ViaCord Voices - Pursuing a Passion
Nadia won't rest until collecting cord blood becomes a standard of care
In 1998, Nadia Altomare's career was on a rapid rise. She had been managing operations and marketing research for a successful healthcare consulting company and was ready for a new challenge. But she realized that moving into a bigger office with a better view wasn't what she had in mind. In fact, the opportunity that interested Nadia most couldn't even, at that time, offer her a computer or desk.
But what ViaCord could offer was a vision that Nadia felt was "larger than life." It was an opportunity to build a company from scratch that was "going to change lives."
Achieving success...and hitting roadblocks
Fast forward ten years and Nadia, ViaCord employee #8, now oversees a staff of more than 100 people in the sales, service, operations and IT groups at ViaCord. And just as life at ViaCord has changed dramatically since the early days, the potential of cord blood has also skyrocketed. "When the industry started, cord blood treated one disease—childhood leukemia. Today the number is over 70 treatable diseases and growing," Nadia recalls.
"Cord blood stem cells are the perfect way to protect families. Future stem cell treatment breakthroughs are likely to use autologus cells, which means stem cells that are collected from an individual are given back to that same individual during treatment, making family cord blood banking even more important." Despite these incredible advances, Nadia and the team at ViaCord aren't resting on their laurels yet. "ViaCord's vision is to help make cord blood banking a standard of care, and we still have road blocks in front of us."
Overcoming challenges one at a time
As someone who has been on the forefront of cord blood advancements, Nadia remains impatient for the industry to recognize its massive potential. "Consumer awareness has grown a lot but remains a challenge." And there remains a misconception that cord blood banking is only for the wealthy. While a value can't be placed on cord blood, Nadia believes the cost of collecting and storing it is "attainable for many families—especially since ViaCord has introduced payment options to fit all budgets."
Nadia also recognizes another challenge for customers—the explosion in the number of private companies who offer cord blood collection and storage. "With the increasing potential of cord blood, many companies have recently jumped into this business. And some of them do not have the expertise, know-how or investment required to maintain operational excellence and a quality of service, with sustainability for the long term." How does this translate for customers? "With 30 something companies in the family cord blood banking space, the type and amount of information that a customer has to navigate through can become confusing and daunting," Nadia says. "Expectant parents rely on ViaCord's Clinical Consultants, highly trained and trusted advisors, to help make the family's decision process easier."
Making the right choice
"There's only one chance to make the right decision, so parents need to talk with doctors and nurses, they need to ask family and friends, and they need to do research," Nadia advises. "Sometimes it helps to talk to others like you who made a decision to bank cord blood and have been through the whole process. That's why ViaCord offers Parent Educators—ViaCord customers who have made an informed decision, experienced the service, and want to provide accurate, objective information to expectant families so they too can make an informed decision."
In the end, Nadia is proud that the company she helped build is on the forefront of cord blood banking—investing in research that expands the life-saving potential of cord blood; setting standards of excellence in collection and storage; and offering payment options that fit any budget. "What makes me most proud, though, is how often I hear from customers who tell me that our people set us apart. That's critical to me because when you store your baby's cord blood, you are entering a lifetime relationship with the company and its people."
And while Nadia is proud of what she's helped build, her focus remains on the future. The potential of cord blood "keeps growing and growing and growing," Nadia says. "We have conducted over 125 cord blood transplants. There are emerging treatment options in early stage human clinical trials for diabetes and Cerebral Palsy. When breakthroughs happen and cord blood is commonly being used to treat these diseases, that's when we'll see it become a standard of care." And that's when Nadia will know that ViaCord has realized its vision.