The Doctor John Akabutu Centre for Bleeding Disorders
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Last update 12 Dec 2008
The Doctor John Akabutu Centre for Bleeding Disorders began
in 1978, as the Northern Alberta Comprehensive Hemophilia Clinic,
following an announcement by the Minister of Health, Gordon
Miniely, at a symposium held in Edmotnon at the end of 1977.
This meeting was organized by the Alberta Chapter of the Canadian
Hemophilia Society under the leadership of Ken Poyser, the head of
pediatric hematology Dr. John Akabutu and their
medical consultant, Dr. Garner King. The clinic was
charged with the task of providing high quality comprehensive care for
people with hemophilia, providing education to families and treaters of
hemophilia, and performing research. In 2004, the clinic was renamed
the Doctor John Akabutu Centre for Bleeding Disorders to recognized Dr.
Akabutu's work to establish comprehensive hemophilia care in Edmonton.
In 2008 we celebrated 30 years of comprehenisve care and home
treatment, with a dinner and celebration at the Coast Edmonton Plaza in
Edmonton. Dr. Peter Levine, and the Honourable Gordon Miniely,
who had been instrumental in the development fo the original clinic,
joined with guest appearances by video link to congratulate
us.
Dr. Levine published a series of landmark papers in the 1970s on
home treatment of hemophilia, and comprehensive care of hemophilia.
Dr. Peter Levine wasthe keynote speaker, describing his
results with comprehensive care,
including home infsuion of clotting concentrates for hemophlia, as
described in his landmark
paper in the New England Journal of Medicine (Levine PH. Efficacy of
self-therapy in hemophilia. A study of 72 patients with hemophilia A
and B. New England Journal of Medicine. 291(26):1381-4, 1974).
A follow-up paper in the Archives of Internal Medicine in
1976 described comprehensive treatment of young men with hemophilia in
the New England Area Hemophilia Center. These papers established the
effectiveness, cost-savings, and improved quality of life provided by
comprehensive care. He attended
the 1977 Canadian Hemophilia Society sponsored meeting in Edmonton that
established
hemophlia clinics in Alberta. in 2008, Dr. Levine spoke to us
from the Dr. Peter Levine Comprehensive Cancer Treatment centre, named
in honour of his
work to establish hematology/oncology comprehensive care clinics
throughout the New England area.
Gordon Miniely was the Minister of Health and provinicial treasurer in
the provinical government led by Peter Lougheed in the 1970s. Gordon
met with the CHS Alberta president, and his former colleague, Ken
Poyser and Dr. Garner King in 1976 and 1977 to work out the funding for
the clinic. He announced the funding of comprehensive care at the same
1977 CHS Alberta meeting attended by Dr. Levine.
On Dec 12, 2008, Ken Poyser was made a member of the Order of
Canada by Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Michelle Jean, in honour
of his work with hemophilia in Edmonton, Canada, and the world.
Ken has been president of the Alberta chapter of the Canadian
Hemophlia Society, president and board member of the national Canadian
Hemophilia Society, chairman of the board ofthe Million Dollar club of
the national CHS, and Treasurer of the World Federation of Hemophilia,
based in Montreal.
We were honored to have the honourable Mr. Miniely and Dr. Peter Levine
join us for our 30th anniversary.