Awards and Recognition
Recognizing Excellence: The 2025-2026 Joe Pugliese Educational Award Recipients
We are proud to announce the distinguished recipients of the 2025-2026 Hemophilia Alliance Joe Pugliese Educational Award! This highly competitive scholarship is designed to support members of the bleeding disorders community in achieving their academic dreams. After a rigorous selection process, four outstanding individuals have been awarded $12,500 each to support their educational journeys. This award, established by the Hemophilia Alliance and the Hemophilia Alliance Foundation, is named in honor of Joe Pugliese, a tireless advocate for the bleeding disorders community, this scholarship recognizes the dedication, resilience, and aspirations of those it serves.
Funding for this year’s scholarships was provided by the Hemophilia Alliance and The Alliance Pharmacy.
Anthony Yazurlo
Anthony is a 2025 graduate of De La Salle High School in Concord, CA, where he distinguished himself as a member of the National Honor Society, a STEM tutor, and a student leader. Recognized for his strong work ethic and academic excellence, Anthony has a deep interest in numbers and a growing passion for analytics. He also plays the trumpet and enjoys exploring the intersection of data and decision-making.
Anthony is followed at the UCSF HTC and has been active in the bleeding disorders community, including presenting at an HTC symposium and volunteering as a counselor at the bleeding disorders camp.
He will begin his collegiate work in the fall with a major in Business and Analytics. He plans to continue his engagement in the bleeding disorders community and hopes that his education will enable him to help the community in the future.
Christopher Ambrosio
Christopher is a rising senior at Kings College, where he is set to earn his Bachelor of Science in Medical studies and his Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. He is consistently on the Dean’s List. He has been inspired by the care he receives from the HTC team and wants to pay it forward by providing compassionate care to patients as a Physician Assistant.
He is followed at the Northwell Health HTC and has been active in fundraising, education, and outreach regarding bleeding disorders since he was 12 years old. He also is active in advocacy with the NY State Legislature and plans to continue an active role in these activities.
With all his work and accomplishments, Christopher finds time to serve as a volunteer fire fighter in his hometown.
Brian Duval
Brian is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health at Vanderbilt University. He brings extensive advocacy experience within the bleeding disorders community, having volunteered with multiple Bleeding Disorder Chapters including Minnesota/Dakotas, Tennessee, and the Capital Area, with a particular focus on policy issues such as co-pay accumulator reform.
His professional background includes work with the Hemophilia Federation of America, serving as a staff assistant at the Artemis Policy Group, and working as policy manager for the International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis. He has also volunteered at a free clinic, assisting clients with applications for patient assistance programs.
As someone living with a bleeding disorder, Brian has a personal connection to his work. He is dedicated to using his education at Vanderbilt to strengthen his advocacy and leadership skills so he can be a valuable resource for individuals with chronic health conditions.
Amber Cranfill
Amber is a non-traditional student with over 20 years of experience as a registered nurse, including caring for children with bleeding disorders. She currently serves as a nurse educator. Amber and her children are followed at the Gulf States HTC. Her son has hemophilia, and her daughter is a carrier.
As a woman with a bleeding disorder who endured a long and difficult journey to diagnosis, Amber is deeply committed to improving the quality of life for other women facing similar challenges. Her personal experiences have shaped her beyond her career as a nurse — they have made her a lifelong advocate.
She has volunteered with her local bleeding disorders chapter and has been an active advocate at both the state and federal levels. Before pursuing her own educational goals, Amber focused on ensuring that her children’s needs were met.
Now enrolled in the RN-to-BSN Bridge Program at the University of Texas at Arlington, Amber plans to become a nurse practitioner. Her goal is to train nurses to deliver compassionate and competent care while also advocating for critical policy changes. Amber brings her lived experience to this mission, hoping to give back to the bleeding disorders community — for her children, her patients, and for those whose voices are not yet heard.
Celebrating Collaboration: Hemophilia Alliance awarded BDA of South Carolina’s 2024-2025 Appreciation and Partnership Award
by Jennifer Borrillo, Senior Vice President of Member and Community Relations
On April 17, 2025, Sue Martin, Executive Director of the Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina (BDASC), informed Jeff Blake and Jennifer Borrillo that BDASC had chosen the Hemophilia Alliance as the recipient of BDASC’s 2024-2025 Appreciation and Partnership Award of the Year. Jennifer Borrillo, Senior Vice President of Member & Community Relations, had the distinct honor and pleasure of accepting the award in person on behalf of the Hemophilia Alliance at BDASC’s 52nd Annual HELLO Meeting on Friday, June 6, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina’s HELLO Annual Meeting and Bleeding Disorders Conference had 176 registered attendees and remained focused on their mission to engage, educate, empower, and advocate for the bleeding disorders community in South Carolina. The teen program was led by Gut Monkey and the kids camp by Corporate Kids Events, allowing all attendees the opportunity to connect, learn, and engage.
Sue Martin and the BDASC Board chose the Hemophilia Alliance as the 2024-2025 award recipient in recognition of the Hemophilia Alliance’s advocacy of and support to Hemophilia Treatment Centers and Chapters across the nation, as well as to BDASC personally for the grants they have been awarded, disaster relief, COVID relief, payer support, assistance with patient access to care issues, and letters of support throughout the years. Aaron Smith, President of the BDASC Board of Directors, stressed how vital the disaster relief BDASC received after Hurricane Helene in late 2024 was to the patients impacted in South Carolina profusely thanking the Hemophilia Alliance for making the funding available in less than a week allowing BDASC to help impacted patients and their families during an enormous time of need with minimal delay and no red tape.
The award was presented with BDASC’s sincere appreciation:
“In recognition of your many years of dedicated support to the bleeding disorders community and your valued partnership with the Bleeding Disorders Association of South Carolina in providing patient assistance programs that offer vital relief to our members during times of need.”
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Also In This Issue…
Jeff Weighs In
Advocacy and Legal Update
- Budget Reconciliation Bill Moves to Senate – Significant Impacts to Health Coverage
- Trump Administration Releases Additional Budget Documents for FY 2026
Member and Community Relations Update
- MCRs In the Community
Administration and Operations Update
- Welcoming Julie to Team Alliance!
- Get Ready for Our Fall Members Meeting & Hill Day!
- Unlocking Insights: The Data Portal
- Plan Ahead: 2026 Hemophilia Alliance Meeting Calendar is Here
Notes From The Community
- VWD Connect Foundation Holds 9th Annual Severe Von Willebrand Disease Patient Conference in July