Sickle Cell Disease Association of America promoted Kevin Amado Jr. to community impact and engagement manager. Amado joined the association last year with 16 years of experience as a health educator, case manager, community health worker and certified health insurance navigator.

As community impact and engagement manager, Amado will develop and implement community health worker training programs and identify community resources for health workers, organizations and members of the sickle cell community. In addition, he will coordinate Sickle Cell Disease Association of America programs and efforts in communities nationwide.

“I hope to share my knowledge and experience with new up-and-coming community health workers. Throughout my years of working in the community, I have learned so much, not only through hands-on experience, but from those who came before me and passed on their wisdom to me,” Amado said. “I’m an advocate for the communities I serve, believing all have the right to self-advocacy, self-determination and self-actualization.”

Prior to joining the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Amado served as a case manager for Health Care Access Maryland’s Certified Navigator Connector Program. He was a community health worker with Healthy Howard and a senior health education specialist with the Virginia Department of Health. He has held other social services positions in Maryland and Virginia.

Amado holds a Master of Public Administration from University of Baltimore and a Bachelor of Science in community health education from Morgan State University. He lives in Baltimore.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disease causing red blood cells to take a sickle shape, which leads to blockages that prevent blood from reaching parts of the body. As a result, people with sickle cell complications can experience anemia, jaundice, gallstones, stroke, chronic pain, organ damage and premature death. No universal cure exists. (sicklecelldisease.net)

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America advocates for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empowers community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure. The association and more than 50 member organizations support sickle cell research, public and professional health education and patient and community services. (www.sicklecelldisease.org)