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Our Staff & Board of Directors

 

 

Melissa Compton, Executive Director

Melissa has been involved with the Lone Star Bleeding Disorders Foundation since learning her son has hemophilia in 2003. She began volunteering, and has served as Hemophilia Walk Manager and Program Coordinator before becoming Executive Director. Melissa graduated from Texas A&M University, where she met her husband Brian. She and Brian have two children, son Kyle, and daughter Sarah. She is thrilled to be serving the bleeding disorders community of Texas.

 

 

Heidi Hensley, Director of Community Relations

Heidi has worked for the Lone Star Bleeding Disorders Foundation since 2008. She is privileged to serve such an amazing community! It is important to her to raise awareness for the bleeding disorders community as well as help provide families with education, support and advocacy. Heidi graduated from Texas A&M University. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have four children. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and playing tennis.

Kelley O’Hara, Outreach and Education Coordinator

Kelley has been involved with the Lone Star Bleeding Disorders Foundation since her son’s hemophilia diagnosis in 2000. She became involved with the First Step program helping newly diagnosed families and served on the board as a trustee. Kelley graduated from Texas A&M University with a psychology degree then became a nurse as a second career. She is married to Ryan and they have a blended family of five children. She is excited to be back involved with the bleeding disorder community.

Tara Kosh, Development Manager

We are excited to welcome Tara Kosh to our staff as Development Manager! More to come on Tara soon!

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors for the Lone Star Bleeding Disorders Foundation is the governing body. The Board, along with its advisors, meets bi-monthly to discuss governing and programmatic issues for the organization.

  • Amanda Wolgamott, President
  • Allison Pohl, 1st Vice President
  • Dan Bond, 2nd Vice President
  • Aaron Gonzalez, Treasurer
  • Heather Pohl, Secretary
  • Gail Boggs, Trustee
  • Celia Patino, Trustee
  • Juan Guzman, Trustee
  • James Setliff, Trustee
  • Laura Portales, Trustee
  • Donna Oldfield, PT, Gulf States HTC, Treatment Center Advisor
  • Trinh Nguyen Texas Children’s Comprehensive HTC, Treatment Center Advisor
  • Madi Boggs, Teen Advisor

News from HFA

  • Word from Washington: May 2023

    Lawmakers in May devoted close attention to the role that pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) play in our health care system.  PBMs are middlemen that create and administer drug formularies on behalf of health insurers, self-insured employers, Medicaid, and other payers. PBMs choose which drugs a plan will cover, negotiate drug prices on behalf of payers, The post Word from Washington: May 2023 appeared first on Hemophilia Federation of America.

  • Pfizer Announces Positive Results from Hemophilia A and B Trial

    Pfizer Inc. today announced their Phase 3 BASIS clinical trial evaluating marstacimab has met its primary endpoints, having demonstrated statically significant and clinically meaningful effects. Marstacimab, a novel, investigational anti-tissue factor pathway inhibitor (anti-TFPI) being studied for the treatment of hemophilia A or B for people without inhibitors to Factor VIII (FVIII) or Factor IX The post Pfizer Announces Positive Results from Hemophilia A and B Trial appeared first on Hemophilia Federation of America.

  • FDA Finalizes Blood Donor Eligibility Guidance

    On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released final guidance providing recommendations for evaluating blood and plasma donor eligibility using individual risk-based questions. Consistent with FDA’s January 2023 proposed guidance, the final guidance eliminates time-based donation deferrals and screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have The post FDA Finalizes Blood Donor Eligibility Guidance appeared first on Hemophilia Federation of America.

  • FDA issues response to Novo Nordisk’s request for concizumab approval

    Recently Novo Nordisk received a Complete Response Letter from the Food and Drug Administration for concizumab. Concizumab was submitted for regulatory approval in the U.S. for the treatment of hemophilia A and B with inhibitors in August 2022. In the letter, the FDA requested additional information related to the monitoring and dosing of patients to The post FDA issues response to Novo Nordisk’s request for concizumab approval appeared first on Hemophilia Federation of America.

  • The HELP Copays Act moves forward – now in the Senate as well as in the House 

    Protections for people who rely on copay assistance have been a top priority for HFA and many other patient groups for several years. That effort took a big step forward in April with the introduction of a first-ever Senate version (S. 1375) of the HELP Copays Act.   Sponsored by Sens. Kaine, Marshall, Markey, and Ernst, The post The HELP Copays Act moves forward – now in the Senate as well as in the House  appeared first on Hemophilia Federation of America.