Dr. Jerry Holmberg Recipient of AABB President’s Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: OPHS Public Affairs |
The efforts of a Federal official responsible for helping ensure the safety and quality of the nation’s blood supply has been formally recognized by AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks).
Dr. Jerry Holmberg, Senior Advisor for Blood Policy in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has been named a recipient of AABB’s prestigious President’s Award.
The AABB’s President’s Award recognizes extraordinary service and contributions by individuals and organizations in the health care arena.
In particular, the AABB Award will recognize Dr. Holmberg’s leadership in championing the United States Biovigilance Network, the first and only collaboration between government and other agencies focused on tracking and analyzing adverse reactions and incidents associated with blood collection and transfusion as well as organ and cell donation and transplantation.
Dr. Holmberg is also the Executive Secretary for the HHS Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability. He has more than 35 years in all areas of laboratory medicine with a concentration on blood bank operations, education, and policies. In that capacity, he has made multiple blood transfusion and transplantation policy and program recommendations to the HHS Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health.
“Dr. Holmberg’s receipt of the AABB President’s Award reflects the many contributions he has made to the field of blood safety, and his exemplary leadership, over a period of years,” Assistant U.S. Secretary of Health Howard Koh, MD, MPH said. “I commend AABB for its recognition of Dr. Holmberg and his work.”
Dr. Matthew Kuehnert, Director of Blood, Organ, and Other Tissue Safety, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the second HHS recipient of this award also for championing Biovigilance surveillance activities in the United States.
Drs. Holmberg and Kuehnert are among three recipients of the President’s Award this year; D. Michael Strong, PhD, MT(ASCP), a former AABB president and current chair of the AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Biovigilance, will also receive the award..
Together, these awardees have shared and driven the vision for Biovigilance in the United States. The President’s Award will be presented to the honorees during AABB’s Annual Meeting and TXPO scheduled October 24-27 in New Orleans.
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