Comprehensive Center forBleeding Disorders

Where Breakthrough Science Meets Life-Changing Care

Versiti’s Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders provides accessible, personalized care for patients with bleeding and clotting disorders. As southeastern Wisconsin's only federally funded Hemophilia Treatment Center, our board-certified hematologists lead multidisciplinary teams dedicated exclusively to conditions like hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, platelet function disorders, and thrombophilia.

Specialized Expertise

Board-certified hematologists focusing exclusively on bleeding and clotting disorders

Gene Therapy Center

One of the nation's first centers delivering HEMGENIX gene therapy for hemophilia B

Comprehensive Support

Multidisciplinary teams addressing medical, emotional, and practical needs

Remembering Dr. Lynn Malec

Versiti joins colleagues across the medical and research community in mourning the loss of Lynn Malec, MD, MSc, Program Director at Versiti's Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders and Pharmacy, and an Associate Investigator at Versiti Blood Research Institute. Dr. Malec was a physician-scientist whose work advanced care and hope for people living with bleeding disorders, and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones and to the many patients, trainees, and colleagues whose lives she touched.

Dr. Malec brought together clinical care, research, and education to improve patient outcomes across our region and beyond. Her work helped expand access to innovative therapies, including gene therapy, and strengthened the care model for individuals and families living with complex bleeding conditions.

Gene Therapy: A New Chapter in Hemophilia B Care

At Versiti Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders, we recognize the immense potential of gene therapy. Designed to be one-time, durable therapies, these treatments can transform chronic conditions that require lifelong treatment into manageable ones. Versiti Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders is home to specialized infrastructure and comprehensive care protocols necessary to bring these breakthrough therapies to our community with uncompromising clinical excellence. Our focused gene therapy team, including Dr. Malec and members of our pharmacy, nursing, nurse practitioner, and genetic counseling teams, help patients understand the treatment options available to them on an individual basis.

HEMGENIX is an FDA-approved gene therapy for adults with hemophilia B who currently use factor IX prophylaxis therapy, have experienced life-threatening bleeding, or have repeated serious bleeding episodes. Through a single intravenous infusion, HEMGENIX delivers a functional factor IX gene to liver cells, enabling the body to produce its own clotting factor. Clinical studies demonstrate that 94 percent of patients receiving HEMGENIX can discontinue regular factor IX infusions.

Cody's Journey: From Constant Vigilance to Freedom

"From 2014 to 2019, I endured four ankle surgeries because of advanced arthritis from hemophilia B," said Cody Gunst, a CCBD patient. "If gene therapy had existed then, I wouldn't have two fused ankles now. But this treatment changed everything that came after."

Before gene therapy, Cody required approximately four factor infusions per month — vigilance that shaped every aspect of daily life. Within 60 days of receiving HEMGENIX, Cody’s factor IX levels increased from less than 1 percent to more than 12 percent.

Is Gene Therapy Right for You?

Gene therapy may be appropriate for adults with hemophilia B who:

Currently require regular factor IX prophylaxis therapy
Have experienced a life-threatening hemorrhage
Have repeated serious spontaneous bleeding episodes
Are interested in reducing or eliminating regular infusions
Can commit to comprehensive long-term monitoring

The Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders team believes deeply in treating the whole patient, not just a patient’s disorder. Our dedicated gene therapy experts, including pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, genetic counselors, and your doctor, will work with you to determine whether gene therapy aligns with your clinical needs and treatment goals.

Download Gene Therapy Guide

Our Approach to Specialized Care

Bleeding and clotting disorders require specialized expertise that goes beyond general hematology. At Versiti CCBD, our board-certified hematologists dedicate their practice exclusively to these complex conditions, developing the nuanced clinical judgment necessary for optimal diagnosis and treatment. This specialization means we recognize subtle presentations, anticipate complications, and personalize treatment.

We recognize that these conditions affect entire families, not just individual patients. We provide education, support, and resources for parents, siblings, partners, and caregivers, recognizing that family well-being has a direct impact on patient outcomes. Whether you're navigating a new diagnosis, managing complications, planning for surgery or exploring cutting-edge treatments like gene therapy, our team brings both sophisticated clinical knowledge and genuine partnership to every interaction.

Understanding Your Bleeding Disorder: A Patient Guide Brochure

Conditions We Treat

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of blood-clotting factors. Hemophilia A results from factor VIII deficiency, while hemophilia B stems from factor IX deficiency. We provide comprehensive hemophilia management, from prophylactic factor replacement to breakthrough therapies like gene therapy for hemophilia B. Our team helps patients navigate treatment options, optimize dosing regimens, manage bleeding episodes, and maintain joint health through both traditional factor replacement and extended half-life products.

Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of von Willebrand factor, a protein essential for normal blood clotting. Accurate diagnosis requires sophisticated laboratory testing and clinical expertise, both of which our team provides. We distinguish between disease types and subtypes, enabling precise treatment selection including desmopressin therapy, von Willebrand factor replacement products, and strategies for managing bleeding during surgery, dental procedures, and childbirth.

Platelet function disorders affect the ability of platelets to properly adhere, activate, and aggregate at sites of blood vessel injury. We provide specialized platelet function testing to accurately diagnose these often-subtle conditions. Our treatment approaches are highly individualized, taking into account each patient's specific platelet defect, bleeding history, and lifestyle factors.

Thrombophilia refers to conditions that increase the risk of developing abnormal blood clots in veins or arteries. These conditions can be inherited, such as factor V Leiden or a prothrombin gene mutation, or acquired, like antiphospholipid syndrome. We provide comprehensive evaluation to identify underlying clotting disorders, helping patients and their physicians understand clot risk and make informed decisions about anticoagulation therapy while balancing clot prevention with bleeding risk.

We diagnose and manage rare bleeding disorders, including deficiencies of factors I, II, V, VII, X, XI, and XIII, as well as combined factor deficiencies and rare platelet disorders like Bernard-Soulier syndrome and Glanzmann thrombasthenia. Our team has expertise in these uncommon conditions, providing accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment planning and connections to national and international rare disease networks.

For Referring Physicians

Why Refer to Versiti Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders

Our hematologists focus exclusively on bleeding and clotting disorders, bringing depth of experience that enables nuanced diagnosis, sophisticated treatment selection, and anticipation of complications. We provide specialized laboratory testing, including complex factor assays, platelet function testing, and thrombophilia panels.

Your patients benefit from our multidisciplinary team, all coordinating seamlessly to address every aspect of bleeding disorder management. We provide timely consultation notes, treatment recommendations, and ongoing updates, ensuring you remain informed about your patients' specialized care.

We welcome referrals for patients with known or suspected hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, platelet function disorders, rare bleeding disorders, thrombophilia, or recurrent clotting events, unexplained bleeding despite normal standard testing, and patients interested in gene therapy evaluation.

How to Refer

Call CCBD at 414-257-2424 to discuss your patient and schedule an appointment. We typically schedule new patients within two to four weeks, with urgent consultations available sooner.