education, and research in pediatric hematology and oncology.
Dr. Murray Thelin Researcher of the Year
Paul Monahan, M.D.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Monahan, executive director of hematology research and development at CSL Behring, has led gene therapy clinical development for hemophilia A and B across several companies, culminating in the global approval of the first licensed gene therapy for hemophilia in 2022 and 2023. Prior to his industry work, Monahan was a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, where he treated children with bleeding disorders for over 20 years.
Genetic Counselor of the Year
Hannah Helber, MS, CGC
Houston, Texas
Helber is a certified genetic counselor at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, where she specializes in hereditary hematologic disorders. A graduate of The Ohio State University and Baylor's Genetic Counseling Program, she is dedicated to counseling and educating families affected by bleeding disorders through her work with the multidisciplinary hemophilia treatment centers clinic.
Ziggy Douglas Award for Innovation in Youth Programming
Jeremy Griffin
New York, New York
Griffin is the executive director of the New York City Hemophilia Chapter, where he has been working since 2016. He is known for his work in building engaged patient communities and is particularly proud of co-developing the TORCH (Teen Opportunities and Resources for Community Health) Teen Retreat.