First non-physicians in 140 years to serve on smaller, skills-based OMA Board of Directors

TORONTO, May 30, 2021 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association has announced a smaller, skills-based Board of Directors that includes non-physicians for the first time since the organization was founded in 1880.

The new board is made up of 11 directors, reduced from 26, who were elected by the OMA membership based on their skills and expertise. The new board structure and direct elections format is part of sweeping governance changes aimed at modernizing the OMA and making it more nimble and focused. 

"The governance changes that enabled this new board will further strengthen the OMA as a world-class organization to better serve our members and the people of Ontario," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "I am proud to serve the new board, our new General Assembly and all 43,000 OMA members. Together we will continue to build on the success that the outgoing board has brought to the OMA."

The eight physician directors have held leadership roles at the OMA and in the broader community, while the three non-physician directors hold prominent roles in the private sector and bring a unique perspective to governing the OMA. The new board will elect a chair at its first meeting in June.

Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman is a pediatric clinical immunologist and allergist at McMaster Children's Hospital and an assistant clinical professor at McMaster University. Dr. Abdurrahman is past chair of the OMA's Section of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. She is a new board director and will serve a two-year term. 

Dr. Sanjay Acharya is an addictions physician and anesthesiologist based in Ottawa. He is a board director for OMA Insurance and before joining the OMA board served as chair of the OMA Governing Council. He will serve a one-year term.

Denise Carpenter is a board director for Cashco Financial Inc. and Ronald McDonald House Charities. She is chair of Oshawa Power and Utilities and EnerFORGE Renewable Energy boards, and chair of the Audit and Finance Committee of Acquisitions Committee of Synergy North. Carpenter is a new board director and will serve a two-year term.

David Collie is a CPA and president and CEO of the Electrical Safety Authority. He is a founding member of the Energy Transformation Network of Ontario and a member of governance and nominating for the National Association of Pharmacy Regulators of Canada. Collie is a new board director and will serve a two-year term.

Dr. Paul Conte is a primary care physician who has been the chair of the OMA's Governance and Nominating Committee and a member of the OMA's Governance Transformation Implementation Steering Committee. Dr. Conte has been a board director for four years and will serve a one-year term.

Dr. Cathy Faulds is a palliative care physician, a member of the Provincial Primary Care Advisory Committee with the Ministry of Health and an investigations and resolutions assessor with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. She is also an adjunct scientist and professor in Western University's Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Faulds is a new board director and will serve a two-year term.

Dr. Audrey Karlinsky is a family physician and assistant professor who was vice-chair of the OMA Finance and Audit Committee and a member of the Strategy and Transformation Committee of the OMA Board of Directors. Dr. Karlinsky has been a board director for four years and will serve a one-year term.

Dr. Adam Kassam is the 2021-2022 OMA President. Dr. Kassam is a physiatrist and clinical associate at Runnymede Healthcare Center and Athlete's Care in Toronto and a faculty lecturer at the University of Toronto's Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  

Carmen Rossiter is a member of the Audit and Conference Advisory Committees for CPA Canada and the Senior Advisory Panel to the Auditor General of Ontario. She serves as director at the Centre for Governance, Risk Management and Control Excellence with the Schulich Executive Education Centre in Toronto and was on the Board of North York General Hospital for 10 years. Rossiter is a new board director and will serve a one-year term.

Dr. Cynthia Walsh is a radiologist and head of the Ultrasound in the Department of Medical Imaging at The Ottawa Hospital. She is a member of the Ontario Health Provincial Diagnostic Imaging Expert Panel Quality Working Group. Dr. Walsh continues as an OMA board director and will serve a two-year term.

Dr. Hirotaka Yamashiro is a pediatrician and an assistant professor and clinical adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto, an adjunct professor at Queen's University and a pediatrics peer reviewer for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He is past chair of the OMA's Pediatrics Section and is a new board director. He will serve a two-year term. 

OMA President-Elect Dr. Rose Zacharias and Past-President Dr. Samantha Hill support the work of the board, in a non-voting capacity, as officers of the association.

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

Ontario Medical Association Awards Program celebrates its centenary

TORONTO, May 28, 2021 /CNW/ - The Ontario Medical Association Awards Program celebrated its 100^th anniversary Friday night by recognizing outstanding physicians, residents, medical students and community leaders for their remarkable achievements and contributions to the medical profession and health care in Ontario.

The awards were presented by OMA Past President Dr. Sohail Gandhi during a gala that was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We're here tonight to recognize the achievements of our colleagues and while we will name 67 exceptionally deserving individuals, this year you all deserve recognition," said OMA President Samantha Hill, whose one-year term ends Saturday. "I see you and I honour your resilience."

A new Emerging Leader Award was presented for the first time to an early career physician who has demonstrated leadership abilities toward shaping the future of medicine. Award recipients are physicians who act as a positive role model for peers and colleagues with a demonstrated commitment toward meaningful contributions, social responsibility, political advocacy, partnership-relationship building, innovation and health policy.

The first recipient of this award is Dr. Silvy Mathew, a family physician in Toronto who serves on the government-OMA Physician Services Committee and the Mid-West Toronto Ontario Health Team Executive Project Advisory Committee. She was a member of the OMA Board of Directors from May 2018 to May 2020.

"Dr. Mathew is described by her peers as an inspirational leader, evidenced through her clinical and organizational work," said Dr. Gandhi. "Her deep care for her patients makes her an empathetic and effective clinician. She has demonstrated a commitment to social responsibility and is a strong advocate for gender equality in medicine and in society."

This year's other winners:

OMA Life Membership Awards
OMA Life Membership is awarded to those members who have made an outstanding contribution to the work of the OMA, the medical profession and medical science, or common good at the provincial level, and have reached the age of 65.

• Dr. Susan Abbey 
• Dr. Katherine Darbyshire 
• Dr. Raymond Edwards 
• Dr. Ian Forrest 
• Dr. Leon Genesove 
• Dr. Robert Hamilton 
• Dr. Raymond Harb 
• Dr. Ingrid Harle 
• Dr. Anne Hennessy 
• Dr. John Hollingsworth 
• Dr. Christopher Jyu 
• Dr. Byron Lemmex 
• Dr. Glenn Martin 
• Dr. Fergus McNestry 
• Dr. Bharat Nathoo 
• Dr. Avis Noseworthy 
• Dr. David Opper 
• Dr. Michael Paré 
• Dr. Gregory Peachey 
• Dr. Roman Preobrazenski 
• Dr. Kiran Rabheru 
• Dr. Steven Reinhart 
• Dr. Michael Semoff 
• Dr. Lucian Sitwell 
• Dr. William Splinter

OMA Honorary Membership: Globe and Mail health columnistAndré Picard

Honorary Membership is awarded for having achieved eminence in science and/or the humanities through outstanding service to the OMA, to the medical profession, to medical science or to serve the common good at the provincial level. Members are usually non-physicians.

OMA Centennial Award Lisa Paul of St. John Ambulance, who worked closely with the OMA obtaining PPE during the pandemic

Established to commemorate the OMA centennial in 1980, the Centennial Award is awarded to a non-physician in recognition of outstanding achievements in serving the health and welfare of the people of Ontario through lengthy service and/or distinguished acts.

Distinguished Service Award Dr. Albert Ng

The Distinguished Service Award is awarded to a member of the OMA for exceptional long-standing service to the OMA and patients of Ontario.

Mentor for Students and Residents Award Dr. Kelly Howse

The Mentor for Students and Residents Award is awarded to a physician or non-physician in recognition of outstanding contributions that have significantly benefited the medical students or residents of Ontario.

Presidential Award Dr. Ruth Mathieson

The Presidential Award is awarded in recognition of exceptional and long-standing humanitarian service to the greater community (in Ontario or elsewhere) that brings honour to the medical profession. The award recipient by their actions expresses the highest qualities of service by a physician that we all admire.

Glenn Sawyer Service Award 

This award was established in 1972 in honour of Dr. Glenn Sawyer, the longest-serving General Secretary of the OMA. It is awarded in recognition of significant service to the OMA, medical profession, or public at the community level.

• Dr. Mariana Silva 
• Dr. Shabbir Amanullah 
• Dr. Dusan Sijan 
• Dr. Gary Smith 
• Dr. Jonathan Fitzsimon 
• Dr. Ron Taylor 
• Dr. Jegapathy Rajendra 
• Dr. Sharon Bal

Community Service Award 

The Community Service Award is presented annually to non-physicians for significant contribution to the health and welfare of the people of a local community, as defined by involvement in community health and public welfare, including length of involvement, roles fulfilled in local organizations and personal achievements.

• Wendy Muckle 
• Fred Larsen 
• Brian Smith

Section Service Award 

The Section Service Award is awarded in recognition of significant service to the section, medical profession, or public within a section.

• Dr. Adam Stewart – SGFP 
• Dr. Karima Khamisa – Hematology 
• Dr. Harold Pupko – PCMH 
• Dr. Janice Willett – OBGYN

Medical Student Achievement Award 

The Medical Student Achievement Award is awarded for significant contributions at the political and/or community level that help advance the life and/or education of all medical students. The award may be presented annually to one student from each of the six provincial medical schools.

• Celine Sayed (University of Ottawa) 
• Ushma Purohit (University of Toronto) 
• Brintha Sivajohan (Western University) 
• Ikunna Nwosu (Queen's University) 
• Christine Miller (NOSM) 
• Kay Wu (McMaster University)

OMA Resident Achievement Award 

The Resident Achievement Award is awarded for outstanding contribution to the advancement of postgraduate training. As of 2007, the award may be presented annually to one resident from each of the six provincial medical schools.

• Dr. Athena Young (Northern Ontario School of Medicine) 
• Dr. Christopher Clarkstone (McMaster University) 
• Dr. Jonathan Cluett (Queen's University) 
• Dr. Megan Lim (University of Ottawa) 
• Dr. William Kyle Silverstein (University of Toronto) 
• Dr. Timothy Miao (Western University)

CMA Honorary Award (Presented by Dr. Ann Collins, President of the Canadian Medical Association)

CMA Honorary Membership is awarded to those members who have made outstanding contributions to the Canadian Medical Association on its Board of Directors, Committees, General Council or to Canadian medicine.

• Dr. Howard Adams 
• Dr. Karen Gulenchyn 
• Dr. John Thorne 
• Dr. Susan Wilkinson 
• Dr. Gary Victor 
• Dr. Christopher Jyu 
• Dr. Stephen Buchman 
• Dr. Francine Lemire 
• Dr. Martin Padmos

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

SALE: 40% OFF HD MUSCLE 50% WITH CODE: TRAINITRIGHT

HD MUSCLE IS HAVING A SALE

This Weekend Only! (May 28-31)

⚡️ FREE SHIPPING* on all orders over 29.99
⚡️ 40% OFF select apparel
⚡️ Take an extra 10% off when you use "TRAINITRIGHT" 

4 Ways Exercise Can Help With Healthy Aging

You have heard many times that physical fitness is beneficial to your health. Ensure that you can spare some time to engage in physical fitness as part of your daily routine. Many studies have been conducted, and they aim to prove that physical fitness plays a crucial role in ensuring we can lead a healthy life. When you exercise regularly, your physical and mental health will improve significantly. You can also be independent as you grow older. Below are ways in which exercise ensures you will age in a healthy manner.

Physical Activity Ensures You’re Flexible

If you fail to take advantage of your flexibility, you’ll lose it eventually. Your range of motion will also improve when you engage in physical fitness. The degeneration process comprises four steps, and they usually progress naturally as we grow older. Fortunately, exercising helps to ensure the aging process is slowed down. Keep in mind that if one of the joints in your body fails to move through the normal range, there will be a limit to the number of activities you can engage in. For instance, you may struggle to wash your hair or even place dishes in the cupboard. The body will also react negatively when your range of motion is affected. In this case, the body will exert additional pressure on the neck. If the neck or any other body part is overworked, you’ll experience further complications, and the degenerative changes will accelerate.

The Quality of Sleep Will Improve

When you exercise regularly, you will sleep better since the body temperatures fluctuate during the workout session. Exercising ensures you’ll have a deeper sleep, which means you’ll wake up feeling more energetic and refreshed. When you sleep well, your memory, concentration, and standard movement will also improve, and there will be a reduced risk of injuries.

The Risk of Dementia Will Reduce

When you exercise regularly, your body will get enough oxygen, and unnecessary waste in the body organs and muscles will also be eliminated. One of the body organs that will gain significantly is the brain. When the brain has adequate blood flow, the body will manage to get rid of the harmful waste, and you’ll be at a lower risk of suffering from dementia.

Your Bone Health Will Improve

When you focus on strengthening the muscles and maintaining a healthy weight, your bone health will improve. Your risk of suffering from osteopenia and osteoporosis will reduce.

Are you an aging adult? Feel free to engage in physical fitness! We have outlined the benefits of being physically active, and you’re bound to gain significantly.

Break the Fear Cycle: Brain Expert Shares Advice for Building Resilience During Challenging Times

Chattanooga, TN, May 28, 2021 ― Forced social isolation, shuttered businesses and canceled or scaled-down worship services have contributed to an overwhelming sense of loss and fear among people all over the world. And there’s a scientific reason for these emotions, explains Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., board-certified psychiatrist, master psychopharmacologist and founder of Come and Reason Ministries. 

Dr. Jennings is a much sought-after speaker who regularly addresses non-medical professionals on the subjects of Spirituality in Medicine, Depression and its Spiritual and Physical Connections, and Alzheimer’s Dementia. He also speaks to medical professionals on the topics of Psychotherapy in Clinical Practice, Major Depression in the Primary Care Setting, and the Neurobiology of Depression — among many others. 

He describes how the measures taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 can have physiological and psychological impacts that, like dominoes, will topple our sources of strength and resilience.

“Research shows that social rejection, isolation and loneliness activate the brain’s stress pathways, thereby increasing inflammatory factors, diminishing immune response and increasing vulnerability to viral infections and cancer, and make you less resilient in life,” he says.

In the shadow of government mandates that restrict our interactions with others, what can we do within our four walls to build our resilience and guard our overall wellbeing?

Dr. Jennings suggests we can boost our resilience through physical exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting regular sleep, cognitive training, having a healthy relationship with God and spiritual development — measures that can actually alter the way our brains react to stress. 

“Healthy spirituality confers resilience in a multitude of ways,” he says. “It develops your higher cortex, which calms your fear circuits. You have less fear and you’re less anxious if you’ve got a developed prefrontal cortex. And if you have a loving relationship with a God you trust, that’s part of your prefrontal cortex. And if people have more love, they have less fear.”

Another part of our prefrontal cortex is altruism — something those with healthy spirituality are more likely to engage in — and helping others also calms fear circuits.

Our ability to face a crisis and bounce back is, in part, inherited from our parents and even grandparents through our genetic makeup, Dr. Jennings explains. But through a combination of mental, physical and spiritual adaptive measures, we can boost our resilience and improve our ability to overcome life’s challenges. 

Dr. Timothy R. Jennings operates a private practice in Chattanooga and has successfully treated thousands of patients. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and Life-Fellow of the Southern Psychiatric Association. 

He is also a prolific author whose books include The God-Shaped Brain: How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life; Could It Be This Simple? A Biblical Model for Healing the Mind; The Aging Brain: Proven Steps to Prevent Dementia and Sharpen Your Mind; and The God-Shaped Heart: How Correctly Understanding God’s Love Transforms Us.

To hear his presentations and to learn more about Dr. Jennings and his approach to brain and body health, please visit: www.comeandreason.com.

Possible discussion topics for Dr. Jennings:
 

1.  How do positive social interactions reduce our inflammatory markers?
2.  How does wearing masks contribute to feelings of social isolation?
3.  Explain epigenetic markers and the role they play in our ability to be resilient.
4.  Explain how our life experiences can alter our gene expression and lead to improved resiliency.

###

Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.

Results of the COLCORONA study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

Colchicine could be considered as a treatment for non-hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by PCR test and at risk of complications

MONTREAL, May 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) announces that the COLCORONA study results are published today in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The article, which is entitled Colchicine for community-treated patients with COVID-19 (COLCORONA): a phase 3, randomised, double-blinded, adaptive, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial, concludes that, given the lack of oral therapies available to prevent COVID-19 complications among non-hospitalized patients and the observed benefit of colchicine in patients with a PCR-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, this anti-inflammatory drug could be considered as a treatment for those at risk of complications.

“Given the current pandemic, while awaiting collective immunity through vaccination around the world, the need for treatments to prevent COVID-19 complications among patients who contract the disease remains,” said Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif, Director of the MHI Research Centre, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the Université de Montréal and Principal Investigator of COLCORONA. “Our study showed that colchicine could be used to reduce the risk of complications for some patients with COVID-19.”

Colchicine is an inexpensive and readily available anti-inflammatory drug. Orally administered, it is currently prescribed to treat gout, Familial Mediterranean Fever and pericarditis. The COLCORONA study assessed colchicine’s potential to reduce the risk of COVID-19-related complications in outpatients over 40 years of age with at least one risk factor for disease progression.

The study’s primary efficacy endpoint was the composite of death or hospitalization in patients with COVID-19. Of the 4,488 patients enrolled, including those without a PCR-confirmed diagnosis, the primary endpoint occurred in 4.7% of patients in the colchicine group and 5.8% of those in the placebo group, a non-statistically significant result. For the 4,159 patients with a PCR-based diagnosis of COVID-19, the primary endpoint occurred in 4.6% of patients in the colchicine group and 6.0% of patients in the placebo group, a statistically significant result. Serious adverse events were reported in 4.9% of patients in the colchicine group and 6.3% of those in the placebo group. Notwithstanding these results, it is recommended that studies such as this one be replicated in non-hospitalized patients with a PCR-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Full study results are available here: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(21)00222-8/fulltext.

“The COLCORONA study expands on our knowledge of the role of oral, cheap and widely available repurposed drugs such as colchicine to treat people early on to prevent serious complications of COVID-19 and can help practitioners and their patients make informed treatment decisions,” said Yves Rosenberg, M.D., M.P.H., chief of the Atherothrombosis and Coronary Artery Disease Branch at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the United States National Institutes of Health.

COLCORONA (NCT04322682) is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, home-based clinical trial. It was conducted in Canada, the United States, Europe, South America, and South Africa. The study included 4,488 non-hospitalized patients over 40 years of age with COVID-19 at the time of inclusion, with at least one identified risk factor for COVID-19 complications (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, known respiratory disease, obesity). Patients were randomized to receive colchicine (0.5 mg twice daily for three days and once daily after) or placebo for 30 days.

The Montreal Health Innovation Coordinating Centre (MHICC) at the MHI coordinated COLCORONA, which was funded by the Quebec government, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Montreal philanthropist Sophie Desmarais, and the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, an initiative launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome and Mastercard. Montreal-based CGI, Dacima and Pharmascience were also collaborators in the study.

About the Montreal Heart Institute 
Founded in 1954, the Montreal Heart Institute constantly aims for the highest standards of excellence in the cardiovascular field through its leadership in clinical and basic research, ultra-specialized care, professional training, and prevention. It houses the largest cardiology research center in Canada, the largest cardiovascular prevention center in the country, and the largest cardiovascular genetics center in Canada. The Institute is affiliated with the Université de Montréal and has more than 2,000 employees, including 245 doctors and more than 85 researchers. icm-mhi.org

About the Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC) 
The Montreal Health Innovations Coordinating Center (MHICC) is a leading academic clinical research organization and an integral part of the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI). The MHICC possesses an established network of collaborators in over 4,500 clinical sites in more than 35 countries. It has specific expertise in precision medicine, low-cost high-quality clinical trials, and drug repurposing. mhicc.org

About Pharmascience
Founded in 1983, Pharmascience Inc. is the largest pharmaceutical employer in Quebec. With its head office located in Montreal and its 1,500 employees, Pharmascience Inc. is a private pharmaceutical company with deep roots in Canada, and whose global reach spans across more than 60 countries. Ranked 47th among the top 100 Canadian investors in Research and Development (R&D), thanks to $49,5 million investment in 2018, Pharmascience Inc. is one of the largest manufacturer of generic drugs in the country. pharmascience.com

About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is one of the world’s largest information technology (IT) and management consulting firms. From hundreds of locations around the world, CGI offers a complete portfolio of services and solutions: strategic IT and management consulting services, systems integration services, intellectual property solutions as well as IT and business process management services in delegated mode. cgi.com/canada

About Dacima
Founded in 2006, Dacima Software Inc. is a leading innovator in Electronic Data Capture (EDC) software for clinical research. Dacima’s EDC software, Dacima Clinical Suite, is a fully feature EDC software application with integrated modules for patient randomization (IWRS), supply management, ePRO, eDiary, medical coding and eConsent. Dacima’s flexible and highly configurable EDC platforms allow for the design of all types of study designs including clinical trials, patient registries, observational studies and web surveys through an intuitive user-friendly web interface. dacimasoftware.com

About the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator 
The Therapeutics Accelerator is an initiative launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard with support from public and philanthropic donors to speed up the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying, assessing, developing, and scaling up treatments. Its partners are committed to equitable access, including making products available and affordable in low-resource settings. www.therapeuticsaccelerator.org

LEDVANCE, the Makers of SYLVANIA General Lighting, Launches Brighter Days Ahead Campaign

Enter for a Chance to Win $1,000 & SYLVANIA General Lighting Products to Help Brighten Your Day

WILMINGTON, Mass., May 27, 2021 /CNW/ - The year 2020 was difficult for all of us. With vaccines rolling out and businesses opening though, brighter days are ahead. To celebrate this light at the end of the tunnel, LEDVANCE, the makers of SYLVANIA General Lighting in the US and Canada, is launching its Brighter Days Ahead Campaign and asking, "What are you looking forward to in brighter days ahead?" For some, it's holding a postponed wedding or finally seeing a new grandchild for the first time. For others, it's inviting friends into their homes for game night or welcoming more patrons into their businesses. From today to July 31, 2021, people can go the campaign website to share what they're looking forward to this year. Five people in Canada and five people in the US will be picked in August to win $1,000 and a selection of the latest SYLVANIA General Lighting products to help brighten their days.   

Working Towards Brighter Days Ahead!
While it's true there are brighter days ahead, many are still battling the dark and LEDVANCE wants to help turn awareness into action. LEDVANCE is working with these leading mental health non-profits to share tips and resources on social media to support those who may be struggling.

• CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) - Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres, where Mental Health is Health. 
• NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) - the largest grassroots mental health organization in the US dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. 
• Be the Light Campaign - a movement of volunteers creating events and random acts of kindness to spread hope, love & compassion. 

"Whether for their homes or businesses, we are honored that for over 100 years people have placed their trust in our SYLVANIA lighting products to illuminate their loved ones or customers' businesses. The past year has felt like a century, and everyone's family and workforce has been impacted by the global pandemic, causing enormous stress and anxiety. We want to help those struggling in the dark and celebrate there are brighter days ahead," said Charlie Harte, VP of Marketing and Customer Experience, LEDVANCE LLC.  

Brighter Days Ahead with SYLVANIA General Lighting 
Now, in the brighter days ahead, you can make your home and business even more comforting for loved ones, guests, and employees with better light for better living, including the following SYLVANIA General Lighting products.

• Available through distribution, SYLVANIA LED lamps and luminaires for electricians, contractors and facility managers are built on a legacy of over 100 years of lighting expertise and deliver beautiful illumination. They are easy to install and covered by LEDVANCE's award-winning warranty program so you can count on the LEDVANCE team being there. Many also let you select the lumens and/or color temperature you need all in one product. These all save you time so you can focus on things you want to do to brighten your day.  
• SYLVANIA TruWave^® Technology delivers LED light closest to the Sun's Natural Light, so you can see and feel better. Colors, whites and skin tones can look better in TruWave light, so you have an exceptional color experience. TruWave also reduces unnecessary blue light to help you fall asleep easier and reduce eye strain. 
• Available at the Home Depot in-store and online, SYLVANIA LightSHIELD Technology is an everyday light with germ-fighting benefits. When the LED bulb is switched on, the LightSHIELD coating is activated, which is safe for humans and pets. The natural circulation of the air brings germs, odors and any other organic compounds into contact with the coating where they are neutralized. 
• SYLVANIA SMART⁺ lighting can simplify your life with easy setup, controls and features, and style your life with beautiful illumination to suit your changing mood. 

For the latest on SYLVANIA lighting innovations for commercial and residential applications, visit www.sylvania.comor follow the makers of SYLVANIA General Lighting on social media on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagramand Pinterest.

ABOUT LEDVANCE LLC
With offices in more than 50 countries and business activities in more than 140 countries, LEDVANCE is one of the world's leading general lighting providers for professional users and end consumers. In North America, LEDVANCE LLC offers a wide range of SYLVANIA LED luminaires for various applications, intelligent lighting products for Smart Homes and Buildings, one of the largest LED lamps portfolios in the industry, and traditional light sources. The SYLVANIA brand leadership is a result of over 100 years of lighting experience and paves the way for future success. Further information can be found at www.sylvania.com.

Founder of Positive Psychology Martin Seligman awarded RCSI Honorary Doctorate
 

DUBLIN, May 28, 2021 -- Professor Martin Seligman has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences at the 2021 School of Medicine conferring ceremony. 

Professor Seligman, who is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology and Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, is recognised as the founder of Positive Psychology as a field of scientific study. 

Through his pioneering work, he shifted the focus of psychology from the elimination of misery to the more empowering practices of gratitude, resilience and hope. He is also a recognised authority on interventions that prevent depression, and build strengths and well-being. 

He has written more than 350 scholarly publications and 30 books and his methods have been adopted widely across the world in education, healthcare and public policy. His most recent book The Hope Circuit, published in 2018, is an autobiography and memoir of his ideas, described as A Psychologist's Journey from Helplessness to Optimism.

RCSI established an Annual Honorary Doctorate Award in 2011 to recognise excellence and to provide inspiration to graduating students on their conferring day. The Honorary Doctorate of Science is the highest academic award given by the university and awardees are exceptional people who have made a difference to the world through education, research or service. 

Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI CEO, said: “It is a great honour and privilege for RCSI that Professor Martin Seligman has accepted this Honorary Doctorate. Professor Seligman is a pioneer. As the founder of the field of positive psychology, he has dedicated his distinguished 55 year-long career to building our understanding of how our strengths, positive emotion, good relationships, meaning and flourishing shapes our lives and our health”.

“His influence permeates the culture of RCSI and inspired by his work we launched the world’s first academic centre for positive psychology and health in 2020. He is a most deserving recipient of this Honorary Doctorate”, added Professor Kelly. 

Led by Professor Ciaran O’Boyle, the RCSI Centre for Positive Psychology and Health applies the scientific principles of positive psychology and lifestyle medicine to enhance the health and happiness of people in Ireland and around the world. The Centre reflects RCSI’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 3, good health and well-being.

Next Tuesday (1 June) Professor Seligman will deliver an RCSI MyHealth guest lecture on Positive Psychology, Agency and Human Progress. The lecture airs at 2pm (Irish time). There is further information here.

ENDS

About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is a world-leading university for Good Health and Well-being. Ranked second in the world for its contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021, it is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide.

RCSI is an international not-for-profit university, headquartered in Dublin. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the World University Rankings (2021) 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.

Roche Canada Announces Collaboration to Improve Access to Personalized Healthcare with Real World Evidence

BC Cancer, CPHIN and Roche Canada will co-create an evidence-generating framework to leverage real-world data and facilitate cost-effective access to targeted treatments for cancer patients

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 28, 2021 /CNW/ - Hoffmann-La Roche Limited (Roche Canada) is pleased to announce a joint initiative with BC Cancer and the Canadian Personalized Healthcare Innovation Network (CPHIN) to co-create a real-world evidence (RWE) framework in British Columbia known as the PRecision Oncology Evidence Development in Cancer Treatment (PREDiCT). The PREDiCT initiative will generate and assess RWE, which may be used to help shape new sustainable reimbursement pathways for personalized cancer treatments.

This initiative marks a leading public-private collaboration in personalized healthcare in Canada and, if proven successful, represents an important milestone towards a healthcare system that leverages real-world and clinical trial data to provide the right care options for patients and inform policies that ensure cost-effective access.

The standard process for reimbursing cancer medicine is based on cost-effectiveness evaluations, and safety and efficacy data largely collected through clinical trials. However, RWE is becoming increasingly important to fill gaps in this data and capture insights throughout a patient's whole journey that can help guide clinical and reimbursement decision making. The demand for RWE by regulatory and reimbursement health authorities continues to grow, particularly for personalized cancer therapies that target rare mutations where traditional clinical trial evidence may be limited. The PREDiCT initiative aims to create a real-world data evidence-generation framework and elevate the use of RWE in informing healthcare decision-makers. The results could provide a new path forward for innovative therapies that may not fit the traditional reimbursement pathway – a critical step in ensuring cost-effective access to personalized cancer care for patients.

"PREDiCT has the potential to evolve the way health authorities and policy-makers interpret and use RWE in oncology decision-making, and potentially increase the number of targeted treatment options available to cancer patients across British Columbia, and eventually Canada," says Ronnie Miller, President and CEO, Roche Pharmaceuticals Canada. "In working together with BC Cancer and CPHIN, we can drive sustainable healthcare transformation leading to greater personalized care and better health, at a lower cost, for people and society."

"The core hope of PREDiCT is to change the BC Cancer healthcare data ecosystem and the way we make decisions," says Dr. Dean Regier, senior scientist, BC Cancer and PREDiCT co-principal investigator. "This initiative is moving forward with the intent of operationalizing learning healthcare systems for life cycle health technology assessment, with a view to generate real-world evidence to make better informed decisions about treatment efficacy, patient value, and cost-effectiveness."

The PREDiCT initiative also aims to generate and validate high-quality real-world data that examines the impact and value of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to identify potential cancer mutations. "PREDiCT presents a great opportunity for BC Cancer to upgrade its molecular diagnostic offering to benefit more patients with clinically actionable information," explains Dr. Stephen Yip, pathologist, BC Cancer and PREDiCT co-principal investigator. "The improvement to the logistical and technical infrastructure of BC Cancer laboratories will accelerate the wider adoption of advanced genomic profiling in patients."

"The advantage of PREDiCT is that it enables generation of RWE for decision-making while prioritizing patient treatment and access to therapy," states Dr. Cheryl Ho, medical oncologist, BC Cancer and PREDiCT co-principal investigator. "This is an opportunity to facilitate access to a more personalized level of care for our patients with the longer-term vision of generating data that will help inform decision-makers," adds Dr. Howard Lim, medical oncologist, BC Cancer and PREDiCT co-principal investigator.

PREDiCT will initially be piloted at BC Cancer centres and CPHIN will convene healthcare partners to facilitate cross-provincial learning and scale the program beyond British Columbia. The ultimate goal is integrating a national framework to enable a more streamlined approach for patient access to cost-effective innovative treatments and technologies across many disease areas.

"Real-world evidence holds the potential to demonstrate how targeted treatments can improve patient care and clinical outcomes, but the current approach to leveraging RWE is fragmented and untapped," says Dr. Helen Chen, President, CPHIN. "Through this public-private partnership, PREDiCT paves the way for Canada-wide use of RWE at the healthcare decision-making level and unlock data insights that could lead to better patient outcomes."

About Roche

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalized healthcare - a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1931, Roche Canada is committed to searching for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases while making a sustainable contribution to society. The company employs more than 1,800 people across the country through its Pharmaceuticals division in Mississauga, Ontario and Diagnostics, as well as Diabetes Care divisions in Laval, Quebec.

Roche aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Roche Canada is actively involved in local communities through its charitable giving and partnerships with organizations and healthcare institutions that work together to improve the quality of life of Canadians. For more information, please visit www.RocheCanada.com.

About BC Cancer

BC Cancer, a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. For more information, visitwww.bccancer.bc.ca or follow us on Twitter@BCCancer.

About CPHIN

The Canadian Personalized Healthcare Innovation Network (CPHIN) is a pan-Canadian non-profit organization that brings together healthcare stakeholders and orchestrates initiatives that accelerate system transformation to enable personalized healthcare and improve health outcomes for Canadians. For more information go towww.cphin.ca or contact us at info@cphin.ca.

All trade-marks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
© Copyright 2021; Hoffmann-La Roche Limited

SOURCE Roche Canada