True Story of Survival Opens Minds and Dialogues about Mental Health
New York NY, August 26, 2020 — Mark Henick stood precariously on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass. The bridge spanned two realities and, for Henick, had become a symbol of escape — in one form or another. A voice behind him tried to help. A crowd gathered. Siren lights flashed in his peripheral vision. Surrounded but still alone, Henick let go.
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience from Mark Henick is a vital and triumphant story of perseverance and recovery by one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health.
Henick’s near-death experience on the overpass that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.
So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount.
So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival that has already touched the hearts of many, including television personality Rosie O’Donnell.
“Mark Henick is a powerful storyteller. His vivid account of his early years as a depressed, suicidal teenager is a page-turner. So-Called Normal is beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. Necessary reading for anyone who wants a peek inside the mind of someone who journeyed through mental illness and found hope on the other side,” O’Donnell said.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
Scientists use blood test to predict who is likely to develop psychotic disorders
DUBLIN, Aug. 26, 2020 -- Scientists have discovered that testing the levels of certain proteins in blood samples can predict whether a person at risk of psychosis is likely to develop a psychotic disorder years later.
The study is published in the current edition of JAMA Psychiatry and was led by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Based on certain criteria, such as mild or brief psychotic symptoms, some people are considered to be clinically at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. However, only 20% to 30% of these people will actually go on to develop a psychotic disorder.
The researchers analysed blood samples taken from people at clinical high risk of psychosis. These individuals were followed up for several years to see who did and did not develop a psychotic disorder.
After assessing the proteins in blood samples and using machine learning to analyse this data, the scientists were able to find patterns of proteins in the early blood samples that could predict who did and did not develop a psychotic disorder at follow-up.
Many of these proteins are involved in inflammation, suggesting that there are early changes in the immune system in people who go on to develop a psychotic disorder. The findings also suggest that it is possible to predict their outcomes using blood samples taken several years in advance.
The most accurate test was based on the 10 most predictive proteins. It correctly identified those who would go on to develop a psychotic disorder in 93% of high-risk cases, and it correctly identified those who would not in 80% of cases.
“Ideally, we would like to prevent psychotic disorders, but that requires being able to accurately identify who is most at risk,” said Professor David Cotter, the study’s senior and corresponding author and professor of molecular psychiatry at RCSI.
“Our research has shown that, with help from machine learning, analysis of protein levels in blood samples can predict who is at truly at risk and could possibly benefit from preventive treatments. We now need to study these markers in other people at high risk of psychosis to confirm these findings.”
A patent application has been filed, and the research team is working to commercialise this research through licensing or partnering with industry.
This research was funded by the European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) Project (Project EU-GEI) from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme, by the UK Medical Research Council and by the Irish Health Research Board.
David Mongan, RCSI PhD student and Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Fellow, analysed the data with the supervision of Professor David Cotter and Professor Mary Cannon from the RCSI Department of Psychiatry. The ICAT programme is supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Health Research Board, the Health Service Executive National Doctors Training and Planning and the Health and Social Care, Research and Development Division, Northern Ireland. The blood samples were analysed in the UCD Conway Institute under the supervision of Dr Gerard Cagney.
About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Ranked number one globally for Good Health and Well-being in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2020, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is an international not-for-profit university, with its headquarters in Dublin.
RCSI is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the THE World University Rankings (2020) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education.
Visit the RCSI MyHealth Expert Directory to find the details of our experts across a range of healthcare issues and concerns. Recognising their responsibility to share their knowledge and discoveries to empower people with information that leads them to better health, these clinicians and researchers are willing to engage with the media in their area of expertise.
HPIC Sends First Canadian Shipment of Medicines to Beirut
TORONTO, Aug. 26, 2020 /CNW/ - Thanks to the generosity of Canadian pharmaceutical companies, financial donors and volunteers, Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) is sending the first Canadian shipment of medicines (valued at $400,000) to the people of Beirut who were, and continue to be, affected by the explosion on August 4th that killed hundreds and injured thousands.
The initial shipment of primary care medicines left HPIC's distribution centre in Oakville today and will be departing from Toronto, Ontario to Beirut, Lebanon on Friday, August 28th. The medicines will be distributed to over 20 hospitals, primary healthcare centres, dispensaries and clinics in Beirut.
"With the escalating unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon, hospitals were already struggling so HPIC is very pleased to provide this first shipment of donated Canadian medical aid to the people of Beirut", says Marcelle McPhaden, HPIC's president and CEO. She added, "we are in continuous contact with our partners on the ground and everyday, we are continuing to assess and respond to the urgent needs of individuals, families and health facilities in Lebanon."
This first shipment comprises seven pallets of antibiotics, analgesics, anti-inflammatories and medicines for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases donated by HPIC's pharma industry partners.
"We are very thankful to our faithful donors for their financial support and to our pharmaceutical partners who responded right away to make this shipment possible. Canadian donors continue to step up and respond to international crises. This is a proud moment for all of us." says McPhaden. "Our goal is to send more than $1 million worth of medicines and medical supplies in subsequent shipments."
Since 2001, HPIC has shipped close to $18 million of medicines and medical supplies to Lebanon to help provide care to those in need. In 2019 alone, HPIC provided $1.8 million of donated medicines to 451 health facilities and dispensaries and served 150,000 Lebanese citizens and 15,000 refugees.
HPIC is continuing its appeal to the healthcare industry and the Canadian community to respond to this disaster and looks forward to sending further much-needed aid in the coming weeks.
ABOUT HPIC
Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) is a Canadian registered charity dedicated to increasing access to medicine and improving health for the world's most vulnerable people in the developing world.
HPIC works with Canada's pharmaceutical and healthcare industry to treat over 1 million people every year through a well-established network of Canadian volunteers and global partners. We equip medical mission teams, stock clinics and hospitals in impoverished communities, mobilize medical relief during emergencies and build local capacity through long-term projects.
SOURCE Health Partners International of Canada
For further information:
For media inquiries or for more information, please contact: Samantha Burnside, Manager, Marketing and Communications, 905-670-1990 x205, sburnside@hpicanada.ca; For information on donating medical products, please contact: Heather Watts, Director, Health Industry Relations, hwatts@hpicanada.ca; For information on making a financial donation, please contact: Dayana Gomez, Director, Philanthropy, dgomez@hpicanada.ca
Love hormone also forms important link between stress and digestive problems
UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 01.00 GMT 31 AUGUST 2020
Not for publication or broadcast before this time
Peer reviewed Experimental study Animals
New research published today in The Journal of Physiology shows that oxytocin, known as the love hormone, plays an important role in stress’ disruption of digestion such as bloating, discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea.
Stress disrupts gastrointestinal functions and causes a delay in gastric emptying (how quickly food leaves the stomach). This delay in gastric emptying causes bloating, discomfort, and nausea and accelerates colon transit, which causes diarrhea.
Oxytocin, an anti-stress hormone, is released from the hypothalamus in the brain which acts to counteract the effects of stress. For a long time, the actions of oxytocin were believed to occur due to its release into the blood with only minor effects on the nerves within the brain that regulate gastrointestinal functions.
The study used new ways to manipulate the neurons and nerves (neurocircuits) that oxytocin released from the hypothalamus acts upon and measured the effects on the response of gastric emptying to stress. They have shown that, contrary to previous assumptions, these oxytocin circuits play a major role in the response of the stomach to stress.
Activation of these oxytocin circuits reversed the delay in gastric emptying that occurs normally in response to stress, by increasing muscle contractions (motility) of the stomach, while inhibition of these neurocircuits prevented adaptation to stress.
The new research, conducted at Penn State University- College of Medicine and was sponsored by a grant from the National Institute of Health, USA, employed cutting-edge tools that allow selective manipulation of the circuits that receive hypothalamic oxytocin inputs together with simultaneous measurements of gastric emptying and motility in response to stress.
The authors used a rat model of different types of stress - acute stress, appropriate adaptation to stress, and inappropriate adaptation to stress. The authors infected the neurons controlling the oxytocin nerves and neurocircuits with novel viruses that allowed them to be activated or inhibited and measured muscle activity in the stomach, as well as gastric emptying (the time for food to leave the stomach).
The researchers have shown that these oxytocin neural circuits play a major role in the gastric response to stress loads. Indeed, their activation reversed the delayed gastric emptying observed following acute or chronic responses to stress, thus increasing both gastric tone and motility. Conversely, inhibition of these neurocircuits prevented adaptation to stress thus delaying gastric emptying and decreasing gastric tone.
These data indicate that oxytocin influences directly the neural pathways involved in the stress response and plays a major role in the gastric response to stressors.
The ability to respond appropriately to stress is important for normal physiology functions. Inappropriate responses to stress, or the inability to adapt to stress, triggers and worsens the symptoms of many gastrointestinal disorders including delayed gastric emptying and accelerated colon transit.
Previous studies have shown that the nerves and neurocircuits that regulate the function of gastric muscle and emptying respond to stress by changing their activity and responses.
In order to identify targets for more effective treatments of disordered gastric responses to stress, it is important to first understand how stress normally affects the functions of the stomach. Their study provided new information about the role that oxytocin plays in controlling these nerves and circuits during stress and may identify new targets for drug development.
Commenting on the study R Alberto Travagli said:
“Women are more vulnerable to stress and stress-related pathologies, such as anxiety and depression, and report a higher prevalence in gastrointestinal disorders. Our previous studies showed that vagal neural circuits are organized differently in males versus females. We are now finalizing a series of studies that investigate the role and the mechanisms through which oxytocin modulates gastric functions in stressed females. This will help to develop targeted therapies to provide relief for women with gastrointestinal disorders.
The Journal of Physiology publishes advances in physiology which increase our understanding of how our bodies function in health and disease. http://jp.physoc.org
The Physiological Society brings together over 4,000 scientists from over 60 countries. The Society promotes physiology with the public and parliament alike. It supports physiologists by organising world-class conferences and offering grants for research and also publishes the latest developments in the field in its three leading scientific journals, The Journal of Physiology, Experimental Physiology and Physiological Reports. www.physoc.org
Laurent Pharmaceuticals Receives Approval from FDA to Initiate its COVID-19 Phase 2 Clinical Trial in the United States
The Phase 2 study aims to evaluate the dual antiviral and inflammation-controlling effects of the company's LAU-7b oral drug candidate against COVID-19 infection
MONTREAL, Aug. 27, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Laurent Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Montreal-based biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start enrolling U.S. patients in RESOLUTION, a multicentric Phase 2 randomized placebo-controlled trial testing once-a-day oral LAU-7b as a potential treatment against COVID-19 disease. RESOLUTION, which is currently ongoing in Canada, will enroll approximately 200 hospitalized COVID-19 patients who will receive either LAU-7B or a placebo for a treatment duration of 14 days. The company is in advanced discussions with a number of U.S. hospitals interested to participate in the trial and is looking to activate them very soon.
"The main objective of the RESOLUTION study is to demonstrate that LAU-7b is a safe and effective treatment option for COVID-19 patients that are at risk of lung complications because of their age, underlying condition or both," said Dr. Radu Pislariu MD, President and CEO of Laurent Pharmaceuticals. "We hope that treatment with LAU-7b will slow down the disease progression, prevent the respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, and ultimately reduce the number of fatalities due to the COVID-19," added Dr. Pislariu.
LAU-7b, which showed potent antiviral effects in-vitro against both SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV coronaviruses, is also being developed for its unique inflammation-controlling properties by acting on the resolution phase of the inflammation process, a natural mechanism that keeps the body's inflammatory response under control without inducing immune-suppression (a "pro-resolving" effect). The pro-resolving proprieties of LAU-7b are currently under evaluation in a Phase 2 study in Cystic Fibrosis (CF), aiming to treat the exaggerated inflammatory response that leads to irreversible lung damage in these patients.
"New clinical research approaches for COVID-19 aim to combine antiviral with inflammation-controlling treatments," said Dr. Dana G. Kissner, MD, pulmonologist at DMC Harper University Hospital and Professor of Medicine, Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan. "During the less critical stages of the disease, we want therapies that fight the virus while keeping the inflammation in check and preventing lung complications. LAU-7b appears to possess both properties in the same molecule, thus bearing the promise of a treatment candidate that addresses multiple key contributors to the severity of COVID-19," added Dr. Kissner.
The RESOLUTION trial (Clinicaltrials.gov, #NCT04417257) follows the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) Master Protocol for COVID-19 clinical studies. It will measure the patient health status on a 7-point ordinal scale to evaluate the disease progression and inform the primary and secondary endpoints of the study. The study will also measure the duration of hospitalization and improvement in quality of life.
About Laurent Pharmaceuticals
Laurent Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on life-threatening inflammatory diseases that are inadequately addressed by current anti-inflammatory therapies. The company's lead drug candidate, LAU-7b, is a unique, patent-protected oral formulation of fenretinide, ideally applicable to a once-a-day low dose treatment regimen. LAU-7b has the potential to trigger the resolution phase of inflammation and is currently in a Phase 2 study involving adult patients with Cystic Fibrosis. Fenretinide also showed potent antiviral effects in vitro against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the company is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial with LAU-7b in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Fenretinide is an investigational retinoid that has a well-documented safety profile established in more than 3,000 patients, in various indications. For more information, please visit www.laurentpharma.com.
SOURCE Laurent Pharmaceuticals
Gifted Storyteller’s Journey with Parkinson’s and Other Challenges of a Long Life
Boston, MA, August 27, 2020 — When Parkinson’s disease descended like a dense fog on master storyteller John J. Clayton, he was forced to pivot his perspective, change his expectations and write from a place he calls “… both alive and not alive. Like a kind of ghost …”
Parkinson's Blues: Stories of My Life begins with the arrival of the dark unexpected. In a Monty Python skit, someone in a drab living room complains about being nagged by questions. “I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition,” he complains. Suddenly Michael Palin, in red 16th century costume, bursts into the room. “Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!” he shrieks.
Who expects the onset of Parkinson’s? Or cancer? Or stroke? Or the loss of a child? The terrible surprise—the life we didn’t expect—isn’t limited to Parkinson’s. It’s the existential condition of everyone’s life. In fourteen sketches, John J. Clayton links the experience of PD with the experience of childhood sickness, family battles, the struggle to make a good life out of a painful life. The sketches express the hope that we can grow spiritually in the midst of the terrible.
Through 14 eloquent stories — all of which underscore that Clayton’s gift and spirit remain fully intact — Clayton links the onset of Parkinson’s disease with other unexpected, and challenging experiences.
Parkinson’s Blues explores the anticipated pain and unexpected comedy of Parkinson’s in a manner that is deep, graceful and dignified.
Author John J. Clayton has published nine volumes of fiction, both novels and short stories. His collection of interwoven short stories, Minyan, was published in September 2016; his collection Many Seconds into the Future in 2014. Mitzvah Man, his fourth novel, arrived in 2011.
Clayton’s stories have appeared in AGNI, Virginia Quarterly Review, TriQuarterly, Sewanee Review, over twenty times in Commentary, in Notre Dame Review, Missouri Review and The Journal. Two personal essays have been recently published in Jewish Review of Books. His stories have won prizes in O.Henry Prize Stories, Best American Short Stories, and the Pushcart Prize anthology. His Radiance, a collection of stories, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.
Clayton grew up in New York City; received his B.A. at Columbia, his M.A. at NYU and his Ph.D. at Indiana. For much of his career he taught modern literature and fiction writing as professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has also written two books of literary criticism: Saul Bellow: In Defense of Man and Gestures of Healing, a psychological study of the modern novel.
TORONTO, Aug. 26, 2020 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) encourages the Ontario government to use the funds announced today by the federal government to make Ontario's schools the safest possible.
Schools are expected to start reopening soon, leaving many parents wondering whether they should send their children to school, and if so, how do it safely.
"Every parent wants to ensure their children are as safe as possible. Because every child's needs and circumstances are unique, parents will have to make the decision about what's best for their child, and their family," said OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill. "What we do know is that there are several measures that have been proven to reduce transmission and if those are in place it significantly lowers risk".
Ontario's doctors remind parents that simple steps that have helped contain the virus in the community will help contain the virus in schools. The best available evidence shows that wearing masks, physical distancing and frequent handwashing are the best defense against spreading COVID-19. Contact tracing and testing are also critical. Extra funding to support these areas and to keep class sizes smaller would be welcomed.
In addition, this year more than ever it is important that children and parents are up to date on their immunizations, including the flu shot.
"While we know the government has worked hard to get school reopening right - this is a very complex situation - one that is constantly changing," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "In times of such uncertainty there is value in continuing to do what's working, to stay focused on what we can expect, and to follow the advice of local public health officials."
Low community spread is key for the safe reopening of schools. It is important for the public to be aware that based on experiences from around the world, we can expect there will be local outbreaks. The OMA is pleased by the news that Dr. Dirk Huyer, Chief Coroner for Ontario will lead the province's outbreak management team. Medical Officers of Health in each community will continue to work closely with the government and schools to manage and minimize these outbreaks with a goal of keeping everyone as safe as possible and avoiding a province-wide lock down. These strategies will not be a 'one-size fits all' approach; they will be tailored to the needs of the community.
It is clear that COVID 19 impacts different communities in different ways. As Ontario moves forward with reopening, not all families and individuals will experience equal burdens. We encourage the government to continue looking for ways to mitigate those discrepancies and to protect our most vulnerable.
Ontario's doctors continue to work hard to keep the public healthy and safe. Infectious disease specialists and public health doctors are working with government, offering the best possible science-based advice every step of the way. Meanwhile family doctors, pediatricians and other specialists continue to care directly for patients to meet their health care needs.
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000 plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Crush Anxiety and Depression While Boosting Self-Esteem in as Little as 2 Hours
San Francisco, CA, August 26, 2020 - Feeling anxious, helpless and depressed by all the tragedies in the news? Nearly 40 years after his five-million-copy bestselling book, Feeling Good, made a positive difference in the lives of countless people with its uplifting message: When you change the way you THINK, you can change the way you FEEL, and helped cognitive therapy become the most popular and extensively researched form of psychotherapy in the world, critically-acclaimed author and world-renowned clinical psychiatrist David D. Burns, M.D., brings the newest installment to his revolutionary research in Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety.
Now, Dr. David Burns brings us a radical new approach that makesultra-rapid recovery possible, even in a single two-hour, book-therapy session. Feeling Great emerged from 40 years of research on how therapy actually works and is based on this paradoxical idea:Your negative thoughts and feelings are NOT the result of some defect, like a chemical imbalance in your brain or a “mental disorder,” but from what is most beautiful and awesome about you and your core values. And the moment you realize this, recovery will be just a stone’s throw away.
According to the book, and in as little as a two-hour, book-therapy session, Feeling Great will help you:
1. Pinpoint and eliminate the powerful forces that keep you stuck;
2. Learn that your thoughts, and not the circumstances of your life, create all of your
feelings;
3. Discover why depression and anxiety are the world’s oldest cons;
4. Crush the 10 types of distorted thoughts that rob you of happiness and self-esteem;
5. Learn why self-acceptance is the greatest change a human being can make.
Feeling Great is designed like a workbook, with 33 chapters grouped into seven sections, such as “How to Turn Depression and Anxiety into Joy,” "How to Crush Distorted Thoughts,” “Relapse Prevention Training” and more. The book also includes reflective quizzes to track your progress, case studies with anecdotes from real people and even a daily mood journal.
David D. Burns, M.D.,is an Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. More than 50,000 mental health professionals have attended his workshops throughout the United States and Canada. His weekly Feeling Good Podcasts (approaching three million downloads) provide therapists and the general public alike with tips to overcome depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, and habits and addiction. Dr. Burns lives in the San Francisco Bay area. To learn more, visit www.FeelingGreattheBook.com.
For national interviews, Dr. Burns can provide patients who are willing to participate and support the claims in the book. For interviews, reviews, mentions—or to receive a hard copy of the galley, please contact Justin Loeber, at 212-260-7576 or: justin.loeber@mouthdigitalpr.com.
Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety
PESI Publishing
Release Date: September 2020
Hardcover / $26.99
ISBN: 9781683732884
###
ConsumerMedical Acquires Virtual Second Opinion Innovator InfiniteMD
Combined company streamlines virtual access to second opinions from the world’s top physicians for better medical decision-making
BOSTON— August 26, 2020— Highlighting the healthcare market’s rapid pivot towards virtual care, leading clinical advocacy and decision-support company ConsumerMedical has acquired InfiniteMD (IMD). InfiniteMD is a technology-leading virtual Expert Medical Opinion (EMO) firm recognized for its innovative platform and network of elite providers and specialists.
“This acquisition streamlines the delivery of critical, expert medical guidance that will give our participants facing serious and complex illnesses a more convenient, tech-enabled, and virtual experience,” said David Hines, CEO and Founder of ConsumerMedical. “As our two organizations have worked together for the past two years, InfiniteMD has played a key role in meeting the growing demand by our employer and health plan clients to deliver the highest quality, most impactful, virtual support. Through this acquisition, we are setting a new standard for virtual EMOand clinical advocacy with a global high-tech, high-touch offering designed to help people anywhere in the world when they need expert medical guidance the most.”
“InfiniteMD and ConsumerMedical have forged a successful partnership around innovation, enabling both domestic and global market expansion,” said Babak Movassaghi, PhD, MBA, CEO and Co-Founder of InfiniteMD. “The mission of InfiniteMD has always been to use technology to democratize access to the top physician specialists. Moving forward as one company, we will accelerate the technology roadmap and develop more innovative solutions to address patients with complex health issues and power our expansion efforts both within and outside of the United States.”
InfiniteMD was founded by Harvard physicians and MIT engineers with a mission to empower patients by enabling access to the best minds in medicine for guidance on serious and complex conditions. The platform is utilized by top hospital delivery networks and has processed thousands of cases in 40+ countries. They offer access to 2,400 of the top physicians in the U.S. from institutions like Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals and other clinical Centers of Excellence ranking within the Top 20 Hospitals, according to U.S. News and World Report. Their proprietary platform facilitates true 360-degree multidisciplinary collaboration amongst these physicians as a case moves from intake and summarization, to review and rendering of a final virtual opinion via written report or video. Participants and their families have the option to interact with physicians over live video, team-based multidisciplinary video, and asynchronous video— the most modalities available for these services in the industry.
"We launched InfiniteMD with the premise of building the best technology-enabled expert opinion service,” said Christopher Lee, MSE, PhD, COO and Co-Founder of InfiniteMD. “Over the past few years, we have refined the InfiniteMD platform, established formal partnerships with the nation's leading medical centers, and optimized the most user-friendly experience for both patients and expert physicians. By joining forces, we're creating the strongest and most comprehensive offering in the delivery of decision-support via digital health.”
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About ConsumerMedical ConsumerMedical is a leading clinical advocacy, decision support and expert second opinion company serving over four million individuals through some of the nation’s largest employers, health plans and private exchanges. The company has been serving patients and payers for more than 24 years. As a Medical Ally, ConsumerMedical guides participants throughout their healthcare journey with compassionate, high-touch support and deep clinical expertise. ConsumerMedical offers a fully integrated suite of solutions including Medical Decision Support®, Surgery Decision Support®, Expert Medical Opinion, Claims Advocacy and more, helping individuals and families navigate the healthcare system while improving outcomes and reducing costs. ConsumerMedical’s results have been validated continuously by independent actuaries. www.consumermedical.com
About InfiniteMD
InfiniteMD is a virtual expert opinion leader that provides consumers from around the world direct access to the best physicians in the United States via remote video and written consultations using its proprietary platform. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, InfiniteMD works with physicians from institutions like Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals and other clinical centers of excellence that rank within the Top 20 Hospitals, per U.S. News and World Report. A cornerstone of InfiniteMD’s service is support for global consumers, which includes the international collection and translation of medical records, as well as providing medically trained interpreters during video consultations. www.InfiniteMD.com
# # #
Patient Protection Pledge
Lawmakers, Candidates, Constituents Join Together to Show Their Support For Healthcare Price Transparency
A promise to stand with patients and their right to know the price of healthcare services before receiving care
Washington, D.C.— Today, Independent Women’s Voice (IWV) announced the launch of the Patient Protection Pledge, a promise to stand with patients and their right to know the price of healthcare services before receiving care. The pledge was designed to let constituents know which lawmakers and candidates are committed in their support for any bill that would require upfront genuine healthcare price transparency and cash prices for all medical products, procedures, providers, and services.
There is no issue that more dramatically pits the business-as-usual DC swamp against the interests of ordinary Americans. President Donald Trump recently called transparency, “the biggest thing ever done having to do with costs in health care.”
The Pledge endorses full price transparency in health care, an issue which nearly 90% of Americans say is important to them. A whopping 98% of women age 40 and under support it, a critical cohort for Republicans and Democrats. Yet, efforts to make price transparency a reality have been clouded by healthcare lobbyists and special interest groups—like PBMs and PhRMA—who want to keep patients in the dark.
America’s current healthcare system is opaque, keeping consumers price-blind. It is wrong and unacceptable that Americans are not able to see healthcare prices in advance. We would never agree to buy anything else without knowing how much it is going to cost. Prices in health care should work the same way.
“Economists estimate that making healthcare prices transparent could drop healthcare costs for individuals and businesses down to the prices that cash-paying patients pay today, which average 40% lower than negotiated rates,” said Heather R. Higgins, CEO of IWV. “Leaders in Washington should support price transparency in health care—taking a stand for patients and against the dominant healthcare lobby enticing them to vote otherwise.”
“Less than 10% of healthcare spending is on emergencies. 90% should be shoppable. Patients deserve the right to know the price of healthcare services before receiving care, including real cash prices and negotiated rates with health plans, so they can make informed choices when shopping for care and coverage.”
Healthcare price transparency would allow patients to plan ahead for how to pay and shop among providers. It would open the door for Americans to make informed, value-driven decisions about their care.
Early signers of the Pledge include:
Senator Mike Braun (R-IN)
Rep. Mike Burgess (R-TX)
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA)
Newt Gingrich, Former. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Dr. Art Laffer, American economist and former member of President Ronald Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board
Larry Van Horn, Executive Director of Health Affairs at Vanderbilt University
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC)
Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX)
The Patient Protection Pledge is a project of IWV. Co-sponsors of the Pledge include Free2Care and Patients for Real Prices.
Independent Women’s Voice fights for women and families by effectively expanding support among women, independents, and millennials for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.
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