Our Story

Our Mission is to educate, support and advocate for the bleeding disorders community of Wisconsin.

Our Vision is life without limits for the bleeding disorders community.

Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation (GLHF) is dedicated to improving the lives of people and families impacted by a bleeding disorder through meaningful educational and networking programs, as well as financial support services. We serve individuals with hemophilia, von Willebrand disease and other bleeding disorders. GLHF is an active chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF).

Since 1974, GLHF has been a dynamic leader for the Wisconsin bleeding orders community with innovative initiatives like Camp Klotty Pine, the first camp in Wisconsin for children with bleeding disorders, and the annual Wisconsin Bleeding Disorders Conference. Through programs like Patient Financial Assistance, scholarships and advocacy opportunities at the local, state and national levels, we’re helping make life better for our clients and their families.

Our History

1974: GLHF becomes an active chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation.

1976: Federal funding initiated for a statewide Hemophilia Treatment Center.

1978: Wisconsin Hemophilia Home Care Bill becomes law.

1982: First AIDS patient with hemophilia reported and first Federal application awarded by the Maternal & Child Health Bureau (MCHB) (now HRSA).

1986: Federal AIDs Risk Reduction Program funding begins and HTC funding originates at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

1993: GLHF launches Comprehensive AIDS Risk Reduction and Education Project and GLHF begins the Financial Advocacy, Counseling and Education Services (FACES) project.

1994: GLHF awarded Wisconsin Maternal & Child Health Bureau Grant for the Wisconsin Hemophilia Treatment Center Network.

1996: The Hematology Treatment Center at GLHF is transferred  to the BloodCenter of Southeastern Wisconsin and renamed the Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders and GLHf holds First Family Retreatment, 24 families attend.

1999: GLHF launches programming for women and girls with Providing Outreach to Women and Girls through Education and Referral (POWER) in middle schools and Women-to-Women.

2007: First GLHF Wisconsin Statewide Advocacy Training Program held in Madison, WI.

2012: GLHF begins supporting Amish families to attend their Annual Clinic Day.

2013: GLHF adds Spanish Speaking Track to Wisconsin Bleeding Disorders Conference and hosts inaugural Milwaukee’s Best Bloody event.

2014: GLHF celebrates 40th Anniversary and establishes Camp Klotty Pine — the first camp in Wisconsin for kids with bleeding disorders with an inaugural enrollment of 20 campers.

2015: GLHF advocates along with WI HTCs with WI Medicaid regarding network and billing for bleeding disorders patients.

2016: Camp Klotty Pine exceeds goals set in 2013, growing from 20 to 37 campers.

2017: GLHF adds a Leader in Training program to our camping program.

2018: GLHF holds inaugural Madison’s Best Bloody event.

2019: Governor Evers signed the WI Step Therapy Bill into law. GLHF’s advocacy efforts and involvement helped make this happen.

2020: As the COVID-19 pandemic hit and people found themselves isolated in their homes, GLHF responded by keeping the bleeding disorders community informed and connected. We added a COVID-19 page to our website with the very latest information about the impact of COVID-19 on people with bleeding disorders. We also designed online, virtual programming for our clients including a virtual Education Series, Virtual Roundtables and Total Wellness Tuesdays.

2021: As the pandemic continued, and most people continued working from home, GLHF and others started learning more about the mental health impact the pandemic was having on people. As a result, GLHF started offering a mental health webinar titled Let’s Talk: Mental Health. And rather than canceling our Best Bloody fundraising events, we continued by hosting Milwaukee’s Best Bloody…To Go!, allowing people to pick up a box of the featured bloody marys, taste them at home, and vote online.

2022: As life started to get back to normal post-pandemic, GLHF began offering more in-person programs. To celebrate World Hemophilia Day, we hosted a GooseChase Challenge, lit the Hoan Bridge red, and hosted a Community Night at American Family Field. We also celebrated the 10th anniversary of GLHF’s signature fundraising event, Milwaukee’s Best Bloody, and hosted our 1st annual Green Bay’s Best Bloody.

2023: In response to new research related specifically to women and bleeding disorders, and some of the differences between men and women and how they’re impacted by bleeding disorders, GLHF added two new pages to its website – Women with Bleeding Disorders and Men with Bleeding Disorders.

2024: Interest in gene therapy research moved to the forefront of the bleeding disorders community, as a Green Bay resident became the first person in Wisconsin to receive gene therapy treatment for hemophilia A. Due to the volume of new research and articles, GLHF responded by adding a gene therapy page to its website to keep the bleeding disorders community of Wisconsin well informed.