The Georgetown University Medical Center Hemophilia Treatment Center recently welcomed a new social worker: Leah Kramer, LICSW.
Leah is a native of the DMV and completed her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. After living on the West Coast for six years, she recently returned to the DC area to be closer to family and friends, and to support her beloved DC sports teams.
Her clinical background includes experience in behavioral health, both as a therapist and as a clinician assessing psychiatric emergencies in emergency departments. She also worked in outpatient settings, including oncology and primary care clinics, and spent three years as an HIV social worker in an outpatient internal medicine clinic in San Francisco.
“Working with HIV patients solidified my interest in working with individuals diagnosed with chronic illnesses,” Leah said. “I see many similarities and shared challenges between the HIV and bleeding disorder communities, both often considered ‘invisible’ illnesses, including navigating complex medical systems, and the psychosocial strains of managing a lifelong condition.”
“At Georgetown’s HTC, I look forward to supporting patients and their families and advocating for their needs to access care effectively,” she continued. “I also aim to be active in the HTC community, promoting awareness about hemophilia through outreach and education. Lastly, I hope to empower patients and their families to become more involved in the hemophilia treatment community.”