Reflecting on why he became a hematologist, Dr. Steven Fein explains he “has always wanted to make an impact.” During his training at Johns Hopkins Medical School, Duke, and University of Miami, he sought to identify public health problems that needed to be solved.
As a hospital-based hematologist at Baptist Hospital of Miami, he first tackled the problem of heparin-induced thrombosis, a condition that affects 80,000 people per year in the U.S. “It’s the most common condition known to be caused by everyday medicines we use in hospitals,” Dr. Fein explains.
During his 15 years at Baptist, Dr. Fein also focused on women’s health hematology. When he left Baptist in 2020, he sought to solve the problem that many women have very low iron. According to Dr. Fein, 25% of all women with menstrual periods and 25% of all pregnant women have very low iron. He explains, “This causes gender inequality and affects babies’ development.” By providing iron infusions, we’re solving this huge public health problem.
His team, known as “Heme On Call”, has grown to a staff of 50, with five iron infusion centers throughout Florida. They pioneered telemedicine-based hematology and a system in which any woman who needs an iron infusion can receive it quickly. Last year, they did 4,000 iron infusions. “We’re on a mission to identify and treat all women who need iron, to improve their lives and the lives of their children,” says Fein.
Seeking to broaden their impact, Heme On Call now offers free iron screening for all young women. They launched the “working women campaign” to identify women in the workplace who have low iron.
Their iron deficiency prevalence study offers iron testing to pregnant women at 26 weeks, the time when the baby takes iron from the mother.
Finally, Heme On Call has a clinical trial studying iron deficiency in teenage girls. Dr. Fein explains, “Girls who have very low iron may have fatigue and impaired concentration. An iron infusion can solve this.”
Heme On Call is a telemedicine-based hematology practice focused on women’s health. Call for a same-week hematology telemedicine appointment, 786-567-8310, or visit hemeoncall.com.
