Sims to Represent Association of Family Cord Blood Banks
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Family Cord Blood Services, a
subsidiary of California Cryobank, today announced that its co-founder and
medical director Charles A. Sims, MD, has been appointed to the Department
of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
(ACBSCT). Through his appointment, Dr. Sims will represent the Association
of Family Cord Blood Banks (AFCBB), an organization representing the family
cord blood banking industry that advocates matters of public policy,
regulation and the development of industry standards by accrediting
organizations.
Established to advise the Secretary of HHS and Administrator of HRSA on
activities of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and the
National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI) Program, the ACBSCT is composed of 23
members serving as Special Government Employees. In addition to Dr. Sims,
members include representatives of marrow donor centers and marrow
transplant centers, recipients of bone marrow transplant and cord blood
transplant, hematology and transfusion medicine researchers with expertise
in adult blood stem cell, and members of the general public.
Dr. Sims is a board certified pathologist, laboratory director and has
served as chief of pathology at Century City Hospital, Los Angeles. He has
a broad understanding of cord blood banking and sperm bank development and
operations. Prior to founding Family Cord Blood Services and California
Cryobank, he served as laboratory director of a large national independent
referral laboratory, and was the founder of Quantum Clinical Laboratories,
Inc. Dr. Sims earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University and is
certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomical and Clinical
Pathology. He is also a member of numerous professional organizations
including the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Society for
Cryobiology, The American Association for Advancement of Science, College
of American Pathologist (Fellow) and American Society of Clinical
Pathologist (Fellow).
"I am honored to join the ACBSCT and to represent the AFCBB," says Dr.
Sims. "On behalf of the AFCBB, we are excited about the recent advancements
in cord blood stem cell medicine and are eager to further educate both
expectant parents and physicians about the benefits of cord blood banking."
Dr. Sims' term is scheduled to continue through January 2010.
The first ACBSCT meeting will be held January 28 and 29 at the Hilton
Washington DC/Rockville Executive Meeting Center, 1750 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, MD 20852. The meeting will be open to the public; however
seating is limited and pre-registration is encouraged. A registration form
is available on the HRSA's Program Web site at
http://bloodcell.transplant.hrsa.gov/.
Association of Family Cord Blood Banks
The Association of Family Cord Blood Banks (AFCBB), an organization
representing the family (private) cord blood banking industry, serves as
the voice and advocate in matters of public policy, regulation and in the
development of standards by accrediting organizations. The association
believes that the foundation of public and private cord blood banking rests
upon education of both expectant parents and physicians and upon informed
consent. The organization aims to promote education of expectant parents;
support the development of a strong system of public cord blood banks to
make cord blood stem cell transplants available to all who need them;
support cord blood stem cell research and to realize its promise in
regenerative medicine; foster the adoption of ethical and responsible
business practices by its members; and encourage voluntary accreditation of
private cord blood banks. The AFCBB requires its members to comply with all
applicable governmental agencies and to be accredited by the AABB, FACT or
an equivalent and recognized accrediting organization. The association's
Web site is http://www.afcbb.org/.
California Cryobank
Founded in 1977, California Cryobank Inc. (CCB) is a full service sperm
bank and offers the industry's largest and most diverse donor catalog,
including open donors. Accredited by the American Association of Tissue
Banks, CCB is also licensed in every state where required, including New
York and California; licensed by Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments; and in full compliance with all relevant Food and Drug
Administration regulatory requirements. CCB is the only sperm bank to offer
a Sibling Registry, and a reputation for quality and caring has made it one
of the foremost reproductive tissue banks in the world.
Founded in 1997, Family Cord Blood Services (FCBS), a subsidiary of
California Cryobank, Inc., is an umbilical cord blood processing and
repository company. FCBS is accredited by the American Association of Blood
Banks and offers stem cell processing and storage for families throughout
the United States and worldwide. The Web site is
http://www.familycordbloodservices.com.
SOURCE Family Cord Blood Services
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Related links:
http://www.familycordbloodservices.com
CONTACT:
Tanya Peebles, +1-213-369-7746,
media@familycordbloodservices.com, or Erin Mayer,
+1-310-496-5693, emayer@familycordbloodservices.com, both of
Family Cord Blood Services
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