‘DR. PHIL’ SHOW TO FEATURE GENOMIND’S GENECEPT ASSAY ™ IN UPCOMING PROGRAM AIMED AT HELPING A PATIENT GET BETTER, FASTER

bit.ly/1qeNNJu 

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA.– March 24, 2016– Genomind (www.genomind.com), a personalized medicine company bringing innovation to mental health care through genetic testing, will soon be featured in a nationally broadcast episode of “Dr. Phil.”

Dr. Phil McGraw, a psychologist and New York Times best-selling author, and his producers selected Genomind’s Genecept Assay ™ to be highlighted as part of a program focused on helping a family in crisis.

The Genecept Assay is a genetic test designed to help clinicians optimize treatment decisions for their patients with mental illness. It is an easily administered cheek swab test that analyzes key genes, selected based on the critical examination of hundreds of studies showing that variations in these genes can inform treatment decisions in psychiatry.

On Tuesday, March 29, the TV program will tell the story of a girl struggling with a variety of mental health challenges. She and her family have tried numerous treatments, so far without success. Dr. Phil and her treating psychiatrist will offer the Genecept Assay as a potential way to help reduce the time, expense and struggle of finding the right treatment by trial and error.

Recent research found 87 percent of patients demonstrated a clinically measureable improvement with treatment guided by the Genecept Assay. It also reported improvement in 91 percent of patients who had failed at least two medications in the past: https://genomind.com/clinical-evidence/.

The Genecept Assay is available for use by any licensed and prescribing clinician. Patients should discuss with their clinician whether the Genecept Assay test is right for them https://genomind.com/talk-to-your-doctor/. Patients should have their clinician contact Genomind directly to order test kits and/or to receive more information about testing.

Dr. McGraw’s work was recognized by the American Psychological Association in 2006 when it honored him with a presidential citation. Over the years, the “Dr. Phil” show has received 27 Emmy nominations and won five PRISM Awards for the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse and addiction, as well as the MADD Media Award. In addition, the Alliance for Women in Media, sponsors of the Gracie Award named after Gracie Allen, has honored Dr. Phil four times. Details about where to watch the show locally can be found at www.drphil.com.

ASPR continues to find new ways to share with the public how genetic testing guides clinicians in helping patients get better, faster when facing a mental health issue. Recently, ASPR connected a Minneapolis psychiatrist with the local CBS affiliate for a live interview. During the segment, the doctor was able to explain how the Genecept Assay(TM) from Genomind is in being used as an effective tool in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. 

By finding important stories, identifying the right outlet and preparing spokespeople for interviews, ASPR is uncovering the story. 

The WCCO-TV segment can be viewed at this link: http://bit.ly/21L99yW

The water crisis in Flint, Mich., is receiving needed media attention. ASPR has been proud to help advocates share the call for a victims compensation fund, such as the one that was was created after 9-11. Below is the story that was secured in Washington Monthly; additional coverage has been seen on Huffington Post, NBC stations and Reuters.

Last week, Michigan senators stopped a comprehensive energy bill from moving through Congress, demanding the addition of millions of dollars to help Flint residents repair their water supply and to study the effects of lead on Flint’s children. The senators’ demands, however, fell short of direct aid to Flint residents – which some experts now say is also a must if the victims are ever going to recover fully from the crisis.

A coalition of 200 economic and civil rights experts recently sent a letter to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, asking for the creation of a “Health and Compensation Fund” for those affected by the crisis. The group proposes that the fund be modeled after the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, which eventually paid out more than $7 billion to the survivors of the September 11 terror attacks.

 As proposed, the Flint Victims Fund would cover residents’ claims for direct damages caused by lead-tainted water, as well as health screenings and treatment, research on the health and socioeconomic consequences of the crisis and outreach to potentially eligible residents. The experts, all of whom are members of the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative’s Experts of Color Network, include coalition organizer Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, president and CEO of the Center for Global Policy Solutions as well as the presidents of the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Association, the National Congress of American Indians and a variety of prominent scholars and researchers.

 The experts say that even after Flint’s infrastructure is repaired – if it’s repaired – it won’t be enough to compensate Flint residents for the long-lasting damage brought on by the lead-contaminated water flowing through their homes. In addition to the immediate health consequences of the water crisis, the group’s letter argues that the long-term side effects of lead poisoning, such as “lower IQ, poor academic performance and aggressive or violent behavior,” will limit the earning potential of those exposed, with lasting effects on their financial security.

Along with the creation of the victims fund, the coalition is asking Gov. Snyder to grant tax and other relief to Flint homeowners, whose homes are now virtually unsellable as a result of the water crisis.

“[Homeowners’] ability to accumulate wealth through their property has basically been stolen by ill-informed decisions,” said coalition organizer Rockeymoore. “And so everything from the pipes in the homes to the value of the homes, in terms of home equity, has basically been stripped.”

The loss of home values is especially devastating for Flint, which was only now beginning to recover from the impacts of the housing crisis. Records from the Genessee County tax assessor’s office show that the total value of residential real estate in Flint rose by nearly 7 percent from 2014 to 2015 after years of steady declines in the aftermath of the recession.

The experts say that Flint residents, at a minimum, should be allowed to write off existing debt and tax liability on their affected properties. However, the long-term damage to Flint homeowners’ wealth may never be fully repaired. According to areport by the Center for Global Policy Solutions, housing wealth accounts for 92 percent of African-Americans’ personal net worth. In Flint, Michigan, where 56 percent of the population is African-American, the loss of so much home equity means that much of the entire wealth of the city has disappeared.

“That means we cannot ignore the role homeownership plays in building economic security for families,” Rockeymoore said. “That’ll have repercussions for the rest of their lives.”

While Rockeymoore said the coalition did not have a specific figure in mind for the size of the proposed victims fund or the cost of homeowner relief, she said the fund would need to be “sizeable.”

Other than an acknowledgement of receipt from Snyder’s office, Rockeymoore said the group has not yet received a formal response to its letter.

But she also says she doesn’t doubt that if the Flint water crisis had happened in a part of the country with a different demographic makeup, the administration’s response would have been different.

 “We know that Flint is a predominantly lower-income black and brown city, and so one might conclude that the treatment that they were getting was because they are not upper-income or white,” Rockeymoore said. “We’re not going to accuse the government of Michigan of racism; however, it does seem as if there is some kind of bias that has influenced their ability to make the right decisions.”

ASPR is proud of its long history of media outreach in support of the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine. One of NLM’s goals is to share health information with the public through NLM MedlinePlus the magazine, a publication often found in doctors’ waiting rooms. We found the right connection to discuss Crohn’s disease with a cover story featuring Disney star Benjamin King from the show “Liv and Maddie.” The next step was finding the right news outlet that could share the story with a larger audience. The result was a health story on KABC-TV in Los Angeles; the newscast attracts nearly half-a-million viewers in the second largest TV market in the United States. http://bit.ly/1QfiasR

http://cbsn.ws/1YaUDP9

http://bit.ly/1Rkwlhj

MAYOR BOWSER, CITY LEADERS TO SPOTLIGHT

D.C.’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE AT TINY JEWEL BOX RIBBON CUTTING 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — City leaders will gather Friday morning to not only cut the ribbon for a longtime Washington institution that has expanded, but they will also shine a spotlight on the retail strength of the surrounding neighborhood.

Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chairman of the Council of District of Columbia Phil Mendelson and Council Member Jack Evans will join customers, friends and employees of Tiny Jewel Box to cut the ribbon on its expanded location on Connecticut Avenue.

The event will also serve as an opportunity to explain how in one year the two blocks surrounding the store have become the core of retail growth in this Golden Triangle neighborhood (www.goldentriangledc.com), featuring everything from established retailers to innovative restaurant concepts.

Near Tiny Jewel Box on Connecticut Avenue, CorePower Yoga and Cava Grill are finalizing construction and plan to open soon. Francesca’s and The Little Beet opened within the last two months, while H&M, &pizza, and PURE Aveda all opened within the last year.

Brooks Brothers completely remodeled their store last year, Gap recently renewed their lease, and T-Mobile moved within the BID, all showing continued investment in the neighborhood.

WHAT:

Ribbon cutting for Tiny Jewel Box and celebration of strength of retail in the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District

WHO:           

Mayor Muriel Bowser

Chairman of the Council of District of Columbia Phil Mendelson

Council Member Jack Evans

Golden Triangle Executive Director Leona Agouridis

Tiny Jewel Box CEO Jim Rosenheim

Tiny Jewel Box President Matthew Rosenheim

WHERE:

In front of Tiny Jewel Box at 1155 Connecticut Ave., NW

WHEN:         

Fri., Dec. 4

10:00–10:30 a.m. followed by refreshments and tours