CMEList is proud to partner with mission-driven non-profits like Pathways To Trust whose CME courses provide clinical understanding of complex conditions like sickle cell disease. We are committed to expanding access to education that is meaningful and empathy-driven, which is why CMEList is honored to feature Pathways To Trust and the important work they do.
Why Sickle Cell Awareness Must Become Action
September is Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. What would life be like for patients with Sickle Cell Disease if the healthcare system, policymakers, and society really understood what it means to be an SCD warrior?
If primary care physicians understood that SCD is a complicated, multi-system disease, maybe they would manage these patients’ health more proactively to slow inevitable organ damage. Maybe they would recognize that when they see a patient with a vaso-occlusive crisis, it is more than agonizing pain – it’s a life-threatening emergency.
If nurses realized, as they watch another SCD warrior play a video game on their phone, that just because their patient is not visibly distressed doesn’t mean they are not in serious pain, they might express more comfort and emotional support.
If Emergency Department providers knew that SCD warriors in crisis who request opioids are not drug seekers, maybe they would treat them more quickly, more compassionately, and more appropriately in order to save their lives and prevent long-term damage to all organ systems.
If EMS staff recognized that delays in care lead to serious and chronic complications, maybe they would be more mindful of how they present the patients they are delivering to the Emergency Department. Their words and attitudes set the scene for how these people are treated.
That is why awareness is important. Awareness creates change. Education creates awareness.
Pathways To Trust: Re-Imagining Pain Through Art
This September, Pathways To Trust is raising awareness by sharing Re-Imagining Pain Through Art in partnership with Show Up and Show Out for Sickle Cell in Shreveport, Louisiana. This traveling, digital exhibition gives people living with rare and chronic diseases, especially Sickle Cell Disease, a powerful way to share their stories about managing their condition, transcending their pain, and triumphing to live their best lives.
From September 15-17 and September 22-25, 2026, Re-Imagining Pain Through Art will be on display at the Pamoja Multicultural Art Center, 3806 Linwood Avenue, Shreveport, Louisiana, from 1 pm to 4 pm. On September 30, there will be a closing reception from 5 to 7 pm featuring an auction of art created by Crystal Woodford.
Along with the art exhibit, Pathways To Trust is highlighting our Continuing Medical Education course, Stop the Cycle: Preventing Crises and Complications in Sickle Cell Disease. We believe that seeing the patient perspective through their art will inspire providers to increase their knowledge of this disease and the challenges patients face. This course will offer practical strategies to improve clinical decision-making, reduce bias, and create a more informed, compassionate patient experience.
This September, Pathways To Trust wants to move beyond awareness to listen to people living with sickle cell disease, to challenge the biases that stand between patients and appropriate care, and to encourage healthcare professionals to equip themselves with the knowledge they need to recognize, treat, and respect the complexity of this disease.