Increased programs from an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant help serve those with Parkinson’s
OTTAWA, ON, March 6, 2020 — On Friday afternoon, the Hon. Lisa MacLeod, MPP and Jeremy Roberts, MPP met with representatives from Parkinson Canada at its Nepean office to hear how a three-year, $637,300 Grow grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in 2016 has made a difference in the delivery of services for people with Parkinson’s disease. Denise Amyot, a member of OTF’s Board of Directors, was there as well to hear the group’s evaluation about the significant impact the grant has had to improve well-being for people with Parkinson’s and their care partners in those regions.
“I’m proud of the opportunities that this grant has provided to the thousands of individuals and families who have been touched by Parkinson’s,” said Lisa MacLeod, MPP for Nepean and Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “From supports for people living with Parkinson’s to the volunteers who work tirelessly to create much-needed programming, this grant has truly made a difference in communities across the province.”
With the support of this grant, Parkinson Canada hired three Community Development Coordinators, each based in the regions involved with the grant, Southwestern Ontario, parts of Eastern Ontario, and in the Thunder Bay area. Over the three-year duration, they reached 9,644 individuals with a connection to Parkinson’s and grew the number of support groups from 20 to 31 groups, increasing its reach from 2,500 to 3,000 participants. With the help of the grant, coordinators connected with local healthcare and other community services providers, and held over 200 education sessions, distributing resources on a broad variety of topics to help people with Parkinson’s and care partners live better lives. They also managed a network of over 120 volunteers in the three regions that continues to thrive and serve those with Parkinson’s.
“The work done by groups like Parkinson Canada never ceases to amaze me,” said Jeremy Roberts, MPP. “I am very happy to see the positive outcomes that have come about as a result of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.”
“Our successful results were based on Parkinson Canada’s ability to build connections using the established support group service delivery model, to improve knowledge and well-being of people with Parkinson’s and care partners. We also provide evidence-based disease-specific education resources through local education events and workshops, and by engaging with community partners through various channels to increase awareness,” saidOlivier Bonnet, Managing Director for Parkinson Canada in Ontario. “There are still many opportunities to better serve the community. As the incidence of Parkinson’s is growing, coupled with the aging population, and lack of services in rural and remote areas in Ontario make it much more difficult for those to access appropriate care and treatment.”
Parkinson’s is a brain disease that touches almost every aspect of daily living, including: movement, mood, speech, ability to smell, eating and drinking, sleep, and processing cognitive information. More than 100,000 Canadians currently live with the disease, with approximately 40,000 diagnosed in Ontario. Another 25 people are diagnosed each day in this country.
About Parkinson Canada: Parkinson Canada is the definitive voice of Canadians living with Parkinson’s disease, since 1965. From diagnosis to discovery, Parkinson Canada provides education and services to support people with Parkinson’s, their families, and healthcare teams; online, by telephone and in person. Parkinson Canada advocates with federal, provincial and territorial governments on issues that matter to the Parkinson’s community in Canada. Visit online www.parkinson.ca
About Ontario Trillium Foundation: The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded $108 million to 629 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario. Visit online www.otf.ca
Canada Life to make Dialogue's virtual health care a standard benefit for more than one million Canadians
WINNIPEG, March 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Canada Life today announced that it is working with Dialogue Technologies Inc., to become the first insurer in Canada to make virtual health care a standard benefit for employers with Canada Life group benefits plans, with up to 400 plan members.
"We are always open to smart collaborations that help support the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians, and our relationship with Dialogue is a great example of this," says Ryan Weiss, Vice-President, Product & Experience, Group Customer, Canada Life. "Together we've developed a streamlined, proprietary virtual health care solution that will give more than one million Canadians easier access to high-quality health care."
Since 2016, Dialogue has focused on making employees and their families healthier, happier and more productive every day, helping them to access medical professionals in minutes, whenever they need it.
"As demand for virtual health care continues to grow, working with Canada Life to integrate Dialogue as a standard benefit is an important step towards improving access to quality care for all Canadians," says Cherif Habib, CEO of Dialogue. "Since its foundation, Dialogue has set the bar around safety and security standards, an outstanding user experience and high member utilization. Soon, more than one million people will have access to our platform, and we feel honoured to serve even more Canadians every day."
When this new standard benefit comes into effect for Canada Life plans this summer, employees and their dependents will have access to Dialogue's fully bilingual virtual health care platform, available through mobile app or web browser. Its integrated health care services can be accessed from anywhere in Canada, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, saving employees hours of time typically spent waiting for in-person, non-urgent care.
They will be able to chat live with a registered nurse or see a physician via secure video consultation for various health and medical issues, whether to diagnose a wide variety of conditions, provide medical advice, write a prescription or make a referral to a specialist when it is medically indicated.
The service is expected to help employers keep their employees happy, healthy, and performing at their highest potential.
About Dialogue Technologies Inc. Dialogue is the leading Canadian telemedicine provider pioneering virtual healthcare dedicated exclusively to the world's leading organizations. We drive real health outcomes through amazing healthcare experiences, an employee engagement playbook, and a relentless focus on patient safety and security.
About The Canada Life Assurance Company Canada Life is a leading insurance, wealth management and benefits provider focused on improving the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. For more than 170 years, individuals, families and business owners across Canada have trusted us to provide sound guidance and deliver on the promises we've made.
As of January 1, 2020, Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life became one company – Canada Life, and today, we proudly serve more than 13 million customer relationships from coast to coast to coast.
SOURCE Canada Life
Phased manufacturing program will open opportunities for domestic and foreign medical device makers in India, says GlobalData
India’s plan to initiate a phased manufacturing program (PMP) to reduce import dependency will open opportunities to domestic and foreign medical device manufacturers in India, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The company’s report, ‘X-Ray Systems – Diagnostic Imaging Market Analysis and Forecast Model’ reveals that the Indian X-Ray systems market, which accounted for more than 11% of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) medical devices market in 2019, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5% through 2028.
Under PMP, domestic manufacturers will get financial benefits for manufacturing various components of medical devices. Initially, the Indian government plans to boost the domestic production of X-Ray systems and its components by giving tax reliefs and incentives to domestic manufacturers. Earlier, a similar scheme was initiated for mobile manufacturing that helped in creating a strong local mobile manufacturing hub in India.
Pratibha Thammanabhatla, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “PMP will give a decent opportunity for domestic players to gain market share and at the same time, still allowing foreign firms to choose India as their manufacturing destination. In addition, with increase in domestic manufacturers, the share of imported devices is expected to gradually come down.”
However, challenges such as shortage of continuous power supply, proper infrastructure and high risk intellectual property protection are some of the challenges that need to be addressed to make India a manufacturing hub of medical devices.
Thammanabhatla concludes: “India is trying to increase the accessibility of quality products at affordable price to millions of people by encouraging domestic manufacturing of medical devices. PMP is expected to bring a paradigm shift and make India a global medical device manufacturing hub.”
International HPV Awareness Day, March 4, 2020
MONTREAL, March 4, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Today marks the third International HPV Awareness Day, led by The International Papillomavirus Society (IPVS). The theme of the campaign is 'viral before the internet.' To participate in their campaign and get valuable information visit;
https://www.askabouthpv.org/campaign-toolkit.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established goals to reach for 2030 for countries to be on the path towards cervical cancer elimination within the century. The link to the draft WHO global strategy can be found at:
Canada is uniquely positioned to be a major contributor to this important effort. A group of experts from across Canada developed a report with 105 recommendations for the implementation of actions both in Canada and internationally to reach the following WHO targets:
90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age;
70% of women screened with a high-performance HPV test, twice in a lifetime screening at the ages of 35 and 45; and
90% of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment and care:
90% of women screened positive treated for precancer lesions;
90% of invasive cancer cases managed.
We encourage healthcare professionals to be more active and vocal about the safety and efficacy of HPV vaccination for people of all ages and about the value of cervical cancer screening. You can help accelerate cervical cancer elimination here in Canada and around the globe by discussing and recommending HPV vaccination and screening with your patients and colleagues.
In honour of InternationalHPV Awareness Day, please READ and SHARE this Canadian report:
Thank you for supporting International HPV Awareness Day!
About HPV Awareness: A Canadian registered charity whose mission is to spread awareness and knowledge about the human papillomavirus (HPV), the vaccines available, screening, and HPV-related cancers that include cancers of the tonsils, vocal cords, tongue, throat, anus, cervix, vulva, vagina and penis and overall sexual health. We empower people worldwide to have healthier relationships by reaching across cultural, geographical and ideological barriers with clear, simple, evidence-based education to all ages, including health care professionals and public health agencies. Our main objective is to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer by providing solutions for access to HPV prevention and cervical cancer screening.
Nexelis to Acquire Specialty Immunogenicity and Immune-Oncology Testing Laboratory ImmunXperts
LAVAL, QC and GOSSELIES, Belgium, March 4, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Nexelis, a portfolio company of Ampersand Capital Partners, and a leading provider of assay development and advanced laboratory testing is pleased to announce the signing of a definitive agreement, subject to conditions precedent, to acquire ImmunXperts. The closing of the transaction is expected by the end of March.
Based in the Brussels South Charleroi Biopark within the town of Gosselies, ImmunXperts has developed and performs a full offering of immunogenicity and immuno-oncology in vitro functional and potency assays. These assays help pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors screen, select and optimize lead compounds before the initiation of in vivo trials. The company, whose CEO is Thibault Jonckheere, was co-created in 2014 by immunology expert Sofie Pattijn, who serves as ImmunXperts CTO, and investors including Sambrinvest. Both Dr Pattijn and Mr. Jonckheere will continue in senior leadership roles at Nexelis.
"ImmunXperts' immunology testing expertise will help Nexelis more broadly serve the needs of our customers" said Benoit Bouche, Nexelis President and Chief Executive Officer. "Nexelis will now have an unrivaled ability to efficiently develop immunogenicity assays, qualify and validate them in a regulated environment, and then ultimately perform them utilizing our high-throughput platforms in support of clinical trials."
Sofie Pattijn and Thibault Jonckheere added "We are proud of ImmunXperts' achievements over the past five years and are grateful for the support obtained from our investors and partners, our employees, and the Wallonia region. We are excited to continue our growth trajectory as part of Nexelis and serve as a European hub for the company."
About Nexelis
With unrivaled expertise in immunology on both sides of the client/CRO relationship, Nexelis is a leading provider of assay development and advanced laboratory testing. Our versatile team of scientists, working with our advanced technology platforms, were instrumental in the development, qualification, validation, and large-scale sample testing of assays that supported the FDA filing of almost 100 new molecular entities, including blockbuster vaccines and soluble large molecules. For more information, please visit www.nexelis.com
About ImmunXperts
ImmunXperts offers a wide range of in vitro immunology services with a strong focus on immunogenicity and immuno-oncology. The company helps biopharma companies select their best lead candidates by assessing all aspects of immune responses in donors and patients. Acting as a mobile development team, ImmunXperts complements its clients' expertise to deliver meaningful and potent screening tools. For more information, please visit www.immunxperts.com
About Ampersand Capital Partners
Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle-market private equity firm dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of our core healthcare sectors, including Brammer Bio, Confluent Medical, Genewiz, Genoptix, Talecris Biotherapeutics, and Viracor-IBT Laboratories. For more information, please visit www.ampersandcapital.com
About Sambrinvest
Sambrinvest is a risk capital actor in the region of Charleroi in Belgium, with the objective to support the development of SMEs. Thanks to its expertise, it advises entrepreneurs at every development stage of their projects whilst respecting their management autonomy. Sambrinvest has been active for more than 30 years, with a specific focus on Biotechnology and Digital. For more information, please visit www.sambrinvest.be
SOURCE Nexelis
Redefining Cancer Treatment Shines Light on Cancer Immunotherapies
Campaign features the stories of Canadians impacted by different types of cancer
KIRKLAND, QC, March 4, 2020 /CNW/ - Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada launches a new public awareness campaign about cancer immunotherapy, a type of cancer treatment that uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer.1 The campaign, Redefining Cancer Treatment, aims to raise awareness and inform Canadians about cancer immunotherapy by sharing the stories of four Canadians from different parts of the country and their personal journeys.
"When most Canadians think of cancer treatment, typically cancer immunotherapy is not on their radar," said AnnA Van Acker, President and Managing Director, Merck Canada. "The goal of this campaign is to help educate Canadians about the different types of cancer treatments to help empower us all to have more informed conversations with our caregivers."
Shannon, a B.C. local, is one of the patients featured in the campaign. In 2005, not long after she was married, Shannon was diagnosed with melanoma. Despite precautionary methods, she got pregnant. By 2011, her cancer had significantly progressed, and she and her husband were told there was a strong chance neither she nor her unborn child would survive.
"Having cancer was hard enough but learning that there was a strong chance that neither myself nor our child would survive was devastating," said Shannon. "Despite the odds, I gave birth to our daughter, and then started on cancer immunotherapy. Being a mother has changed my life and motivated me to help others with advanced cancer learn about the treatment options available."
The campaign will run on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, and the patient stories will be also featured on the website, www.redefining-cancer-treatment.ca. Here, Canadians can learn more about different cancer treatment options and find useful resources for care and support.
"Cancer immunotherapy is a pillar in cancer care, alongside surgery, radiation and chemotherapy," said Dr. Krista Noonan, medical oncologist, B.C. Cancer Agency. "Continued research and development of cancer treatments are important and can contribute to improved outcomes for patients."
About Cancer Immunotherapy Cancer patients are treated with surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation, and cancer immunotherapy. Immuno-oncology, a field of medical research which uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer, is an additional pillar in cancer-care treatment.2Cancer immunotherapy is used to stop or slow the growth of cancer, stop cancer from spreading to other parts of the body, help the immune system work better to destroy cancer cells, and deliver toxins, such as radiation or chemotherapy, directly to cancer cells.3
There are several different types of cancer immunotherapy used to treat cancer.
About Merck Canada For more than 125 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world.
In Canada, Merck markets a broad range of vaccines, pharmaceutical and animal health products and is one of the top R&D investors in Canada, with investments totaling $69 million in 2018 and more than $1 billion since 2000. Based in Kirkland, Québec, Merck employs approximately 680 people across the country. For more information about our operations in Canada, visit www.merck.ca and connect with us on YouTube and Twitter @MerckCanada.
Stretch Your Legs: Stretches All Athletes Should Do Before and After Every Run
Properly stretching your legs will increase your speed, improve your form, and lower your risk of becoming injured. Here is a quick look at four important stretches that you should carry out at least a few minutes before each training session.
Quadriceps Stretches
Along the front of the thigh is a large group of muscles known as the quadriceps. These muscles helps you extend your legs while you are running. The quadriceps are particularly important when you are running up hills and your stride is slightly shorter. To stretch your quadriceps, you can simply lift one foot up to your buttocks and grab onto it with your hand for 30 seconds or longer.
Hamstring Stretches
The hamstring muscles are on the back of the thigh, and that muscle group is just as important as the quadriceps. Unfortunately, many runners never even consider stretching or strengthening their hamstrings, and that can lead to a wide variety of health complications ranging from chronic ankle pain to tendonitis in the knees. Before and after each run, you will need to sit on the ground with one leg extended and reach out to touch your toes. When you are performing that stretch, you should try to keep your back as flat as possible so that only your hamstrings are getting worked.
Calf Stretches
Runners who fail to stretch their calves often end up with chronic injuries, and orthopedic physicians, like those at the Arizona Institute of Motion, often deal with runners who have these kinds of injuries. To avoid injuries to your knees and ankles, you might want to stretch your calves multiple times throughout the day. Luckily, any movement that brings your toes up toward your knees should stretch your calves. That includes options such as standing on a curb with just your toes or leaning against a wall with your legs perfectly straight.
Piriformis Stretches
This unique muscle runs through the gluteal region, and it stabilizes your entire body when you are on your feet. Unfortunately, many runners hurt themselves simply because they fail to stretch and strengthen this muscle on a regular basis. For an excellent piriformis stretch, you can lie on your back with your feet on the floor and both knees bent. You will then need to pull one knee up to your chest and stretch it over your other knee. After 20 or 30 seconds, that foot should be placed back on the ground and you can switch legs.
In addition to stretching before your runs, you should also give yourself time to cool down after you train. A good cool down and a little bit of stretching after a workout will improve the blood flow to your muscles and help you avoid muscle soreness later.
Israeli Scientists to have COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine in Weeks
By David Rubin, former mayor of Shiloh, Israel
Israeli scientists just announced that they should have a vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus in just a matter of weeks. This is great news considering some health forecasters predict 60% of the world population will contract that virus that is at least 1% lethal, meaning about 50 million deaths, rivaling the 1918 outbreak of Spanish Flu.
Yet, despite this amazing breakthrough, the silence is deafening from Ilhad Omar and the rest of the political liberal camp calling for the boycott of Israel exports—presumably including the cure for COVID-19 Coronavirus.
It makes you ask yourself the question, what feat or good deed could Israel or Israel Jews ever do that would be ‘worthy’ enough in the eyes of its oppressors to in order to be granted the right to survive? The sad answer is: Nothing. There is absolutely nothing Israeli Jews can ever do, be the $50 billion aid for so-called Palestinians in a ‘Deal of the Century,’ or offer a cure cancer to the world, or eliminate the scourge of AIDS from the earth or even this recent likely imminent cure vaccine for the coronavirus.
Sadly, even if we Israelis even delivered all of the above good deeds by sundown Friday, what would the response be from the virtually everyone in the Liberal camp including their lock-step friends in most of the major news media? Israel has no right to exist. Thin them at the waste and make their land indefensible!
Apart from those who opposed ancient Israel building a wall in Nehemiah’s day, or those opposing modern Israeli keeping our walls or defenses up today, let’s address the specific progress Israeli scientists as I paraphrase from a February 27, 2020 article by Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman published in the Jerusalem Post to whom I credit much of this information.
The Galilee Research Institute, otherwise known as MIGAL. For the past four years their scientists have been working on a vaccine against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) that causes a bronchial disease affecting poultry. Its effectiveness has been proven in preclinical trials at the Veterinary Institute.
Dr. Chen Katz, the biotechnology group leader for MIGAL, said, “The scientific framework for the vaccine is based on a new protein expression vector, which forms and secretes a chimeric soluble protein that delivers the viral antigen into mucosal tissues by self-activated endocytosis, causing the body to form antibodies against the virus.” Endocytosis is essentially a cellular process in which substances are brought into a cell by surrounding the material with cell membrane, forming a vesicle containing the ingested material.
According to Dr. Katz, his team demonstrated that oral vaccination induced high levels of specific anti-ABV antibodies. Dr. Katz, in all modesty, called it pure luck that their team just happened to choose the coronavirus as a model for proof of concept for their technology. But as any student of the bible has seen many times, God has provided an extra measure of so-called ‘luck’ to Israel over the millennia.
Preclinical trials can be a lengthy process so Israeli Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis is seeking to fast-track the approval process. His goal is to bring the human vaccine to market as quickly as possible. MIGAL CEO David Zigdon echoes that goal, saying the vaccine could “achieve safety approval in 90 days.”
No, isn’t that amazing. I can picture it now, terrorists holding out their left arms for a vaccine, while grasping an AK-47 in their right arm, aimed at the doctor’s head.
All kidding aside, since it’s more likely to be an oral vaccine, the more accurate picture would be a terrorist biting the doctor’s hand that stretches forth oral antidote.
I know this painfully well since I founded Shiloh, Israel Children’s Fund to help victims of terrorism. Countless times Israel hospitals have admitted terrorists in need of healing. They heal, they kill again, yet we help heal them again. It makes you wonder if our great ‘sin’ is healing those whose mission in life is to see us dead.
The pathetic thing about the process is that the likes of Ilhad Omar will continue to call for the boycott of all products and services coming from Israel—including a possible cure for the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
How can this be? Simple. Hatred of Israel Trumps the desire to help their fellow man—even if it means the death 50 million people. Sadly, it’s that clear cut.
Bio: David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh Israel, is the author of the book, “Trump and the Jews”. Rubin is the founder and president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack. He can be found at www.DavidRubinIsrael.com or at http://www.ShilohIsraelChildren.org
Ontario Nurses' Association Says Contract Talks for Hospital Registered Nurses Have Broken Down
Bill 124 interferes with free collective bargaining, says ONA
TORONTO, March 4, 2020 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) says that contract talks between ONA hospital registered nurses and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) have broken down.
"While ONA always prefers to negotiate a new contract for our dedicated and highly educated members, the unfortunate reality is that the provincial government's passage of Bill 124 interferes with free collective bargaining," says ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN. "Bill 124 is the statute that the Ontario government passed that caps compensation increases below the cost of living to a maximum of one per cent annually for some – but not all – Ontario public-sector workers. It is clear that this government is targeting public-sector workers who are female for wage suppression. It has exempted those in male-dominated professions, such as firefighters and police, from the effect of the bill."
ONA has held two weeks of talks for its approximately 60,000 RNs and health-care professionals who provide care in Ontario hospitals. Talks ended late last week with a number of significant outstanding issues remaining unsettled because of the restraints in bargaining mandated by Bill 124, ONA says.
"The role and value of RNs in providing quality health care for Ontarians has not been recognized. The urgent need to recruit and retain RNs to ensure the appropriate and safe RN staffing levels are in place are unresolved," says McKenna. "This province is suffering from a serious nursing shortage and many Ontario hospitals are crippled by vacancies in nursing positions that they find impossible to fill, and by hallway nursing."
ONA is one of several unions that have launched a Charter challenge of Bill 124 but the only one to raise the gender discrimination caused by the bill. "It is very clear that this government has no problem with attempting to suppress the wages of female professionals in Ontario," says McKenna. "This is 2020 – and our constitution and pay equity laws require fair and just compensation for women; it is time this government recognized that."
ONA and the OHA will now proceed to arbitration on March 25 and 26 to achieve a collective agreement.
ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy Brings Relief to Caregivers Struggling with Complicated Grief
Tampa, Florida (March 4, 2020) –For many people who are dealing with the loss of a spouse or close relative, time does not heal their pain. About 10-15 percent of people experience what is known as complicated grief – severe sadness over the death of a loved one that has not abated a year after the loss.
Complicated grief is more likely to affect older adults and it can affect all aspects of their physical and mental health.
A new study in the American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine offers hope for those dealing with complicated grief. The study found that the symptoms of complicated grief were significantly reduced for participants who underwent Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an innovative mind-body therapy. ART empowers clients to resolve traumatic memories through a combination of relaxation techniques and memory visualization.
Study participants who underwent ART found a 57 percent reduction of symptoms of complicated grief, a 70 percent reduction in symptoms of PTSD and a 50 percent reduction in symptoms of depression.
“The results indicate that ART presents an effective, brief intervention for prolonged, complicated grief among older adult caregivers who have lost a loved one after hospice care,” said Dr. Kevin E. Kip (PhD, FAHA, AAAS), Distinguished Health Professor at the USF College of Public Health and a co-principal investigator of the trial. The study was led by Harleah G. Buck (PhD, RN, FPCN, FAHA, FAAN), Associate Professor at the University of South Florida (USF), College of Nursing.
The study focused on people age 60 and older who were experiencing complicated grief, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), following the death of a loved one in hospice care. The participants had all served as caregivers for their deceased loved ones.
Participants were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group who received ART immediately and a control group who were put on a wait list to receive ART. All participants were screened for complicated grief, PTSD and depression at the beginning and end of the study period.
Those who underwent ART experienced significant decreases in symptoms of grief, PTSD and depression after an average of just four ART sessions. Unlike traditional talk therapies, ART does not require participants to discuss painful memories or feelings. Many therapists use ART in conjunction with other treatment modalities.
ART is an innovative treatment that empowers clients to resolve traumatic memories through a combination of relaxation techniques and memory visualization. The treatment employs a series of horizontal eye movements to enable clients to effectively rewrite troubling memories. ART provides effective relief from the strong physical and emotional reactions associated with PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and depression.
Since ART was developed in 2008 by Laney Rosenzweig, MS, LMFT, there have been six research studies completed and several more are in progress. These studies have produced more than 10 published papers about the therapy in scientific peer-reviewed journals including those written by researchers at the University of South Florida. The ART research conducted to date has been federally funded by the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health. In 2015, ART was recognized as an evidence-based therapy by the SAMHSA National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
Restauranteur and entrepreneur Chris T. Sullivan formed and is funding ART International Training and Research, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to making ART more widely available to individuals in need of professional help in order to ameliorate the devastating effects of PTSD and other psychological traumas. The nonprofit is headed by Executive Director Kelly Breeding and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
This year, the nonprofit is hosting more than 100 training sessions throughout the United States offering local clinicians an opportunity to be trained and certified in ART. More information on ART International’s training sessions can be found on their website at artherapyinternational.org.
To schedule an interview with Dr. Kevin Kip or Dr. Harleah Buck; ART International executive director Kelly Breeding; therapists who employ ART; or clients who have benefitted from the treatment, contact jscharper@hillmanpr.com.
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