Page 2 - HFA Dateline 2021 Q2 Summer

HI FRIENDS,

I hope you all have had a wonderful summer! One of my favorite parts of summer is enjoying time
outdoors, and I’ve been able to continue gardening in my backyard garden, as well as take lots of
walks around my neighborhood. I even had the chance to go backpacking with my husband for three
days in the Olympic National Park. Even with a bleeding disorder, there are so many great ways to
enjoy the outdoors! As we head back into the school season, I hope your family was able to cherish its
summer memories but also look forward to getting back into the school routine.

Have you had a chance to check out our new HFA Hero membership program? I hope that you and
your family will join HFA and become official HFA Heroes. All memberships directly support our
Helping Hands program, which, as you know, is one of the core support programs that HFA offers. We
can all be heroes of the bleeding disorders community! (Learn more on page 4.)

We have officially launched registration for Symposium 2021, and I hope you’ll register today! Our
team is planning exciting and informative sessions to take place online October
18–28. Registration is free. Join today at www.hfasymposium.org, and
stay tuned for more information about speakers, session topics
and a final night event you will not want to miss!

If you recall my last Executive Corner, you know that HFA
was awarded the 2021 Gold Bell Seal for Workplace
Mental Health by Mental Health America (MHA). I
am extremely pleased to announce that MHA has
updated our status, and we have now officially been
awarded the 2021 Platinum Bell Seal. This first-
of-its kind workplace mental health certification
recognizes employers who strive to create mentally
healthy workplaces for their employees. After
receiving the Gold Seal, HFA staff worked to address
the areas MHA noted as lacking, leading to our
Platinum level seal and further demonstrating our
dedication to the well-being of our HFA employees.
Learn more about this honor on page 10.

Also in this issue are a couple of features that show how
community members are connecting and educating people
inside and out of the bleeding disorders community. On page 20,
you’ll hear about Sushant Sharma Bhattarai, who is learning how to use
documentary-style video to shine a light on families with bleeding disorders
from around the world. On page 28, read about the new HFA podcast for young adults, The BloodFlow,
launched by an HFA 2020 summer intern.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Dateline Federation. As always, if you have questions about anything
included within these pages, please reach out to the HFA team. We are here to support you!
Allie Ritcey

Chair, HFA Board of Directors

2 DATELINE FEDERATION < www.hemophiliafed.org