FORT COLLINS, Colo. (PRWEB)
July 11, 2022

On June 6, Kara Caruthers, the Physician Assistant Sciences Associate Program Director for Meharry Medical College, met with SummitStone Health Partners staff and toured several SummitStone facilities including Larimer County’s voter-funded new Longview Behavioral Health campus currently under construction at Trilby Road and Taft Hill Road in southwest Fort Collins. The visit coincides with SummitStone and Meharry announcing a new educational partnership establishing a physician assistant clinical rotation at SummitStone in 2024.

“This is an exciting collaboration,” said Dr. Lesley Brooks, Medical Director/Interim Executive Director for Longview Behavioral Health and Chief Medical Officer at SummitStone Health Partners. “It’s our first partnership with an historically Black college and hopefully the first of many partnerships that will help us to create the diverse and inclusive workforce so critical in delivering equitable and culturally relevant behavioral healthcare for Larimer County.”

Meharry Medical College, located in Nashville, Tennessee, offers the physician assistant behavioral health clinical rotation in Northern Colorado to provide its students with more opportunities to pursue medical careers. Participants will practice medicine under the direction of a SummitStone physician. Meharry is a global academic health sciences center advancing health equity through innovative research, transformative education, exceptional and compassionate health services, and policy-influencing thought leadership. True to its legacy, Meharry empowers diverse populations to improve the well-being of humankind. Meharry receives over 5,000 applications for admission and provides $35 million in uncompensated care to patients each year. Their faculty and students also actively serve the community through many programs involving mentoring, counseling and volunteer work.

For 65 years, SummitStone Health Partners has transformed lives with compassionate behavioral health prevention, intervention and treatment services in Larimer County. Dedicated to treating mental health and substance use disorders for people of all ages and backgrounds, SummitStone operates 10 locations across Larimer County and has embedded clinicians in schools, law enforcement agencies and other partner organizations throughout Northern Colorado communities. SummitStone provides more than 50 services including mobile services, crisis intervention, residential care, aftercare, case management, peer specialists, and intensive and enhanced outpatient and recovery support services.

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PHOENIX (PRWEB)
July 05, 2022

WHAT: Botco.ai, the leading HIPAA-compliant conversational marketing solution, will host a customer symposium via Zoom in honor of National Minority Mental Health Month. Botco.ai has gathered esteemed mental health leaders and advocates to discuss the current state of mental health service access and how technological solutions empower mental health providers to improve access to low-income and minority groups.

The panel will discuss the importance of providing broader access to mental health services; how the pandemic has heightened the need for increased mental health awareness and access; how minority groups are disproportionately affected; how providers are using technology to interact with prospective patients; and which technologies are currently in use or will be available in the future. The panel will also discuss the results of a survey on the impact of conversational automation and other technologies on access to mental health services in today’s environment.

Visit Mental Health Symposium by Botco.ai to register for the event.

WHO: Mental health experts and advocates will be featured, including:

• 
  Anu Shukla, Co-founder and Executive Chair of Botco.ai, is an emerging player in the application of AI/NLP for enterprise marketing automation. She is a serial entrepreneur with more than 25 years of high-tech industry experience. She is an active angel investor and a venture partner at Elevate.VC, supporting and investing in women and underrepresented minority founders. She has successfully exited three startups – Rubric, MyBuys, and Tapjoy – with $1 billion in enterprise value.
• Sonja Early, VP of Administration for Georgia HOPE, a community-based organization providing mental health and wellness services in the state of Georgia for over 20 years. Early brings to the discussion more than 16 years of experience working in the mental health care industry.
• Sentari Minor, Head of Strategy for evolvedMD, an organization dedicated to integrating behavioral health services in modern primary care. A Phoenix native, Minor has spent his career assisting organizations looking to make a social impact in their communities.
• Baqi Martin, Executive Director for Connections Wellness Group, a team of psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors providing accessible mental health services for patients in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Martin is a licensed clinical social worker supervisor, with experience in child protective services, juvenile justice, and acute psychiatric hospitals.
• Additional panelists TBA.

WHEN: July 8, 2022, 11 am PDT.

About Botco.ai

Botco.ai is a HIPPA-compliant, AI-powered marketing chat solution that can be implemented at scale to improve engagement rates. Today, the company offers industry-leading authoring, webchat, and AI machine-learning capabilities to quickly and effectively convert more customers in healthcare, wellness, addiction, behavioral health, physical therapy, and senior living centers. Botco.ai’s new Integrated Analytics Dashboard provides a comprehensive view of chat campaigns across multiple messaging channels such as web and Facebook Messenger. The API-based interface can be used to transfer leads, transcripts, and data into enterprise sales and marketing automation products like Salesforce, Hubspot, Adobe Marketing Cloud, Zoho as well as leading EHR and scheduling systems. Botco.ai is the recipient of the Arizona Innovation Challenge “Most Outstanding Startup” award and a graduate of Alchemist Accelerator Class XXV, the #1 accelerator for enterprise startups. For more information, visit http://www.botco.ai/http://www.botco.ai.

Media Contact

Lauren Tascan

Candor Content for Botco.ai

lauren@candorcontent.com

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BOCA RATON, Fla. (PRWEB)
June 30, 2022

Two veteran-founded teams are combining forces to support the health of post-combat active duty military soldiers and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. While approximately 15% of veteran and military populations have had post-traumatic stress disorder (also called PTSD), the prevalence of PTSD more than doubles to 37% among those with traumatic brain injuries.

“The latest statistics show that, due to invisible injuries related to PTSD, it is six times more dangerous for an American soldier to return home from war than it is for him or her to be actively engaged in combat,” shared, Cary Reichbach, U.S. Army Veteran and Founder of Grey Team, “Our job is to help our veterans receive the care they deserve, and to provide peace, passion and fulfillment.”

Grey Team, a U.S. non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the personal health and wellness of both active-duty soldiers and military veterans, uses a combination of holistic healing technologies as well as reinstating a passion of life and purpose, to completely redefine what it means to be a U.S. military veteran. Grey Team has a special program, called Operation Phoenix, which helps military veterans learn to effectively train their minds and bodies, optimize their nutrition, decelerate their “fight or flight” response, and enable psychological recovery from the effects of war.

In support of Operation Phoenix, Grey Team is working with Seraphina Therapeutics, which is co-founded by a military family and husband-wife, physician-scientist team. Seraphina is providing fatty15, their award-winning pure C15:0 supplement, to help support the health and wellness of Operation Phoenix participants. C15:0, also called pentadecanoic acid, is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid that has recently emerged as the first essential fatty acid to be discovered since omega-3 and omega-6.

While fatty15 has been shown to improve metabolic, immune, heart and liver health at the cellular level by strengthening cell membranes and repairing mitochondria, it also naturally activates receptors (called PPAR alpha and delta) throughout the body and brain that can provide benefits relevant to protecting brain health and better handling stress.

“In addition to the growing science around how C15:0 can support both physical and mental health, we continue to receive inspiring testimonials from our customers, including fellow veterans, on how fatty15 is helping to improve their lives,” shared Dr. Eric Venn-Watson, who is Seraphina Therapeutics’ co-founder, a Navy physician, and a 3-war combat veteran. “We are proud to be partnering with Grey Team on Operation Phoenix to support the long-term health and welfare of our military and veteran communities.”

The origin story behind C15:0 has important ties to the military. C15:0 was initially discovered as an essential nutrient by Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson while working to continually improve the health and welfare of U.S. Navy dolphins. This discovery, and how helping Navy dolphins may just help save the world, was recently featured as a TEDx San Diego talk.

Grey Team, a U.S. non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the personal health and wellness of both active-duty soldiers and military veterans. Grey Team’s highly successful Operation Phoenix (the “Operation”) leverages the most cutting-edge medical, nutritional, and wellness technologies to support the rehabilitation and wellness of both active-duty soldiers and military veterans. The Operation has helped alleviate mental and physical suffering caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, chronic physical pain, and lifestyle choices. More information can be found at http://www.greyteam.org.

Seraphina Therapeutics, Inc. is a health and wellness company dedicated to advancing global health through the discovery of essential fatty acids and micronutrient therapeutics. Through rigorous breakthrough science, the company develops fatty acid supplements, food fortifiers, and nutritional interventions to strengthen cells, keep mitochondria working and advance cellular homeostasis to counter age-related breakdown. With its team of industry-leading scientists, Seraphina Therapeutics challenges long-held approaches to nutrition, enabling the creation of novel health products designed to support quality of life. For more information, please visit seraphinatherapeutics.com and fatty15.com.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (PRWEB)
June 30, 2022

Workit Health, the nation’s leading provider of virtual substance use disorder treatment, has added M. Justin Coffey, M.D. as chief medical officer. Dr. Coffey is a neuropsychiatrist and one of the nation’s leading experts in psychiatry and behavioral health. He will bring extensive experience developing and leading a wide range of clinical, educational, and scientific programs to the innovative, person-centered care at Workit.

“Workit Health is on the cutting-edge of person-centered care,” said Coffey. “By bringing individuals and families to the design table, Workit is setting a new standard for whole-person behavioral health care. With rates of suicide and drug-related death at an all-time high, the need to expand Workit’s reach is more urgent than ever. Nibbling around the edges will not work. We need transformation in the way we treat addiction as a society.”

Prior to joining Workit Health, Coffey served as chair of psychiatry and behavioral health at Geisinger Health System, a large, integrated health system in Pennsylvania known for innovation. Through a collection of technological innovations, strategic partnerships, and care redesign initiatives, he integrated and rapidly grew the system’s behavioral health service line. He was recruited to Geisinger from the Menninger Clinic, one of the nation’s top psychiatric hospitals, where he served as vice president and chief information officer. At Menninger, he led the development of clinical information systems for measuring patient outcomes and costs of care. He founded and directed the Menninger Center for Brain Stimulation, where his team’s innovative work in family-centered care was recognized as a national ‘best practice.’

“Dr. Coffey is an innovative leader who has dedicated his time and expertise to improving behavioral health care,” said Lisa McLaughlin, co-CEO and co-founder of Workit Health. “His goals and expertise align with Workit Health’s mission of changing the way addiction is treated in America, and we’re excited to watch his impact help our members across the country.”

Coffey earned his B.A. in history, philosophy, and social studies of science and medicine (summa cum laude) and his M.D. from the University of Chicago. He completed psychiatry residency training at the University of Michigan, where he served as chief resident. Coffey holds board certifications in psychiatry, behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry, and clinical informatics. He is a member of the American College of Psychiatrists, a fellow of the American Neuropsychiatric Association, a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and immediate past president of the International Society for ECT and Neurostimulation. He serves on the editorial board of multiple scientific journals and has published in the fields of neuropsychiatry, brain stimulation, suicide, care redesign and health technology.

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DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB)
June 27, 2022

Harmony Outpatient Center in Delray Beach offers Medication-assisted treatment for those struggling to overcome opioid use and other addictions. This type of treatment allows individuals who experience severe addiction the opportunity to wean off of substances gradually and provides a medically supervised alternative to life-threatening substances.

“What people need to know about addiction is that it affects every individual differently,” says Dr. Jeffrey M. Bishop, Harmony Outpatient’s medical director. “Not every individual is going to be able to maintain sobriety solely through mental health care and therapy. Some individuals, especially those with opioid addiction, require medication-assisted treatment in addition to mental health care so their body is able to adapt to the sober lifestyle, along with their mind.”

Medication-assisted treatment commonly consists of methadone or buprenorphine injections that allow an individual to wean off of substances gradually and is generally used in conjunction with an outpatient treatment program. While not for everyone, the right candidates can use medication-assisted treatment until they have solid footing within their sober lifestyle, and do not use the medication long-term.

“It is important that we refrain from treating each addiction the same, and acknowledge that different individuals need different types of care in order to get sober and stay sober, “ Bishop continues. “At Harmony Outpatient, we do just that. We meet the patient where they are and provide them the care they will need to continue healing.”

To learn more about Harmony Outpatient Center, and how medication-assisted treatment can support you or your loved one, reach out at (561) 342-5604 or online at https://harmonyoutpatient.com/.

https://www.google.com/maps?cid=13771223811874667482

Harmony Outpatient Center | Delray Beach Rehab

1300 NW 17th Ave #160,

Delray Beach, FL 33445

(561) 529-9623

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SAN DIEGO (PRWEB)
June 22, 2022

Twenty-two active and former military successfully commit suicide each day. On June 2nd, Confidential Recovery, an outpatient substance abuse treatment program in San Diego, partnered with the San Diego Veterans Coalition (SDVOC) to host an educational seminar on how to help prevent suicide.

The event was held ‘in-person,’ and also virtually broadcast via ZOOM, and was both educational and inspirational. Keely Wright from the Veteran’s Administration’s Suicide Prevention Team shared many slides and explanations about the warning signs of suicidal behavior. She explained not only what the “risk factors” are (like having a firearm or a prior suicide attempt), but also what “protective” factors are, which reduce the likelihood of a suicide attempt (like employment and access to mental health care).

Then, with an eye toward saving ‘at-risk’ lives, Keely gave several tips on how to approach a suicidal person, what to ask, how to respond, and how to refer them to help. She also displayed several practical tools, like gun locks and pill boxes, which are designed to delay a rash decision and buy the Veteran some time to re-think an impulsive decision.

Being Proactive When Someone is ‘At-Risk’ of Suicide

One of the key messages of the presentation was the recommendation to approach someone who might be in distress, especially if they have one or more “risk factors.” This can be daunting, but the Veteran (or civilian) in your life deserves that you take this step, and it might save their life. There’s nothing wrong with just asking, “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”

Confidential Recovery Operations Manager Jay Wylie, a Veteran-in-recovery himself, echoes the need to approach Veterans about suicidal ideation. “It’s a conversation that needs to be had because, frankly, the Vet in question probably wants to talk about it. Being able to share your difficulties with someone who cares can be a huge relief,” says Jay.

Of course, the principles of the training apply to anybody, not just Veterans, although the suicide rate for Veterans is much higher than civilians. Also, the isolation and other challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic served to increase suicide rate amongst both veterans and civilians.

To learn more about how to prevent a Veteran suicide, and find many resources to help, visit the Veterans Administration website about suicide prevention.

More About Confidential Recovery:

Scott H. Silverman, the author of The Opioid Epidemic, created Confidential Recovery in 2014 to provide the men and women of San Diego California a private and highly clinical outpatient treatment program for substance use disorders. Find out more at: https://www.confidentialrecovery.com/.

More about the San Diego Veterans Coalition:

San Diego non-profit was formed in 2009 and serves the needs of San Diego Veterans and their families by holding events and connecting organizations so that we may provide veterans and their families with a complete array of services and other opportunities. Find out more at: https://sdvetscoalition.org/.

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SAN ANTONIO and GROTON, Conn. (PRWEB)
June 16, 2022

An experimental brain injury medication conceived in laboratories at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) was tested Tuesday, June 14, in the first human subject, a clinical trial participant in Hungary. If the drug, called AST-004, performs well in human studies, it will be an urgently needed and novel treatment for stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims, including those with concussions. Plans are to study it as a chronic therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, as well.

The first trial is evaluating the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of AST-004 in healthy volunteers. Pharmacokinetics is the study of how drugs move within the body. AST-004 currently is an intravenously delivered medication, although an oral form is also being developed.

James D. Lechleiter, PhD, professor of cell systems and anatomy at UT Health San Antonio, made the discoveries that enabled AST-004 development. After a decade of research, he was the inventor of record on the first U.S. patent awarded in 2013 for a class of small molecules that showed neuroprotective effects. Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals, a privately held pharmaceutical company in Groton, Conn., entered an exclusive worldwide license agreement with UT Health San Antonio on the invention in 2015, and the health science center maintains an equity interest in its commercialization. The Office of Technology Commercialization at UT Health San Antonio played a strong assistive role, particularly during the years Dr. Lechleiter was seeking a patent and continuing through the licensing agreement process.

“We started with preclinical experiments and next moved through a series of animal studies, beginning with mice and continuing in larger, more complex models,” Dr. Lechleiter said. “In each species, AST-004 protected the brain effectively and safely. Now, after these successes and approval by regulatory authorities, we have reached trials in humans. The science we delineated, and the results every step of the way, give us a measured confidence that this treatment will in the future be used in everyday life, including with mild concussions.”

Translating laboratory discoveries into practical applications used by people is central to UT Health San Antonio’s role as the largest research university in South Texas.

“We are proud of Dr. Lechleiter’s research contributions that have led to this first-in-man clinical trial,” said Andrea Giuffrida, PhD, vice president for strategic industry ventures at UT Health San Antonio. “A novel treatment for TBI, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases will significantly impact the field of neurology and improve the lives of countless patients.”

Read more: Brain injury therapy advancing toward human studies (Oct. 4, 2021)

The first-in-human study will include up to 52 healthy participants ages 18 to 55, according to a press release by Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals. The study is funded in part by the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium in cooperation with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command of the U.S. Department of Defense.

“The collaboration with UT Health San Antonio has been sustained for almost eight years, and it has been a fantastic partnership,” said Ted Liston, PhD, vice president of research at Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals. “Our future plans are to continue to advance AST-004 and conduct clinical trials with patients in the U.S. and other countries, and then to seek approval of AST-004 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other world regulatory agencies.”

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio(UT Health San Antonio) is a primary driver for San Antonio’s $42.4 billion health care and biosciences sector, the city’s largest economic generator. Driving substantial economic impact with its five professional schools, a diverse workforce of 7,200, an annual operating budget of more than $1 billion and a clinical practice that provides more than 2 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas. UT Health San Antonio is the largest research university in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of approximately $350 million. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit https://www.uthscsa.edu.

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