June 2014
- Advance Health Solutions, the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association, and the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network plan to launch several collaborative programmatic and policy projects nationally that focus on improving physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices among cancer survivors and promoting cancer prevention among at risk populations.
- Maryam Navaie, Dr.P.H., President and CEO of Advance Health Solutions, and Robert McLay, M.D., Ph.D., Research Director for the Department of Mental Health at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, CA, were featured on KUSI News this morning to raise PTSD awareness by discussing its effects on both military and civilian populations, innovative technologies for treatments, and, most importantly, to send a message of support to patients and their families. Click here to watch the video.
- KUSI News puts a spotlight on PTSD Awareness Month by featuring collaborative research on innovative treatments to help military and civilian patients with PTSD being conducted by Advance Health Solutions and Naval Medical Center San Diego.
Pictured at KUSI News studios in San Diego, CA are Maryam Navaie, Dr.P.H., President and CEO of Advance Health Solutions and psychiatrist Robert N. McLay, M.D., Ph.D., Research Director of the Department of Mental Health at Naval Medical Center San Diego. - Advance Health Solutions participates in the Annual BIO International Convention’s Global Event for Biotechnology in support of its industry, government and non-profit clients who leverage biotechnology advances to improve treatment options for a multitude of diseases across the globe.
- In support of PTSD Awareness Month, featured news stories describing a novel PTSD treatment known as stellate ganglion block (SGB) administered by anesthesiologists and pain management doctors to military service members, veterans and civilians were published in Becker’s Spine Review (click here) and Becker’s ASC Review (click here).
- Becker’s ASC Review publishes a news story on the effects of local anesthetics on rapidly improving post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following a research publication in the Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Research by Advance Health Solutions' colleagues and collaborators. To read Becker’s news story, click this link. To read the research publication, click here.
- Advance Health Solutions' colleagues join Channel 7 NBC/CW56 and Boston Medical Center in advocating the benefits of maintaining a physically active lifestyle at the annual Boston Health and Fitness Expo held at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA.
- Bartolome Celli, M.D., joins the Health Professional Advisory Board of Advance Health Solutions. Dr. Celli is an internationally renowned pulmonologist with extensive expertise in conducting research on biomarkers and differential outcomes associated with various treatment options for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He is a Co-chairperson of the American Thoracic Society’s (ATS) Committee that established the Standards for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients with COPD, and a member of the GOLD executive committee. He was past Chairman of the Clinical Assembly of the ATS, and past President of the Massachusetts Thoracic Society and New England College of Chest Physicians. Currently, Dr. Celli is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a distinguished member of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.
- Advance Health Solutions' colleagues, Dr. Maryam Navaie, President and CEO, and Dr. Sabrina Selk, Manager, Research and Client Relations, promote the importance of maintaining a physically active lifestyle with the News Team at Channel 7/CW56 as part of the 2014 Boston Medical Center/NBC 7News Health and Fitness Exposition held in Boston, MA.
Advance Health Solutions' colleagues, Dr. Maryam Navaie, President and CEO, and Dr. Sabrina Selk, Manager, Research and Client Relations, at NBC Chanel 7/CW56 studio in Boston, MA. - In collaboration with colleagues from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, MA, Advance Health Solutions plans to launch research examining the many benefits of exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine in the management of diabetes.
Maryam Navaie, Dr.P.H., President and CEO of Advance Health Solutions, and Edward M. Phillips, M.D., Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, Director of Outpatient Medical Services at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Network in Boston, MA and Assistant Physiatrist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Massachusetts General Hospital at the Institute for Lifestyle Medicine housed in Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA. - Researchers from Advance Health Solutions, Naval Medical Center San Diego, Naval Hospital Okinawa, Washington, DC's Department of Behavioral Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center disseminate the following PRESS RELEASE to highlight results form their collaborative research study featured in the Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Research.
Reports of Patients Successfully Treated by Army, Navy and Civilian Doctors Give Hope that a Biologic Approach to Managing PTSD Is On the Horizon
WASHINGTON, DC, June 9, 2014 – A study showing that the use of local anesthetics can help rapidly improve persistent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been published in the current issue of the Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Research. The study, which was led by researchers from Advance Health Solutions and experts in military psychiatry and anesthesiology, is a consolidation of all published case reports and case series on the use of a neck injection procedure known as stellate ganglion block (SGB) to treat patients who have tried and otherwise failed conventional PTSD therapies.
The study was led by epidemiologist Dr. Maryam Navaie who says the key message from the research is compelling and especially meaningful in its June publication release given this month has been designated by Congress to include PTSD Awareness Day (S. Res. 455). Said Navaie: “Our article shows that SGB rapidly reduces chronic PTSD symptoms in patients treated across the country by Army, Navy, and civilian doctors alike. The growing evidence-base from multiple credible institutions caring for active duty service members, veterans and civilians who suffer from PTSD is consistent and impressive when examined in its totality”. US Navy Captain and Head of Pain Management in the Department of Anesthesiology at Naval Hospital Okinawa, Dr. Anita H. Hickey, a co-author of the study, agrees. Said Hickey: “The large scale of human suffering and financial costs associated with persistent PTSD requires that we continue to search for additional treatment options. SGB offers a promising, novel and safe approach for the treatment of PTSD without the risks and side effects associated with medications. Being a common pain management procedure, SGB is in a position to be studied widely and more rigorously to discern which patients might best benefit from this treatment".
Retired Army psychiatrist and renowned military PTSD expert, Colonel Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, M.D., M.P.H., who also authored the study says that SGB offers new hope for many patients who either resist or have had little success with traditional treatments. Said Ritchie: “While some treatments for PTSD do exist, many sufferers refuse to go, either because they worry about re-exposing themselves to trauma or about medication side-effects. One of the exciting aspects of this stellate ganglion procedure is that, for some, it leads to a dramatic reduction in symptoms in a very short period of time with minimal or no side effects. We do not yet know enough about which patient populations it will benefit though. More research into this promising modality is clearly needed, but this review is a great springboard to get there”. Dr. Ritchie is currently the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Behavioral Health in Washington, DC. Fellow psychiatrist Robert N. McLay, M.D., Ph.D. who oversees research studies specific to various treatments for PTSD in the Department of Mental Health at Naval Medical Center San Diego concurs with Dr. Ritchie: "If this works, SGB is just about the ideal treatment for PTSD. We found that all the case reports about the procedure were positive. That’s encouraging. But the plural of ‘anecdote’ is not ‘science.’ We also found that there were no formal studies testing SGB for PTSD. Clearly, those will be needed in the future.”
SGB expert and another study co-author, Salahadin Abdi, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman in Department of Pain Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center said that bringing anesthesiologists and psychiatrists under one roof to advance treatment options for PTSD was a particularly rewarding experience because it pushes research into previously uncharted territory. Said Abdi: "This is a small step forward towards understanding and the acceptance of a commonly performed interventional pain procedure, SGB, for the treatment of PTSD given the fact that current options are inadequate. Thinking outside the box!"
Contact: Dr. Maryam Navaie at (202) 507-5635 or via email at mnavaie@advancehealthsolutions.com. To download the published research article, click this link.
- The 10th Annual Congressional Gala of the Armed Forces Foundation, an event that was co-sponsored by Advance Health Solutions, is featured in The Nation’s Health, a publication of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The following is the excerpt from The Nation’s Health regarding this collaborative event: The Armed Forces Foundation in Washington, D.C., used National Public Health Week as an opportunity to address the health of those who serve in the U.S. military. The Foundation’s 10th Annual Congressional Gala hosted a night of remembrance attended by government officials, military leaders, nonprofit organizations and academic faculty. More than 40 national organizations co-sponsored the event, which helped raise awareness and funds for public health and social programs benefiting active-duty military members, veterans and their families, with a focus on supporting those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Among the attendees were Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and members of Congress. To access the full report, go to this link.
- The Nation’s Health, a publication of the American Public Health Association (APHA), features community activities in celebration of National Public Health Week. One of the featured organizations is the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) who is collaborating with Advance Health Solutions to conduct research on the important role of the health and fitness industry in improving physical inactivity across the nation. Here is an excerpt from The Nation’s Health: National Public Health Week events in San Diego, Calif., began in mid-March at the 33rd Annual Convention of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. During its convention, the association launched a new public health campaign called #WhyGetActive to increase awareness about physical activity. Also in support of National Public Health Week, the association launched a foundation to promote the implementation of evidence-based health promotion programs in health clubs. As part of its efforts, the association has partnered with researchers to study the return on investment of physical activity programs. To read the full report, go to this link.
- In support of PTSD Awareness Day as designated by Senate Resolution 455 and June as PTSD Awareness Month, the current issue of the Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Research publishes an article entitled: “Use of Stellate Ganglion Block for Refractory Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of Published Cases” co-authored by Advance Health Solutions' colleagues Dr. Maryam Navaie and Morgan S. Keefe along with collaborating co-authors Dr. Anita H. Hickey, M.D., Captain in the US Navy at US Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan, Dr. Robert N. McLay, Commander in the US Navy Reserve and Research Director in the Department of Mental Health at Naval Medical Center San Diego, and Dr. Salahadin Abdi, Chair of the Department of Pain Medicine at The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. The article highlights the first biologic approach which has shown promise in rapidly improving PTSD symptoms in military, veteran and civilian populations. To read the full article, click here.
- Thomas George Hornby, P.T., Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology & Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Research Director of the Locomotor Recovery Laboratory and Sensory Motor Performance Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) joins the Health Professional Advisory Board of Advance Health Solutions. Dr. Hornby has clinical and research expertise in the areas of physical medicine and rehabilitation with particular interests in neurologic injuries. His research has focused primarily on enhancing motor and sensory recovery following a stroke or spinal cord injury.
- Advance Health Solutions' colleagues, Dr. Maryam Navaie, President and CEO, and Dr. Soojin Cho-Reyes, Research Associate, attend the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, IL and present research findings on the diagnostication, treatment and outcomes of cervical sympathetic chain schwannomas. Study collaborators included Dr. Michael Keefe from Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group in San Diego, CA and Dr. Gavin Setzen from Albany ENT & Allergy Services, PC in Albany, NY. Click here to read abstract.
Pictured at the annual BIO International Convention held in San Diego, CA (from left) are Scott Williams, MPA, Director of Alliance Development for the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Cancer Action Network, Maryam Navaie, Dr.P.H., President and CEO of Advance Health Solutions, and Pam Traxel, Vice President of Alliance Development and Philanthropy for ACS’ Cancer Action Network.