2026 SCD Summit

September 16-19, 2026 | Long Beach, CA

Welcome!

Mary Alcocer

Dorian Archie

Dorian Archie

Etta Carter was a member of the planning committee for the Cayenne Wellness Center Summit.

Etta Carter

Felica Calloway

Carley Cole-Cavins

Pat Corley, RN

Jody Johnson

ouise Bennett Marchbanks is a member of the planning committee for the Cayenne Wellness Center Summit.

Sheila Marchbanks

Amie Patel

Carolyn Rowley, PhD

Adrienne Shapiro is a member of the planning committee for the Cayenne Wellness Center Summit

Adrienne Shapiro

Brianna Smith

Wanda Williams

William A. Engelman, MD

William “Bill” Engelman, MD

Thank you for your interest in supporting the 20th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Educational Summit hosted by Cayenne Wellness Center (CWC). As this Summit has grown in scope, visibility, and significance within the SCD community, so have the demands associated with its successful execution.
We are deeply grateful for the generosity of all our past, present, and future sponsors whose support makes this vital event possible. Before selecting your level of sponsorship, please review our current policies below.

Important Sponsorship Policy Update:

To ensure that the Summit continues to reflect its values of equity, access, and community-centered care, we have updated our sponsorship structure:
  1. Industry Sponsorship Levels (including pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and healthcare corporations) are invited and eligible to sponsor only at the following levels:
    1. Silver;
    2. Gold;
    3. Platinum;
    4. Ruby; or
    5. Diamond.
  2. The Community Sponsorship Level is exclusively reserved for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), foundations, grassroots initiatives, and similar entities whose mission aligns with community empowerment and health equity.
These levels are designed to match the scope and scale of industry contributions and provide the appropriate visibility and engagement opportunities.
While we welcome and appreciate all forms of financial support, Cayenne Wellness Center (CWC) can no longer independently shoulder the full logistical and financial burden of the Summit. This event’s high quality, broad impact, and increasing complexity demand a collaborative approach to funding and resource sharing.
We thank you for understanding and for supporting our mission to advance care, education, and empowerment for individuals with sickle cell disease.

Please find the level of sponsorships and their benefits below:

Click here to download the 2025 Sponsorship Packet

DAY 1  TIME  SESSION

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

7:30 – 9:30 AM  Breakfast
8:00 AM  Registration / Check-In Opens
8:00 – 9:00 AM  Visit Vendors, Exhibitors, and Authors
9:00 AM  Opening Ceremony
9:30 AM  Welcome from the MC
10:00 AM  Thank You to Diamond Sponsor
10:10 AM  Announcements
10:30 AM  Session Opening and Moderator Intro
10:45 AM  FDA Approved Modifying Therapies
10:45 AM  Hydroxyurea
11:15 AM  L-Glutamine
11:30 AM  Red Blood Cell Exchange
11:45 AM  Community Engaged Research
12:00 PM  Q&A
12:15 PM  Lunch
1:00 PM  Emerging Therapies: Disease Modifying Therapies
1:00 PM  Agios Pharmaceuticals
1:15 PM  TBA
1:30 PM  TBD
1:45 PM  Q&A
2:00 PM  FDA-Approved Gene Therapies
2:00 PM  Vertex Gene Therapy Overview
2:15 PM  Gene Therapy Overview
2:30 PM  Q&A
2:45 PM  Emerging Therapies: Transformative Therapy
2:45 PM  Beam Therapeutics
3:00 PM  Kamau Therapeutics
3:15 PM  Q&A
3:30 PM  Break
5:45 – 8:30 PM  Physician Track: Doctor to Doctor –  A Warrior in White, Patient and Practitioner
5:45 PM  Reception
6:00 PM  Dinner
6:15 PM  Sickle Cell Disease Acute and Chronic Pain Management
6:45 – 8:00 PM  Real Talk, Real Pain: Perspectives from Physicians Living with Sickle Cell Disease
8:00 PM  Sickle Cell Pledge
8:10 PM  Networking
8:30 PM  Adjourned

 

DAY 2  TIME  SESSION

Thursday, September 17, 2026

7:30 – 9:30 AM  Breakfast and Registration / Check-In
8:00 AM  Prayer
8:25 AM  Welcome – Cayenne Wellness Center
8:30 AM  Welcome – Axis Advocates
8:40 AM  Mayor of Long Beach
8:45 AM  Team Building / Movement
9:00 – 12:00 PM  Exploring Alternative Paths for Wellness
9:15 – 9:40 AM  Acupuncture and Acupressure
9:45 – 10:10 AM  Sound Healing
10:15 – 10:40 AM  Reflexology
10:45 – 11:10 AM  Osteopathy or Nutrition
11:20 – 12:00 PM  Breakout Rooms: Acupuncture and Acupressure; Sound Healing; Reflexology; Osteopathy | Nutrition
12:00 PM  Lunch
2:00 PM  Sickle Cell Trait
2:15 PM  Sickle Cell Trait Awareness, Reproductive Counseling, and Red Talk
2:35 PM  Reproductive Health
2:55 PM  Statistics, Hemoglobinopathies, and Research Findings
3:15 PM  Q&A
3:30 PM  Gene Therapy
3:45 PM  Cost, Insurance, and CIRM
4:15 PM  How to Inform Your Healthcare Provider, Family, and Loved Ones
4:25 PM  Panel
4:45 PM  Q&A
5:00 PM  Celebration of Life
6:30 – 8:30 PM  Game Night / Karaoke and Finger Food

 

 

DAY 3  TIME  SESSION

Friday- September 18, 2026

7:30 – 9:30 AM  Breakfast and Registration
8:30 AM  Prayer
8:35 AM  Team Building / Movement
8:50 AM  Announcements
9:00 – 12:00 PM  Stephanie Mulkey Keynote Speaker Session: Curious Case of a Warrior’s Becoming
9:00 AM  Living with Sickle Cell Disease: Transition, Dating, Marriage, Career, and Aging
10:00 AM  Caregivers: Early Childhood, Parenting, Adult Warriors, and IHSS
11:00 AM  Financial Planning: Life Insurance, Financial Planning, Advance Directives, CALAble, SSI, Trusts, and Wills
12:00 PM  Lunch
2:00 PM  Women’s Health and Sickle Cell Disease
2:10 – 2:30 PM  Women’s Health: Moderator Intro
2:30 – 2:50 PM  Women’s Health: Panel
2:50 – 3:00 PM  Women’s Health: Q&A
3:00 PM  Men’s Health and Sickle Cell Disease
3:00 – 3:10 PM  Men’s Health: Moderator Intro
3:10 – 3:45  PM  Men’s Health: Panel
3:45 – 3:55 PM  Men’s Health: Q&A
4:00 PM  Vaccinations and Sickle Cell Disease
4:00 – 4:10 PM  Vaccinations: Intro
4:10 – 4:30 PM  How Vaccines Work and Dispelling Myths
4:30 – 5:00 PM  Vaccinations: Q&A
6:00 – 9:15 PM  Award Ceremony, Dinner, and Benefit Concert

 

DAY 4  TIME  SESSION

Saturday, September 19, 2026

8:00 – 10:00 AM  Breakfast and Registration
8:30 AM  Prayer
8:35 AM  Summary
8:45 AM  Team Building / Movement
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Morning Sessions
9:00 AM  Mental Health & SCD
9:20 AM  Trauma, Depression, Anxiety & Grief
9:40 AM  Adverse Childhood Experiences
9:50 AM  CWC Mental Health & Wellness  Initiative
10:00 AM  The Whole Me: Sparking the Warrior Within
10:15 AM  Interactive Warrior Passion Highlights
10:45 AM  Q&A
11:00 AM  Wellness Offerings: Massage, Acupressure, Nutrition and Hydration, Exercise Class, and Related Activities
12:00 PM  Lunch
2:00 – 5:00 PM  Afternoon Sessions
2:00 PM  How to Partner Well with Your Healthcare Provider / Introduction to AI and Technology
2:00 PM  What Is AI?
2:10 PM  AI in Medicine
2:30 PM  AI and Care in Sickle Cell Disease
2:45 PM  Q&A
3:00 PM  Better Creativity: Crafting Your Own Story
3:00 PM  Storytelling: Intro
3:10 PM  Fundamentals of Storytelling
3:25 PM  Creative Walk Through
3:50 PM  Q&A
4:00 PM    The Real Real: Down-Home Conversation on Life with Sickle Cell Disease
5:00 PM  Ending Ceremonies
Evening  Comedy at the Laugh Factory Featuring J Snow.  (Optional, Extra Cost)***

 

 

DAY 5  TIME  SESSION

Sunday, September 20, 2026

7:30 – 8:30 AM  Breakfast
9:30 AM – 2:30 PM Scar Stories Exhibit
9:30 AM  Charter Bus #1 to CWC Art Gallery
10:00 AM  Charter Bus #2 to CWC Art Gallery
12:30 PM  Lunch
2:30 PM  Charter Bus #1 to Hotel
3:00 PM  Charter Bus #2 to Hotel

As we continue to prepare for the upcoming event, we are working hard to identify your questions and provide answers. Check here often for new FAQs, and if you need additional assistance, email our Event Team at Events(at)CayenneWellness.org.

I’m attending the event virtually. How do I access the event?

To join the virtual event, you can either join via your web browser on a laptop/computer or mobile device, or download the event app and join sessions from within the app.

To view on computer click the link below:

Computer Link

To view on the mobile app click the link below:

Mobile App

I’m attending in-person. Can I also view sessions virtually?

Yes, you can! As long as you’re registered for the event, you can download the event app, or access the event website to view any session, from the comfort of your hotel room, or from anywhere else as long as there’s an internet connection.

To view on computer click the link below:

Computer Link

To view on the mobile app click the link below:

Mobile App

Will I need to leave a credit card?

Yes.

PLEASE READ ABOUT *INCIDENTAL HOTEL HOLD*

  • If Cayenne Wellness Center covers your rooms, the hotel will require a soft incidental hold. Don’t be alarmed. This hold will temporarily remove the money from your account but will be replaced within a few days. Please bring a credit card that can hold the fees temporarily. The fees may be as much as $100/day or more.

I am a Warrior or Caregiver. How do I book a hotel room?

If you are a Warrior or Caregiver and you’re attending the event in-person hotel is included in your in-person fee (not commuter), and you should select the in-person registration.

I need a plane or other ticket to get to the event. How do I request that?

Transportation to and from the event is the responsibility of the attendee. Please contact the Cayenne staff with additional questions regarding transportation.

How do I register for the event?

You can register for the 17th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Educational Seminar via the Cayenne website (see the registration images above) or via the email you may have received as an invitation to register.

I made a mistake on my registration, how do I change it?

To change your registration, locate the confirmation email you received. Once located, find your confirmation number, highlight it, and click ‘control-c’. At the bottom of your email, you’ll see a “View or Modify your registration” link. Click that link, and enter your confirmation number to modify your registration:

How much does the event cost?

The price of the event depends on a number of factors, including your attendee category.

I want to register for the virtual event. How do I do that?

Registering for the virtual event is fast and easy – simply click the virtual event image shown on the page above to get started.

I want to attend in person. How do I register?

Registering for the in-person event is fast and easy – simply click the in-person event image shown on the page above to get started.

How do I cancel my registration?

To cancel your registration, locate your confirmation email, copy your confirmation number, and click the ‘View or modify your registration’ link at the bottom of the email. Once you’ve pasted your confirmation number and logged in, scroll to the bottom of the screen. You’ll see a ‘Cancel Registration’ button – click that button and follow the instructions to process your cancellation. Note that Cvent will automatically refund any fees paid directly to the form of payment you used during registration.

The 20th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Educational Summit will be held at the Marriott Long Beach (Downtown)

The address is: 111 East Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA

Additional information and group rate coming soon.

Celebration of Life

For questions, please get in touch with Planning Committee Member  Sheila Marchbanks.

Vertex Logo

Vertex, a global biotechnology company, is focused on developing transformative medicines for people with serious diseases by fostering meaningful relationships. Patients are at our core, and Vertex is honored to support the 17th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Educational Summit. We know that being committed to you goes beyond our science. It’s about showing up and partnering with the community to work together toward meaningful change. Through active engagement and dialogue with the Warrior community, Vertex is committed to supporting and standing with our communities as we continue to investigate and advance approaches to treating sickle cell disease.

Novo Nordisk Logo

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company committed to discovering and developing innovative medicines to help people with serious chronic conditions and rare diseases lead longer, healthier lives. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure life-threatening diseases.

Agios Logo

Agios is a biopharmaceutical company that is fueled by connections—with patient communities, healthcare professionals, partners and each other.

San Diego:

Dorothea Dorio
San Diego | email Dorothea
Phone: (619) 548-5563

Los Angeles
(South, North, Antelope Valley):

Georgeanna Oxford
LA & AV | email Georgeanna Oxford
Phone: (323) 679-3455

Yvonne Jennifer
Bilingual | email Yvonne Jennifer
Phone: (323) 400-3213

Inland Empire
(Loma Linda, SB, Riverside):

Trinesha White
Inland Empire | email Trinesha White
Phone: (909) 377-8896

Yvonne Jennifer
Bilingual | email Yvonne Jennifer
Phone: (323) 400-3213

Central California
(Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced, Atwater):

Shanti Johnson-Harris 
Central CA | email Shanti Johnson-Harris
Phone: (559) 360-5001

Orange County:

Star Simmons
Orange County | email Star Simmons
Phone: (714) 642-1040

California
(Bilingual ENG-SPN CHW):

Yvonne Jennifer
Bilingual | email Yvonne Jennifer
Phone: (323) 400-3213

Northern California
(San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento):

TBD
Phone: (818) 940-0079

Health Educator and Nurse Navigator:

Pat Corley, RN
Click here to email Pat L. Corley
Phone: (562) 889-4229

San Diego:

Dorothea Dorio
San Diego | email Dorothea
Phone: (619) 548-5563

Los Angeles
(South, North, Antelope Valley):

Georgeanna Oxford
LA & AV | email Georgeanna Oxford
Phone: (323) 679-3455

Yvonne Jennifer
Bilingual | email Yvonne Jennifer
Phone: (323) 400-3213

Inland Empire
(Loma Linda, SB, Riverside):

Trinesha White
Inland Empire | email Trinesha White
Phone: (909) 377-8896

Yvonne Jennifer
Bilingual | email Yvonne Jennifer
Phone: (323) 400-3213

Central California
(Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced, Atwater):

Shanti Johnson-Harris 
Central CA | email Shanti Johnson-Harris
Phone: (559) 360-5001

Orange County:

Star Simmons
Orange County | email Star Simmons
Phone: (714) 642-1040

California
(Bilingual ENG-SPN CHW):

Yvonne Jennifer
Bilingual | email Yvonne Jennifer
Phone: (323) 400-3213

Northern California
(San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento):

TBD
Phone: (818) 940-0079

Health Educator and Nurse Navigator:

Pat Corley, RN
Click here to email Pat L. Corley
Phone: (562) 889-4229