EHA

Today, EHA – with over 3200 active members from 95 countries – is a consolidated organization that pursues a large and growing number of projects and programs. An Executive Board and Councilors elected by the membership form the governmental body and are responsible for the strategy and organization of the Association.

CORE VALUES OF THE EUROPEAN HEMATOLOGY ASSOCIATION

1. Promote scientific research in hematology
2. Promote education and training in hematology
3. Promote optimal clinical care in hematology
4. Advance the exchange and dissemination of knowledge and scientific information in hematology
5. Advance the position of hematology as a medical discipline in Europe

MAIN ACTIVITIES

EHA ANNUAL CONGRESS

An annual congress is organized in a major European city every June. Over the years the congress has become the leading meeting place for hematologists in all fields of this specialty in Europe. The congress program includes sessions on clinical, laboratory, and oncological hematology, as well as hemostasis and transfusion medicine.

The topics range from stem cell physiology and development to leukemia, lymphoma, diagnosis and treatment, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelet disorders, hemophilia and myeloma, thrombosis and bleeding disorders, transfusion and stem cell transplantation. The program includes basic and translational science, clinical trials, diagnostic techniques, a major education program and ethical and regulatory issues. Last years congress welcomed over 6.500 participants.

Webcasts, and vodcasts of the Education Sessions, José Carreras Lecture, Presidential Symposium, EHA-ASH Joint Symposium, and the Plenary Sessions are open to all EHA members and to participants of the 14th Congress in Berlin. To access the webcasts and vodcasts check www.ehaweb.org and insert your invitation code, which is to be found on the back of the congress badge.

“HAEMATOLOGICA/THE HEMATOLOGY JOURNAL”

Haematologica/The Hematology Journal is the scientific journal of EHA. The journal aims to serve the scientific community by stimulating and promoting basic and clinical research on hematological disorders. It publishes editorials, perspectives, research papers, papers on decision-making and problemsolving, review articles, brief reports and scientific letters. The current Impact Factor of the journal is 5.516.

Haematologica/The Hematology Journal has also developed a monthly CME program for distance learning in clinical hematology. This on-line CME program has been approved by the EHA CME System. Three examinations are available each month. Users of the program can earn one credit point for each examination they pass for a total of a maximum of 36 credit points per year

EHA FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

A substantial amount of EHA’s annual budget is reserved for the EHA Fellowship Program. The aim of the program is to promote European hematological research and in particular to support junior basic and clinical researchers in the development of their careers. Each grant covers a two-year period and mainly provides support for salaries, and may also be used for supplies, small equipment and travel necessary for the project. An international Fellowships and Grants Selection Committee reviews all applications.

The program includes EHA Research Fellowship, the long established EHA – José Carreras Young Investigator Fellowship and the EHA Partner Fellowship.

EHA-ASH RESEARCH EXCHANGE AWARD

The EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award is being offered in partnership with the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to provide hematologists in training or early in their careers the opportunity to conduct research in another country.

The intent of the program is to give both clinical and laboratory-based researchers an opportunity to establish new collaborations and experience research in a different environment.

This program will benefit not only the individual participants, but also each host institution, as it will build stronger ties between the North American and European scientific community.

EHA EDUCATION

Educational issues related to the pan-European harmonization of specialty training and high quality continuing professional development, are of primary importance for the future of European hematology. An overview of these educational projects is available on the next pages.

EHA CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION

Continuing Medical Education (CME) is widely accepted as a means to encourage individual practitioners in hematology to maintain and develop their professional knowledge and skills. EHA-CME accreditation is developed to maintain and improve the quality and independence of CME across Europe through a peer-reviewed accreditation process.

EHA-ESH SCIENTIFIC WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS

EHA and the European School of Haematology (ESH) offer hematologists opportunities for high level continuing education.

EHA-ESH Scientific Workshops are intended to promote informal interaction and discussion between scientists and clinicians working in the field. Participants are encouraged to contribute to the workshop by submitting an abstract which may be selected for either a poster or a short oral presentation.

Hematology Tutorials are annual courses aiming to provide laboratory and clinical hematologists with an integrated diagnostic and clinical work-up of hematological disorders. The scientific program takes the participants through the diagnostic and clinical pathway with plenary lectures, interactively conducted clinical case study sessions and self-assessment sessions. In 2009 one workshop and two tutorials will be organized. All ESH-EHA scientific workshops and tutorials are accredited by the EHA-CME system.

EHA HEMATOLOGY CURRICULUM-PASSPORT & H-NET

The EHA Hematology Curriculum-Passport is a set of recommendations for a harmonized basic curriculum for the specialty training of hematologists throughout Europe. In 2008, EHA received a three year grant from the European Commission to the H-Net project, a network of European national and international organizations of hematology and education. H-Net will utilize the Curriculum-Passport to determine variations in competences across Europe which will allow individuals and national societies and H-Net itself to target competence gaps. H-Net will also develop the online Hematology Portfolio which is unique in its potential to grow into the educational and professional network of hematologists in Europe. In addition, H-Net will facilitate an open discussion between hematologists, educators, and national and European policy decision makers to commit to the harmonization of the European hematology curriculum./p>

EHA TRAINING ON-LINE (EHATOL)

EHATol is a distance learning tool designed to provide an easily accessible and constantly updated environment for training, education, and CME for scientists and clinicians involved in the field of hematology. It is an online platform which currently offers clinical cases and an online self-assessment system./p>

Users of the EHATol platform may earn up to 20 CME credit points per year by correctly completing the self-evaluation tests. Five new tests are made available every three months. Each self-evaluation test is comprised of six multiple choice questions. Users are given three attempts to respond correctly to all six questions in order to earn one CME credit point.

More than 4000 users from 60 different countries have already updated their knowledge using EHATol platform.

EHA PODCASTING (NEW!)

EHA is launching a new project in developing and publishing regular EHA Podcasts. Podcasts are, in essence, radio programs that are available through the internet. EHA podcasts can be downloaded on a variety of platforms (personal computer, iPod, other mp3 player, or cell phone) and thus can be played back at any time and anywhere. The content of the podcasts will be developed along the lines of the following sections: Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Leukemia and Molecular Hematology, Translational Hematology and Transplantation and Hemato-oncology. Additionally, such sections as Red Cells and Transfusion will be added to EHA podcasts in the future.

Each section may include a summary of the most important articles in the hematological and scientific literature with critiques by an expert, “state-of the art” lectures, “how I treat” discussions, “management dilemmas/clinical tips” discussions, case based CPC discussions.

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH TRAINING IN HEMATOLOGY

In March 2010, the Translational Research Training in Hematology (TRTH) award program will be established. This unique program, which is a new collaboration between EHA and ASH, offers personalized training in translational hematology research and unique opportunities for networking and mentoring.

The first one-week course will be held in southern Europe. The program has a focus on translational research (e.g., pathogenesis, diagnostics, and experimental treatment of hematologic disorders) and will include specific scientific methodology adapted to the needs of participants as well as more general subjects with relevance for planning and pursuing a project.

Detailed information on the application is available on the EHA and ASH websites. Call for applications will be posted on the EHA website as of June 15, 2009. Submissions and all relevant materials must be received by September 15, 2009. All applications must be submitted electronically using the form found on the Awards section at the EHA website: www.ehaweb.org. Please send completed applications to training@ehaweb.org. A study section will review applications, and winners will be notified by December 1, 2009.

EHA MEMBERSHIP

Benefits of EHA membership

• Subscription to Haematologica/The Hematology Journal, including on-line access
• Reduced registration fee for the EHA Congress
• Eligible for the EHA Research Fellowship Program
• Eligible to nominate candidates and vote for new councilors on the board
• EHA Newsletter
• Access to EHA membership database
• Access to webcast sessions of the EHA Annual Congress

EHA CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

ISponsor contributions are used both to improve current activities of EHA and to launch new development programs. An important example of the latter is the EHA Fellowships Program and EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award. Another aspect is the extended EHA Education Program with several new courses planned for the coming years.

EHA continuously strives to strengthen the relations with its sponsors. Individual discussions with each sponsor take place annually. These have allowed a new sponsor policy to be established and different sponsorship levels are now based on the total amount contributed by sponsors to the EHA corporate sponsorship program. This policy includes a priority point system which clearly differentiates priorities.

Every year a prospectus edition is published. This prospectus can be obtained from the Executive Office upon request and is available on the website. EHA believes that a creative collaboration between professional organizations and their industrial partners is essential for positive development in any field of medicine. Therefore EHA welcomes further discussions and exchange of ideas.