Honorees

DR. SCOTT T. MILLER

Dr. Scott T. Miller is an Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, former Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and attending physician at Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn. He joined the faculty at Downstate in 1981 and retired in 2018. Dr. Miller devoted much of his time at Downstate to clinical research and care related to sickle cell disease. He served as a local investigator for several multi-center studies, including the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD), a natural history study, and
BABY HUG, a randomized trial of the use of hydroxyurea in infants and young children;

Dr. Miller has been an enthusiastic prescriber of hydroyxurea, a chemotherapeutic agent that attenuates the clinical course of sickle cell disease, since the late 1990s. He authored more than 100 papers over the course of his career, including lead authorship of an oftcited paper in the New England Journal of Medicine, published in 2000 by the CSSCD, which demonstrated the prognostic importance of early clinical characteristics in predicting adverse outcomes later in childhood. In 2011, he was invited to write an article in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology, entitled “How I Treat Acute Chest Syndrome.”

Dr. Miller’s research and clinical knowledge developed with the support of two Chiefs preceding him, Dr. Audrey Brown and Dr. Sreedhar Rao, as well as numerous colleagues, including research/clinical coordinator Kathy Rey, nurses Veronica Jones and Lezlie Woods, and current Chief Dr. Yaoping Zhang. He is also very grateful for the wonderful patients and families who made work at Downstate such a rewarding experience.

Dr. Miller grew up near Cleveland, Ohio; graduated summa cum laude from Kenyon College and completed medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, a pediatric residency at Montefiore Hospital, and a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Cornell Medical Center/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Shortly after arriving at Downstate in 1981, he married Christina, a now retired librarian. Three children make Dr. Miller proud: Stephanie teaches in The Honors College at Oklahoma State University and lives in Stillwater with her husband Zelte; Scott is a fireman with the FDNY and married to Kate, an elementary school teacher; and Lizzy is a nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Miller thanks them all for their affection and support during his sometimes hectic career.

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 CLARICE REID, MD

Dr. Clarice Reid, former director of the National Institutes of Health’s Division of Blood Diseases and Resources, is a pediatrician with an extensive career in primary care, medical education and research administration. For twenty-five years, Dr. Reid administered the nation’s program of research on sickle cell disease which made far-reaching impacts on the understanding and treatment of sickle cell disease. Dr. Reid’s educational pathway began in the segregated elementary and high schools of Birmingham, Alabama in the 1930’s and 40’s followed by attending Talladega College, a prominent liberal arts historically Black college in Talladega, Alabama. After college she earned a degree in medical technology from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. followed by two years at Meharry’s School of Medicine. She completed her last two years of medical school at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1959. She was the third African-American graduate of the medical school. After completing pediatric training at the Jewish Hospital and Children’s Hospital Medical Center, she began her solopediatric practice in Cincinnati. Dr. Reid was very active in medical training, teaching and working in the “well-baby” clinics of the city and was appointed Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Jewish Hospital.

Dr. Reid relocated to the DC area in 1970 when her husband was appointed Deputy General Counsel in the
Office of Economic Opportunity. This move launched her career in the federal service, first as a medical consultant at the National Center for Family Planning, Health Services and Mental Health Administration and later as the Chief of the Sickle Cell Disease Program when she joined the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH. Under her leadership, the institute made many important advances in sickle cell disease research and hematology. This included preventing infections in infants and young children with sickle cell disease with prophylactic penicillin, describing the clinical course of sickle cell disease, using hydroxyurea to reduce painful episodes in adult sickle cell disease patients, and exploring the potential for transplantation with umbilical cord blood as a cure. Dr. Reid was an avid advocate for scientists conducting sickle cell disease research. In 1994, Dr. Reid was appointed Director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources and retired in 1998.

Dr. Reid has numerous honors and awards, both by the civic and scientific communities for her leadership
including the Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award, and the PHS Superior Service Award. The Clarice Reid Scientific Lecture is presented every year at the annual meeting of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA). In 1984, she was honored by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of “America’s 10 Leading Black Doctors.” Dr. Reid is featured as one of 300 Outstanding Women in Medicine as part of the National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit: “Changing the Face of Medicine: The Rise of America’s Women Physicians.” Her Oral History is recorded and archived in the Office of History at the National Institutes of Health. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Distinguished
Emeritus member of the American Society of Hematology.

Dr. Reid remains active and serves on the Board of the Gaston Porter Health Improvement Center and the Board of the American Bridge Association Foundation. Dr. Reid enjoys traveling, reading, mentoring, volunteering and competitive bridge, attaining the top rank of Grand Master in the American Bridge Association.

Dr. Reid is the proud mother of four accomplished children and loving grandmother of two. She is a member of the Links, Incorporated and a Golden Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

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NATALIE SOMMERVILLE-BROOKS RN, MSN, FNP-C

Natalie is currently a Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where she has been working since 2009. Natalie is a native of Jamaica, West Indies. She attended Ruseas High School. After high school, Natalie went on to become a Firefighter and an Emergency Medical Technician with the Jamaica Fire Department. Natalie obtained her Associate Degree in Nursing from Medgar Evers College; graduated Magna Cum Laude. She continued her nursing education and acquired a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Excelsior College. She later achieved her Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from Molloy College, Rockville Center, New York. At Brookdale Hospital Medical Center Natalie seeks to provide the highest quality care to her patients. She became a yearly volunteer camp nurse, accompanying sickle cell and oncology patients to Double H Ranch; an affiliation of SeriousFun camps located in Lake Luzerne, Albany, New York. Natalie’s whole hearted devotion to the sickle cell community led her to volunteer her services in the capacity of a registered nurse to help provide care to adult patients in the adult sickle cell clinic on Friday afternoons.

Additionally, Natalie and her team run a vibrant, grant funded monthly sickle cell support group for patients and their families at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center. Natalie is an active event planner for her department; leading her team in planning the department’s annual grand holiday party for over 300 patients and their family. Her event planning skills also extends to family fun days, symposiums, blood drives, seminars, and other hospital related events. She helps to provide opportunities for medical residents to be integrated into and interact with the surrounding community as part of their community rotation. She provides orientation for medical residents in the Hematology Oncology clinic and assists with research projects for which she received recognitions in their publications. Natalie collaborates with Community Based Organizations to provide speaking opportunities for sickle cell patients in schools and community events, in an effort to increase awareness of sickle cell disease.

Natalie is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Theta Tau. She is a proud member of Christian Cultural Center. Her altruism and dedication to humanitarian service have afforded her recognitions such as “Ambassador for Brookdale”. Her portrait is displayed along the corridors of Brookdale Hospital Medical Center as one of the “Faces of Brookdale” and, nonetheless this prestigious award for “Outstanding Service”.

Natalie and husband, Dr. Steve Brooks along with their three sons, Giovanni, Michael, and David reside in the historic Village of Valley Stream, Long Island.

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Gloria V. Moore

Gloria V. Moore is the Coordinator for the Pediatric Sickle Cell Program at Harlem Hospital.

She was also the Coordinator for the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Harlem Hospital-Columbia University with the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease; under the National Institute of Health. In her current role she works closely with all members of the staff to provide comprehensive care to the sickle cell patients. This care includes inpatient and newborn screening follow, coordination of all clinical services for sickle cell patients, the development and distribution of health education materials to staff, patients and community at large, gather statistics and coordinate research projects, organize seminars and workshops and assist with coordination of special projects such as holiday activities for patients, supervise volunteers and community outreach workers. She also coordinates the center’s exchange transfusion program, a part of the center’s stroke prevention initiative.

Prior to joining the Sickle Cell Center, Ms. Moore served as Clinical Nurse Specialist for PICU, NICU, and the High Risk Infant Center at Harlem Hospital. Other positions held include: Medical Utilization Review Analyst, Project Director, National Medical Association and National Council of Negro Women’s Immunization Project and Program Director for a Public Health Nutrition program for Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. Gloria received a Master’s Degree from Columbia University, a BS from Teacher’s College, Columbia University and completed her nursing education at Harlem Hospital School of Nursing.

She served an internship in public health in Jamaica, W.I. and certification in sickle cell trait counseling from Wayne State University, Howard University, Sickle Cell Foundation of New York and the National Association for Sickle Cell Disease in California.

Gloria has studied in Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia and presented papers on sickle cell disease at conferences in Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, St. Lucia, US Virgin Islands, Canada and the US. She has also had numerous articles published on sickle cell disease.
Gloria has received honors and recognition from any organizations including: International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Physicians Assistants, Community School District Three, DC 37 Health and Security Plan, National Institute of Health, National Council of Negro Women and Chi Eta Phi Sorority.

She was the founder and served as President and Vice President of International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Physicians Assistants, Founder of Black Nurses Association, member of Beta Chi Sorority, National Council of Negro Women, New York State Nurses for Political Action, SCAC and NAACP.

Dr. Muthu

Dr. Muthu has worked full time in sickle cell disease for 7 years. He is now promoted to Director of the Adult Sickle Cell Program at Kings County Hospital Center.

He is widely trained in medicine subspecialties which is of particular benefit in treating this multisystem disease. John Muthu MD is currently Principal Investigator for the Phase IB Dose-Escalation Study of SCD-101 in Sickle Cell Disease at Kings County Hospital. As of this date, the drug has shown to have no significant toxicity and the secondary outcome clinical measures of chronic bone pain and fatigue were zero in the higher dose cohorts, and red cell sickling was reduced partially in all subjects as early as 3 days after starting treatment. If the drug will be as non-toxic and as effective as it appears now, SCD-101 may become a breakthrough for sickle cell disease.

Dr. Muthu’s vision is to deliver a medical home model of patient-centered, continuity-based, primary/preventive/specialty-care, comprising out-patient, in-patient and consultation services, with staff available to the patient 24/7.

To achieve this he has the full support of Kings County Hospital with a partially self-funded, co-located clinic, day hospital and research lab, and 2 clinical staff positions which are funded permanently by the New York City Council. The team includes experienced research coordinator and research collaborator.

As a team, the Adult Sickle Cell Program has achieved decreased emergency room visits and decreased admissions due to Day Hospital treatment of mild/moderate painful crises and outpatient transfusions and high patient satisfaction due to high-quality personalized continuity-based patient care.