By Vanessa Orr
The pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) program at the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital was recently recognized as achieving an outstanding survival rate among all U.S. transplant centers, according to the latest report by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). The report, which reviewed first allogeneic transplants performed between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2022, revealed an exceptional 97.8 percent adjusted survival rate for the hospital’s program.
“This recent CIBMTR recognition underscores the dedication and expertise of our multidisciplinary BMT team, as well as the unwavering support from our KIDZ Medical and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital leadership,” said Dr. Ossama Maher, a KIDZ Medical Services board-certified pediatric hematologist oncologist and director of the BMT program. Dr. Maher also serves as the associate clinical director of the neuro-oncology program.
Founded in 1991, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s BMT program is one of only two pediatric centers of its kind in South Florida and has performed an average of 570 transplant and cellular therapy procedures to date. The program has been accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapies (FACT) since 2003 and certified by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) since 2000.
Dr. Maher notes that the program’s ongoing success is made possible through collaboration, innovation, and a relentless dedication to patient care. By embracing emerging therapies, he adds, the BMT program aims to introduce gene therapy as a transformative option for patients suffering from conditions such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.
The program offers a wide range of treatments, including autologous and allogeneic transplants utilizing peripheral blood, bone marrow, and cord blood from HLA-matched, haplo-identical, and unrelated donors. In addition, it is one of the few pediatric centers in the state to provide FDA-approved Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy, a groundbreaking treatment for pediatric cancers like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The first CAR T-cell therapy at the hospital was performed in 2019.
The BMT program also operates out of a state-of-the-art unit, opened in 2015, featuring seven private HEPA-filtered, positive-pressure rooms designed to ensure the highest safety standards. Complementing its clinical excellence, the program offers robust support services including child life specialists, music and art therapy, genetic counseling, fertility preservation, pain management, and lodging for families traveling long distances. While the majority of patients who the program treats are from Florida, many children are referred from outside hospitals and the program treats patients from Latin America as well.
While the BMT program has consistently set benchmarks in patient outcomes and advanced therapies, its end goal is even more important, according to Dr. Maher.
“We are honored to offer cutting-edge care and transformative therapies that change the lives of children and families,” he said.
