Tag: health

Western New York Healthy Options Restaurant Week Returns

by Maria Morrealein Buffalo, Community, Healthy Communities, Local businesses

The Independent Health Foundation is hosting Healthy Options Restaurant Week, which runs March 4 – 10. 

Restaurants across Western New York are taking part in this week’s event.

Select menu items at participating restaurants have been analyzed by a registered dietitian from the Independent Health Foundation to meet Healthy Options standards for calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium.

“For two decades, the Healthy Options Buffalo program has helped the community make informed choices about healthy eating and we’re excited to once again highlight that work through Healthy Options Restaurant Week,” said Carrie Meyer, executive director of the Independent Health Foundation. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for families to try a healthy spin on their favorite foods – like grilled cheese, burgers, and pizza. We hope it will show people there’s no need to sacrifice flavor and fun when dining out.”

Participating restaurants include Avenue 29 Foods, Bratts Hill, Buffalo Plant Veggie Burgers, Carine’s Caribbean Cuisine, CEOKitchen, The Cheesy Chick, Fresh Catch Poke, Giacobbi’s Cucina Citta, Green Eats Kitchen and Juice Bar, Mario’s Bistro and Brews, Mister Pizza Elmwood, New Jewel of India, Sto Lat Bar, Sunshine Vegan Eats, and Undergrounds Coffee House & Roastery.

“As research continues to show evidence of the impact of food and diet on health outcomes, we are proud to work with community-based partners, like the Independent Health Foundation, to create educational resources about, and access to, nutritious meal options,” said Beth Machnica, director of Health & Well-Being for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. “We hope Healthy Options Restaurant Week serves as a catalyst for Western New Yorkers to learn that it is possible to nourish yourself with tasty, healthy food and enjoy local restaurants.”

For more details, visit healthyoptionsbuffalo.com/restaurantweek.

BNMC’s Third Annual Food As Medicine Symposium “Transformative Practices for Health” Will Take Place on September 27th and 28th at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB

by Maria Morrealein Buffalo, Collaboration, Health care, Healthy Communities, Wellness

Buffalo, NY – BNMC is pleased to announce the upcoming Food as Medicine Symposium, “Transformative Practices for Health.” The symposium will take place on September 27th and 28th, 2023 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. The school is located at 955 Main Street.

This two-day event aims to bring together national and local speakers to facilitate discussions and workshops centered around value-based practices. This year’s symposium will focus on the food industry, food equity, and lifestyle medicine. Additionally, the event will highlight partners’ food and nutrition practices rooted in integrity, accountability, and transparency, which are contributing to meaningful and sustainable change in clinical and population health outcomes.

The agenda for the 2023 symposium includes a range of activities designed both for community members and healthcare professionals.

On Day 1, participants will have the option to choose between two workshops. The first workshop, led by Registered Dietitian Rachel Laster and Rhonda Wilson of Buffalo Black Nurses, will offer a cooking demonstration for the general public, showcasing how to incorporate food as medicine in daily life. The second workshop, facilitated by Dr. Ted Barnett of the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute, is tailored for clinicians and members of the healthcare team, focusing on integrating food as medicine, and whole-food plant-based nutrition, into their practice.

Day 2 of the symposium will feature a morning keynote address on food equity by Dr. Angela Odoms Young from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. This will be followed by a panel discussion on food equity, exploring how stakeholders outside the food system can advance health and food equity through food as medicine programs. The afternoon keynote by Chef Dr. Robert Graham of Fresh Medicine NYC will delve into the field of lifestyle medicine, followed by a panel discussion highlighting best practice models for lifestyle medicine and culinary medicine programs.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion featuring representatives from the private food sector, examining their contributions to health outcomes, sustainability, and profit within the complex landscape of nutrition and health.

Accreditation for continuing medical education (CME) will be provided by the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB.

To learn more and register, visit: https://bnmc.org/health-and-wellbeing/.

BNMC is happy to offer discounted tickets for non-profits with this code FAMNP2023 and FREE tickets for students with this code FAMSTU2023.

This year’s symposium is generously sponsored by the Jacobs School and the School of Public Health and Public Health Professions at UB.

About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force in Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. BNMC launched its flagship program, IC Success in 2021 to provide support to aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. BNMC  www.bnmc.org. 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Adriana Viverette

Digital Communications Manager

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

(716) 348-4126 aviverette@bnmc.org

Presenting the 2nd Annual Food as Medicine Symposium, “A Bridge to Health.”

by Maria Morrealein Healthy Communities

BUFFALO NY– On October 13, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus’ Health & Well-Being division presented its second annual Food as Medicine Symposium, bringing together a range of national and local pioneers in the field to discuss research and policy in the Food as Medicine space. The Keynote address “Food as Medicine: Dietary Priorities and Policy Actions After the White House Conference,” was presented by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, Dean of Policy at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. The symposium was held at the UB Center for Bioinformatics and Life Sciences at 701 Ellicott Street in Buffalo. More information about the event can be found here.

BNMC and its partner institutions have been a driving force in a campus-wide effort to improve access to healthy food in hospitals and the surrounding community, collaborating with Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and other medical facilities on the Campus. Together, they have implemented the Farm to Hospital program which has connected local farmers and growers to food procurement systems at area hospitals. This program has allowed BNMC partners to serve healthy, locally sourced food to the tens of thousands of patients and visitors that rely on campus resources each year while also benefitting local farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs.

More recently, the BNMC has spearheaded the formation of the Western New York Food as Medicine Coalition, a group that brings more than 40 partners together to share best practices and expand and accelerate the impact of Food as Medicine programs on advancing health in our region.

Elizabeth (Beth) Machnica, Director of Community Well-Being at BNMC said, “Food is undoubtedly a major factor in the determination of medical outcomes, decades of research have shown us this. What we are missing is a broader awareness of the concept and the movement. Our symposium is open to all that would like to learn more and join us in discovering the latest developments and innovations to engage and empower our communities to evaluate the relationships between diet, medical outcomes, and overall health and well-being.”

Conference organizer and BNMC Associate Director of Health and Well-Being Marla Guarino added “The food as medicine discipline is growing and gaining momentum in the United States, at the BNMC we want to ensure our campus and community are at the forefront of innovation and leadership in the field. This is important for our city which has been, and still is, home to food inequities in our communities. Our symposium will spotlight that and point us toward how we can make meaningful change.”

About Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus  

For more than twenty years, The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus organization (BNMC) has been a driving force in Buffalo’s economic renaissance. Throughout its management of the growth of Buffalo’s premier innovation district, the BNMC has foregrounded smart economic, social, and environmental development, prioritizing health & well-being, and sustainability. Today, the BNMC is focused on the next phase of Buffalo’s ongoing resurgence, cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. In 2021 BNMC spearheaded the initiative to bring the national programs EforAll and Eforever to Buffalo. These proven programs support aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to help them start or grow a business. Program graduates will form the heart of Buffalo’s growing Innovation Community comprised of businesses large and small in an array of disciplines and leading the region’s next wave of economic development and growth. BNMC  www.bnmc.org. 

Join Us for Meditation Mondays in November!

by BNMCin Community, Healthy Communities, Innovation Center

Free, Virtual Meditation Sessions

Every Monday in November Beginning Nov. 2nd from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. 

The BNMC Healthy Communities team presents Meditation Mondays, a 30-minute live guided meditation each Monday morning from 8:30 – 9:00 am in November. Each week has its own theme to provide focus, purpose, and intention. All participants will receive recordings of each session and an e-book to guide their own meditation practice once the series has concluded. Meditations are being guided by Amiyah King and Jasir Ali, full bios in our Facebook Events page. Register on our Medical Campus Wellness Events Public Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2243130692613771

Download our Meditation Mondays Flyer!

BNMC Shifts Existing Grant Funding to Increase Capacity of Local Food Supply Chain During Pandemic

by BNMCin Collaboration, Community, Healthy Communities, Neighborhood Engagement

BNMC Shifts Existing Grant Funding to Support Efforts of Farmers, Not-for-Profit Organizations, and Small Distributors to Increase Capacity of Local Food Supply Chain During Pandemic

Projects Support the Longer-Term Goal of Improving Access to Institutional Procurement

 

BUFFALO, NY—The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) has partnered with four local organizations to support projects that will increase the food system resiliency in our community. A total of $20,000 has been distributed to local partners to support the production and distribution of local foods, as well as the sustainability and growth of small farms and distribution businesses that may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding has been made available through “BNMC Fresh: Farm to Hospital Implementation,” an existing three-year grant that the BNMC received in 2018 through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Local Food Promotion Program.

This collaborative initiative is designed to create a model that prioritizes local agriculture from New York State, enabling farms to access new markets (hospitals), and can be replicated across the state. The initiative is expected to create a culture that embraces local farms through prioritizing local procurement; establishes and expands community supported agriculture (CSA) and farmers’ market programs; establishes food chain transparency; increases awareness and knowledge among consumers of local food procurement efforts; and provides knowledge and skill-building opportunities to agribusiness stakeholders (farmers, distributor, food service teams). This project ultimately aims to make local procurement a regular practice and culture among health care institutions.

“Our grant manager at USDA was very understanding about our efforts to increase healthy local foods in hospitals slowing as our health care partners shift their full attention to caring for our community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Marla Guarino, BNMC’s Farm to Institution Program Coordinator “We were able to redistribute the funds originally earmarked for conferences, travel, and longer-term strategies that are currently on hold, and expand the scope of the initiative to have a more immediate impact on making our local food system more resilient.”

Guarino added, “Implementing these short-term wins more quickly supports the overall goal of the grant – increasing the ability of small farmers and organizations to play a role in institutional procurement, such as hospitals, colleges and universities, prisons, and school districts.”

In order to support the local food chain supply quickly during the pandemic, the BNMC team looked to extend projects with existing partner organizations, primarily focusing on infrastructure capital improvement; equipment; and data enhancement.  Priority was given to projects that were able to be completed within 4-6 months; collaborative efforts; minority and women-led; and infrastructure moving toward institutional procurement in the future. All final decisions required wp-contentroval from the BNMC USDA grants manager.

The team worked with the USDA in April for wp-contentroval to redirect funding, and identified the priority projects with partner organizations in May. All organizations received the funding over the summer and are well on their way to enacting change.

The following four organizations each received $5,000:

St. John’s Baptist Church, God’s Farm’acy Mobile Truck

God’s Farm’acy is a mobile food truck and raised garden initiative that distributes hot meals, fruits, and vegetables for free throughout the Fruit Belt and other underserved communities. The team at St. John’s also uses the truck to offer healthy cooking classes in the community.  They used the funds to add refrigeration to the mobile food truck, allowing them to help eliminate food desserts by increasing access to fresh foods and nutrition information. Received: Funds toward refrigeration for Mobile Truck

Groundwork Market Garden: Groundwork Market Garden is a family-owned farm on the East Side of Buffalo. GMG received funds to develop and promote a digital catalog of local farm products available for purchase. This digital catalog will be updated regularly and used to secure business with larger institutions that small farms traditionally do not serve. GMG plans to include all local urban growers into the catalog as a way to procure larger contracts and promote local farms. Received: Funds for development of digital catalog, on-line marketplace and marketing support

“These funds are helping to bring our farm up to speed with the current trend for local food to be available through online marketplaces,” said Anders Gunnersen, GMG cofounder. “The online catalog will separate our products by retail and wholesale and will be used as a means to sell produce, and as a marketing tool for our farm to reach more people and institutions in the city of Buffalo and Western NY. This project is going to streamline our sales processes and tracking, and better market our products to a much larger and broader audience.”

Produce Peddlers: Produce Peddlers is an online marketplace for buying and selling produce that prevents food waste and saves money. They received funds to reconfigure its delivery van with a refrigeration unit to increase its ability to deliver fresh and local perishable goods to consumers and businesses in the WNY region. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed many businesses, farmers and other suppliers started to back up on product. In an attempt to help, Produce Peddlers opened its marketplace to individual consumers, who were also looking for alternative avenues to source their food that didn’t involve having to go out in public places. Refrigeration will allow Produce Peddlers to handle more goods safely, be GHP compliant, and streamline its delivery methods. Received: Funds for refrigeration for mobile truck

“The ability to refrigerate our delivery vehicle has propelled our business to new heights!” said Gina Wieczorek, Co-founder, VP Operations, Produce Peddlers. “We are now able to safely transport and deliver all sorts of locally grown and produced food, including animal products, meat and other processed items, to restaurants, schools and institutions all over WNY without breaking the cold chain.”

Urban Fruits & Veggies: Urban Fruits & Veggies is an urban agriculture business with two urban farms and a mobile produce market focused on providing access and nutrition education to underserved communities in the WNY area. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are growing three times as much as they usually do to support requests for food delivery, and therefore need additional growing supplies, specifically refrigeration equipment. They also need office equipment to facilitate data tracking and growing partnerships with organizations and established programs to ensure they are addressing the social determinants to health. Received: Funds for computer, laptop and printer

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About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC): re-imagining our city’s future through the dynamic intersection of technology, health, discovery, and collaboration. The BNMC is a social enterprise focused on cultivating inclusive innovation in partnership with our community. We do this by improving infrastructure, managing our transportation system, creating a culture of health and wellbeing, driving innovation, and working with our partners to continue to build an innovative district that reflects the best of our community. In addition, the BNMC owns and operates more than 150,000 sq ft of incubator space, helping to grow a diverse array of emerging and mature companies through dynamic workspace, programming, and networking. www.bnmc-old.local

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For more information: Marla Guarino, 716.867.9528

 

Farm-To-Hospital: Fresh, Local Foods Coming to a Cafeteria Near You

by BNMCin Collaboration, Community, Health care, Healthy Communities, Kaleida, Roswell Park

Farm-To-Hospital: Fresh, Local Foods Coming to a Cafeteria Near You!

The BNMC’s Farm to Hospital initiative is designed to bring more locally grown and sourced produce, proteins, and other menu items to patients, visitors, and employees across the Medical Campus, in partnership with Kaleida Health and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Benefits of New York State Grown Foods

We all have heard the buzz about local foods.  But what does it really mean?

When businesses and institutions buy local it can have remarkable effects on public health, the environment and the local economy.  The mere questioning of where food is produced allows us to become more aware of what we put into our bodies.  And when the benefits are listed, there seems to be little question of the better option.

Wow, this stuff is tasty!  Locally grown food is at optimal freshness, picked at the peak of ripeness and therefore full of flavor.  Produce retains more nutrients and is higher in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  With fewer steps between you and the source of your food, contamination is far less likely. As well, local farmers may be using less or no pesticides and herbicides, which is healthier for the body especially for those who are immunocompromised.

In Western New York we love our green spaces and blue waters.  And, our “City of Good Neighbors” nature can extend to helping the environment too.  Eating more local foods reduces C02 emissions through less food miles travelled, helping with overall climate change.  When our producers operate well-managed farms it help protect the naturally rich ecosystem by conserving our fertile soil and fresh water from Lake Erie, as well as sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.  Buying local protects our amazing natural resources for future generations to enjoy.

Money helps too!  Choosing local supports OUR farmers. More dollars stay within the local economy and provide the security producers need to continue in this rewarding yet challenging work.  We should all be proud.  New York State ranks nationally for its top agricultural products such as wp-contentles, maple syrup and pumpkins. We are third in the nation for our dairy, wine & grapes, cabbage, cauliflower and fourth for tart cherries, fresh market sweet corn, squash, pears.  Here in Western New York we are surrounded by rural farmland and in the past decade, urban farming in Buffalo has become a mainstay and hydroponic farms provide offerings throughout the year.

Grant-Funded Program Increases Access to Healthy, Local Foods in Hospitals

In 2018, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) was one of 44 organizations nationwide and one of just four organizations in New York State to receive a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Local Food Promotion Program to help create a culture of healthy food practices and increase local food procurement.  “BNMC Fresh: Farm to Hospital Implementation” works to prioritize local agriculture within hospitals and enables farms to access new markets such as health care institutions.

Our Partners’ Role

From the beginning of BNMC’s commitment to supporting local agriculture, the food services teams at both Roswell and Kaleida Health have been leading the charge.  Devoted to providing the healthiest options, Roswell Park’s Director of Nutrition and Food Services Chris Dibble had this to say, “The culinary team at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center strives to procure and utilize local produce whenever possible. Our Farm to Table program not only supports local farmers, but also provides benefits to our patients and visitors.  Eating fruits and vegetables closest to their harvest times is always ideal because they are most nutritious at that point.”

RPCCC has encouraged their employees to take part in Community Supported Agriculture programs, extending these benefits to home dinner tables.  Their team has travelled to learn more about what other hospitals are doing to support regional local food systems.

Similarly, since the start of this initiative at Kaleida, Metz Culinary has worked with the BNMC team to build on their promise of healthy offerings as well as providing helpful information on where they are sourcing their foods from and the benefits of farm fresh local foods.

“Metz’s commitment to procuring locally grown and sourced produce and meats aligns well with Kaleida Health’s commitment to advancing the health of our community,” said Hank Cole, director of Rehabilitation Medicine and Ambulatory Clinics at Buffalo General Medical Center. “Through Metz, we’re able to provide our patients, residents, employees and guests with healthy meal options, made with the freshest ingredients, while also supporting our local farmers. It’s a win-win situation. “

Kaleida and Metz are launching a Farm to Hospital campaign to share information on fruits and veggies they use in their menu as well as introducing the producers. Recently they featured a pop-up Farmer’s Market in the cafeteria, which is a fun way of getting these veggies out into homes.

Stay Tuned!

The BNMC team are proud to showcase the hard work of our food service teams and our local farmers and are hwp-contenty to help provide the healthiest – and tastiest! – culinary offerings out there.  Throughout the upcoming year, our Farm to Hospital team will provide employees, patients and visitors with BNMC Farm-to-Hospital Implementation information about featured local produce, as well as introducing the amazing farmers behind the products.  Keep your eyes out for the latest informational messages coming your way. And enjoy the tastes of the season!

Active Living by Design

by BNMCin Environment, Healthy Communities, podcast

Active Living by Design/Episode 23/ Released March 28, 2017

Matt and Joanne Lee, Collaborative Learning Director for Active Living by Design, talk about keeping your feet on the ground while working on a national scale; local elected officials setting the tone to transform communities; social media lifting community voices; and the importance of carving out time to learn.

This podcast is available through iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher Radio.

Walking on Wednesdays (W.O.W) Is Back

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Member Institution(s), Wellness2 Comments on Walking on Wednesdays (W.O.W) Is Back

Spread the word – bring your friends and co-workers! Walking on Wednesdays (W.O.W.) is back this spring. This great, mid-day break walk will get you back to work refreshed and ready to tackle the afternoon.
Join us at the RPCI Kaminski Park every Wednesday on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Walks are wp-contentroximately 1.5 miles. All walks begin at 12:10 p.m. and end at 12:40 p.m. Be sure to dress for the weather as walks take place whether it rains or shines, except if there is lightning.

Stop by the RPCI Farmer’s Market beginning June 5 – October 2, every Wednesday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. before or after each walk to get some fresh vegetables, fruits, jams, baked goods and more.

For your comfort and safety, please remember:

  • Wear proper, comfortable footwear
  • Watch for eye-level bushes and trees
  • Watch for broken concrete, potholes and uneven surfaces
  • Obey all traffic signs and signals
  • Alert walk leaders and other walkers of unsafe conditions
  • Walk leaders have cell phones and should be notified of any incidents so they can summon help if necessary
  • Sun protection: sun block, (should be wp-contentlied a half hour before exposure) sunglasses, wide-brimmed hat
  • Adequate hydration before, after and during the walk.
  • Have fun!

 BNMC WOW Summer 2011

Corporate Challenge 2013

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Event, Member Institution(s), Wellness2 Comments on Corporate Challenge 2013

It’s team time again! This year will mark the 33rd annual JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Buffalo. The event will most likely top last year’s number of participants which included 12,667 runners from 403 companies. The event usually includes fun tent activities and lots of barbeque. Public and private companies throughout the city will have employees who sign-up in droves, including the member institutions and companies on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, all to enjoy the festivities that will take place on Thursday, June 6th, at 6:45 p.m. at Delaware Park.
Not only do participants get to build company camaraderie, complete a 3.5-mile route by running, jogging, or walking, and promote health and wellness, they also get to support a local non-profit. The YMCA Buffalo Niagara will receive a donation from JPMorgan Chase & Co. in honor of all of the event participants to support the chapter’s summer day camp initiatives. The donations to local non-profits has been a long-standing tradition to help bring awareness to the amazing work being done to enrich the lives of those each non-profit serves.

YMCA Buffalo Niagara has been the 2nd oldest YMCA in the United States since its establishment in 1852. This chapter provides programs “designed to build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.” Through the Strong Kids Campaign, more than 15,000 children and families receive financial assistance for programs such as school age child care, summer camps or a general membership. Attendees enjoy various activities including swimming, sports, special events and much, much more.

As a health and human services volunteer-based and led organization, the YMCA Buffalo Niagara receives assistance and guidance from nearly 150 volunteers that help to implement the 3 main areas of service:

• Youth Development: Nurturing the potential of every child and teen
• Healthy Living: Improving the nation’s health and well-being
• Social Responsibility: Giving back and providing support to our neighbors

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For more information and to register to participate with your company, click here.

American Cancer Society Seeks Participants for Cancer Prevention Study

by BNMCin Community, Employees, Homepage, Member Institution(s), Research, Wellness

To better understand ways to prevent cancer, the American Cancer Society is recruiting men and women across the US and Puerto Rico for a landmark new research study – Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). Enrollment is being made possible in partnership with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus on Wednesday, June 19th at Roswell Park’s Gaylord Cary Conference Room from 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Individuals may choose to participate if they are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study (which involves completing follow-up surveys periodically over the next 20-30 years), are between the ages of 30 and 65 years old and have never been diagnosed with cancer. For more information, visit www.cps3buffalo.org, call 1-888-604-5888 or e-mail mcps3@cancer.org.

CANCER

National NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo

by BNMCin Community, Event, Healthy Communities, News, Wellness

Banner Letterhead
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                           
Thursday, April 18, 2013

Contact:
Kari Root Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.
716.218.7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

MEDIA ALERT

National NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo

Shavon Arline-Bradley will talk about health equity, power and privilege

WHAT:              “An Evening with Shavon Arline-Bradley, Director of Health Programs, NAACP” is a free event, open to the public, featuring a presentation by the nationally-renowned, dynamic speaker. The discussion will focus on empowering community members to advocate for healthier communities. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about present and prevailing health disparities, socio-economic barriers and ways to combat each by using power, privilege and knowledge to help make decisions to increase individual and community health equity.

WHEN:          Wednesday, April 24th at 6 p.m.

WHERE:        WNED Studios – 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo, NY 14202 (free parking available)

WHO:             Shavon Arline-Bradley, MPH, Director of Health Programs, NAACP

Shavon Arline-Bradley is the national director of health programs for the NAACP where she is responsible for coordinating and planning the Association’s health agenda and program implementation efforts. Ms. Arline has over 11 years of public health experience in the areas of health disparities, federal and state government health program management, and community and stakeholder collaborative relationship building. The New Jersey native is a public health advocate and former track and field athlete. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ms. Arline is currently serving on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Childhood Obesity advisory board and was asked to serve on the expert advisory panel for the CDC’s Division of Physical Activity and Nutrition to address health disparities.  Ms. Arline is also a member of the AIDSVu national advisory committee.

Ms. Arline is a sought after public speaker and has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Caribbean.  She has been invited to national and regional conferences to present on disease prevention, exercise physiology, minority and women’s health issues as well as social justice. She also ministers to congregations as an advocate for faith based health, social justice initiatives and spiritual development.

Ms. Arline was awarded Young Leadership and Excellence honors and co-authored “The Queens Legacy” in 2009. She is a member of the Columbia (MD) Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and serves as the co-chair physical and mental health subcommittee of the national program planning and development committee. She is also a member of the Columbia (MD) chapter of the Links Inc. Shavon is also the former health committee chair for the Washington DC branch of the NAACP.

Prior to joining the NAACP, Ms. Arline served as the health programs coordinator of REACH 2010 at the Heart of New Orleans focusing on the heart health of over 1,300 African American women. At the Crater Health District (VA) she was the Community Health and Prevention Supervisor and public information officer and coordinated community health education and outreach programs, administrated grant funding and contractors, and served as the community liaison to the health district.

Ms. Arline served as Health Program Manager with the Black Women’s Health Imperative overseeing community outreach and program implementation for African American women and their families.  She was also the Health and Wellness Manager for the National Recreation and Park Association in Ashburn, Virginia where she managed the Action Communities for Health Innovation and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) program funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. and the Buffalo Branch of the NAACP

The event is free, but RSVP’s are requested. RSVP online at bnmc-old.local/events/health/or by phone at 716.854.2662.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is the umbrella organization created in 2001 by the anchor institutions located within the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The BNMC, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, the 55+ private sector companies on the Medical Campus, 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living. The BNMC, Inc. also works with partners throughout the community to develop healthier, greener, and more economical solutions to meet the needs of our growing urban campus and the region as a whole. bnmc-old.local

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NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo for Health Talk

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Event, Healthy Communities, Wellness

Partnering with the Buffalo Branch of NAACP, the BNMC will welcome Shavon Arline-Bradley, MPH, Director of Health Programs for the NAACP, to Buffalo. On Wednesday, April 24 at 6 p.m. at WNED Studios (140 Lower Terrace), Arline-Bradley will talk about power and privilege – and how to use both – in advocating for healthy communities.
Arline-Bradley received both her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and her Master Public Health degree in Community Health from Tulane University. Having participated in research examining minority health disparities, she has also led numerous community outreach initiatives to promote wellness and healthy communities. With 10 years of experience in public health, Arline-Bradley now focuses on promoting NAACP's national four-tiered wp-contentroach health agenda  to improve the health and well being of communities of color. She is passionate about public health, healthy eating and physical activity and dedicated to providing local NAACP chapters with the resources they need to be successful.

Learn more about Arline-Bradley and NAACP health programs here.

RSVP to attend here. This free event is open to the public.

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Brain Imaging to Identify Physical Reasons Why IBS Symptoms Improve with Drug-free Treatments

by BNMCin Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Research4 Comments on Brain Imaging to Identify Physical Reasons Why IBS Symptoms Improve with Drug-free Treatments

UB researchers and colleagues will correlate objective measures of brain changes with patients’ reports of relief from symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Patients who suffer from the painful, often disabling, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often are surprised to find that behavioral changes, not drugs, provide significant relief. Jeffrey Lackner

Now, researchers at the University at Buffalo who have pioneered some of these behavioral treatments, along with colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University, are using functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to reveal the biological basis for the relief. The research could help doctors choose the best treatment method for individual patients and could improve the quality of life for millions of people with IBS.

“We’re going to look at biological mechanisms that underlie these non-drug treatments, to discover what is going on in the brain that explains treatment benefits achieved by teaching patients specific skills to control and reduce their symptoms,” says Jeffrey M. Lackner, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a project principal investigator. “By using a brain scan to compare brain activity before and after treatment, we expect to get a picture of changes in the brain that correspond to improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms.”

The work is funded by a $2.3 million grant to UCLA, the lead institution; Northwestern; and UB by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It builds on the work of UCLA researchers at its Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress and a pilot neuroimaging study conducted by Lackner and colleagues at UB.

The brain imaging study came about partly as a result of a major, $8.9 million, seven-year, multi-site clinical trial Lackner is leading at UB to test behavioral treatments in IBS patients. It is the largest IBS clinical trial conducted to date and one of the largest behavioral trials ever funded by the NIH without a drug component. Developed at UB, these treatments are regarded as some of the most powerful treatments available to IBS sufferers.

Lackner is currently recruiting IBS patients for the behavioral and imaging studies at the Behavioral Medicine Clinic of the UB Department of Medicine at Erie County Medical Center. For more information on participating in one of the studies, call 716-898-4458 and leave a name, telephone number and convenient times to be contacted.

IBS is among the most common, disabling and intractable gastrointestinal disorders. Twice as common among women as men, it is estimated to affect between 25 million and 50 million Americans. Symptoms include pain, stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation.

“We’re excited about the possibility of providing the first evidence for biological markers that correlate with treatment-induced symptom changes, and developing a better understanding of the mechanism behind IBS,” says Lackner. “Such cutting-edge translational research is going to help foster individualized, specific treatments for patients.”

One treatment developed at UB aims to control symptoms by changing specific thinking patterns and behaviors found to aggravate IBS. Using state-of-the-art brain-imaging methods, UCLA researchers, under the leadership of Emeran Mayer, MD, hope to identify the biological mechanisms underlying their effectiveness. Mayer is a professor of medicine and psychiatry at UCLA, director of the Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and principal investigator of the imaging study.

Scientists believe that IBS symptoms are the result of dysregulation of brain-gut interactions, resulting in abnormal muscle contractions in the gut and heightened sensitivity to painful stimuli.

“Just as faulty wiring between the neural connection of the brain and gut can bring on symptoms, so learning new ways of thinking and behaving may ‘rewire’ brain-gut interactions, resulting in reduced pain and bowel symptoms that otherwise take a major toll on patients,” says Lackner. “Determining whether behavioral treatments work by targeting specific areas of the brain that have a direct effect on gut function and sensation is a major goal of this study.”

Correlating structural brain changes with symptom reduction is, for both Lackner and Mayer, a primary goal that they say will demonstrate an ‘organic’ component to IBS, which is critical. “IBS is often unfairly dismissed as a psychosomatic condition,” says Mayer. “These findings will be important in dispelling the notion once and for all that IBS symptoms are not real and are ‘only psychological.’”

Lackner’s UB’s colleagues on the study include Michael Sitrin, MD, professor, Christopher Radziwon, PhD, research assistant professor, Greg Gudleski, PhD, clinical research assistant professor, Leonard Katz, MD, professor emeritus and Rebecca Firth, senior research support specialist, all in the Department of Medicine and Susan Krasner, PhD, clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

BNMC Hosts GO Party to Highlight Alternative Ways for Employees to Get to Work

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Employees, Event, Healthy Communities, Transportation, WellnessLeave a Comment on BNMC Hosts GO Party to Highlight Alternative Ways for Employees to Get to Work

Banner Letterhead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 5, 2013

For more information, contact:

Kari Bonaro, Director of Communications
kbonaro@bnmc-old.local or 716.218.7157

MEDIA ALERT

BNMC Hosts GO Party to Highlight Alternative Ways for Employees to Get to Work

About 100 Employees Expected to Attend the Transportation-Themed Event Focusing on Smarter, Greener, Healthier Ways to Get to Work

WHAT:                 GO Party, a free hwp-contenty hour event for employees on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) who are members of GO BNMC. GO BNMC is a campus-wide movement to connect employees with healthier, greener, and affordable transportation options.

WHEN:                 Wednesday, March 6th from 4-7pm

WHERE:               Ulrich’s Tavern, 674 Ellicott Street

This free event ($5 for non-members) will highlight innovative and economical ways in which GO BNMC, a commuting and rewards initiative, aims to advance an innovative and sustainable transportation system that focuses on walking, bicycling, Metro Bus and Rail, and carpooling and vanpooling over drive-alone trips to and from the Medical Campus.

Employees will learn about the different transportation options available on the BNMC that can help them save money, get fit, and create a more sustainable environment, with the overall goal to improve employee’s abilities to get around in healthier, greener, and more economical ways.

GO BNMC is a campaign of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. in partnership with NYSERDA & NYSDOT.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is the umbrella organization created in 2001 by the anchor institutions located within the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The BNMC, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, the 55+ private sector companies on the Medical Campus, 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living. The BNMC, Inc. also works with partners throughout the community to develop healthier, greener, and more economical transportation solutions to meet the needs of our growing urban campus and the region as a whole. bnmc-old.local

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Business Sponsorships for GO BNMC Help Members Experience Surrounding Communities

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Homepage, Wellness3 Comments on Business Sponsorships for GO BNMC Help Members Experience Surrounding Communities

Support  from local businesses in the area have poured in for GO BNMC, an initiative encouraging employees on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) to make healthier and sustainable transportation choices.
GO BNMC offers its members opportunities to enjoy the benefits of using alternative transportation methods, giving away rewards and incentives. When employees on the BNMC choose to bike, carpool, walk, take public transit or any other alternative mode to work, they walk the healthier walk and help to mitigate the amount of pollution released into the environment on a daily basis.

Follow @GOBNMC on Twitter for more news and updates.

May’s Monthly Smart Commuting Raffle & Incentives:

  • 1 Gift Certificates to Oliver’s Restaurant
  • Free 30 Day Metro Pass

GO BNMC Sponsors:

Oliver's Restaurant

Oliver’s Restaurant offers a wonderful decor and American and Italian food of excellent quality. A premier dining location, Oliver’s re-opened in 1983. Offering a delicious selection of wp-contentetizers, courses, wines and desserts, Oliver’s couples wonderful service with an aura of sophistication.

 

Betty's Logo_Official copy

 

Betty’s Restaurant is located at 370 Virginia Street. Opening in October, 2004, Betty’s quickly won the hearts and loyalty of Buffalonians with its cheerful, sunny dining room, its friendly and funky staff, and its moderately priced eclectic cuisine. Betty’s food is simple, fresh, and creative, drawing on American and international influences, resulting in food that is wholesome, interesting, and unpretentious.

 

Located at 41 Virginia Place in Allentown, Fat Bob’s Smokehouse offers great service and our award-winning barbecue food. Authentic smoked meats straight from Fat Bob’s custom built Texas smoker, as well as traditional sides, seafood, wp-contentetizers, and desserts please every customer’s wp-contentetite. Fat Bob’s specializes in authentic barbecue and ice-cold beer.

 

 

Mothers Restaurant - Buffalo, NY

Located at 33 Virginia Place, Mothers Restaurant main menu features wp-contentetizers such as steamed mussels with red curry and coconut milk broth or spaghetti squash with prosciutto, fresh sage and asiago cheese. Mothers serves unique salads, entrées and specials that are even more intriguing. Specials included two very interesting soups—curried shrimp and broccoli or tomato, sausage, and fennel. Appetizers and salads included freshly shucked Malpeque oysters on the half shell with cocktail and mignonette sauces or a salad of lump crab, avocado.

 

Located at 32 Allen Street, Madonna’s presents Italy on the plate and Buffalo in the heart. Madonna’s brings the Italian style of simple cooking and perfect ingredients to a city that embodies the same. With Italian style and Buffalo hospitality, this restaurant n Allentown is a great place to enjoy Italian cuisine.

 

The Dipson Theatres Market Arcade Film & Art Center is located in Downtown Buffalo, across from Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Showing the latest movies and offering concession items to help enjoy a great movie-going experience, the Market Arcade theater includes a cafe area and friendly service.

 

Located at 3 Symphony Circle, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra provides a resident, professional, major symphony orchestra of artistic excellence and integrity to enrich the quality of life in Western New York through the presentation of live symphonic music and other musical events which educate and entertain the broadest po
ssible audiences within and beyond the Western New York region.

 

Located within the Hotel @ The Lafayette at 391 Washington Street, the Pan-American Grill & Brewery is a restaurant brewery with seating for 300-plus and a new mezzanine-level bar evoking the rich history of the former Lafayette Tap Room.

 

 

Located at 777 Main Street, Kaydara Noodle Bar is a restaurant that serves Vietnamese, Lao, Thai, Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine, including a centrally located 360 degree bar or seating overlooking the open kitchen or in the far corner with windows looking onto Main Street. Customers can also dine on the elevated platform or up in the balcony overlooking the Main Floor. Kaydara’s menu items include noodle-based dishes prepared in-house with a distinctive southeast Asian flare offering vegan and vegetarian options.

 

Located at 175 Allen Street in Allentown, Quaker Bonnet Eatery is the perfect spot for a breakfast meeting, brunch with friends, or lunch before a concert at nearby Kleinhans. Exhibits by local artists dot the walls, and Quaker Bonnet is a great source of information about cultural events in Western New York. All menu items and specials are available to enjoy at home. Specialty sandwiches, salads, soups, fresh pasta and potato salads daily specials (including hot entrees) & desserts are always available.

 

Tops Friendly Markets is a local grocery chain store that has grown since its establishment in the early 1920s. Located within every Buffalo neighborhood and throughout the region, Tops provides fresh produce, meat, seafood, baked goods, a carry-out cafe, deli and pharmacy services.

 

Coco by Le Metro

Located at 888 Main Street, Coco by Le Metro offers a variety of menu items including delicious sandwiches, soups, salads and more. Coco serves breakfast featuring fresh croissants, sfogliatelle pastries, breakfast focaccia, and egg sandwiches served on their heavenly English muffins, as well as coffee, tea and juice. Lunch features a full menu of salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches, burgers and more. Dinner is served with a basic dinner menu and changing seasonal dinner entrées.

Roswell Park in Top 6% of U.S. Centers for Blood and Marrow Transplant

by BNMCin Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Wellness14 Comments on Roswell Park in Top 614 of U.S. Centers for Blood and Marrow Transplant

RPCI’s BMT patient results superior to expected outcomes

For the third consecutive year, outcomes for patients receiving blood and marrow transplants through the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) are among the best in the nation. The latest report compiled by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) puts RPCI in the top 6% of U.S. centers performing allogeneic blood and marrow transplants, based on patient survival rates.

Allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) involves infusion of bone marrow or blood cells from a donor, and is commonly used to treat many blood cancers, including some forms of leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. The CIBMTR (website: http://www.cibmtr.org) is an international research organization that collects and publishes data from centers that perform blood and marrow transplants. Its 2012 report includes outcomes data for 169 U.S. centers. The report, which analyzed related and unrelated donor BMTs performed between 2008 and 2010, places RPCI among 10 centers whose one-year survival results were above what could be expected based on the level of acuity or risk represented among the transplanted population.

The RPCI population was once again assigned to the highest risk category, indicating that the Institute’s BMT cases during the period covered were among the most complicated. Factors such as degree of tissue match/mismatch between donor and recipient and the type of transplant being performed can add risk to these already-complex procedures.

“These outcomes, which have been consistently high for the last three years, are a direct product of the multidisciplinary interaction on which our care is based,” noted Theresa Hahn, PhD, an Associate Professor of Oncology at RPCI and Director of Quality Assurance for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. “Our outstanding clinical team has put every effort into constantly improving the experiences of our patients, and that work involves many of Roswell Park’s teams, including our Department of Medicine clinicians, nursing staff, case management, our blood cell apheresis and processing lab, the departments of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, Radiation Medicine, Radiology and Psychosocial Oncology, our clinical pharmacy staff, physical and occupational therapists, dieticians and housekeeping staff.”

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716-845-8593

Roswell Park Study Finds Substantial Use of E-Cigarettes by Smokers

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), Research3 Comments on Roswell Park Study Finds Substantial Use of E-Cigarettes by Smokers

Nearly 80% of smokers who use electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, believe the devices are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and authored by a team of scientists led by Richard O’Connor, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology and Director of the Tobacco Research Laboratory at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI).
“This study offers a snapshot in time on the use of e-cigarettes from mid-2010 to mid-2011 and examines awareness, use and product-associated beliefs among current and former cigarette smokers in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom,” said Dr. O’Connor.

Nearly 6,000 adult smokers from the four largest English-speaking countries participated in the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Study results include:

  • Overall, 46.6% of those surveyed were aware of e-cigarettes (US: 73%, UK: 54%, Canada: 40%, Australia: 20%)
  • Younger, non-minority, heavy smokers with higher incomes were more likely to be aware of e-cigarettes.
  • Younger, non-daily smokers and those who believe e-cigarettes to be less harmful than traditional cigarettes were four times more likely to try e-cigarettes.
  • E-cigarette use was higher among non-daily smokers and those who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day.
  • 79.8% of smokers believe using e-cigarettes is less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes.
  • 85% of current e-cigarette users indicate that they are using the devices as a tool to help them quit smoking, yet only 11% had successfully stopped smoking.

“This study provides valuable insights into the use and attitudes surrounding e-cigarettes among smokers,” adds Dr. O’Connor. “However, questions remain regarding the impact of these devices in nonsmokers, such as what potential exists to induce nicotine addiction in non-smokers and/or maintain addiction in current smokers who might otherwise stop smoking.”

Regarding future steps, the researchers suggest that the net impact of e-cigarettes on public health be examined. If evidence shows that e-cigarettes reduce the number of cigarette smokers and do not attract use among nonsmokers, they note, then the net public health effect is likely to be positive.

The study, “Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey,” will be published online today at http://www.ajpmonline.org.

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716-845-8593

 

Roswell Park's Center for Personalized Medicine

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Health care, Member Institution(s), News, Research4 Comments on Roswell Park's Center for Personalized Medicine

center-personalized-medicine-press-conference.2013-01-30-35Roswell Park Cancer Institute‘s (RPCI) new 5,000-square-foot facility, the Center for Personalized Medicine (CPM), will provide individualized therapies for patients through genetic code sequencing (an analysis of genomes – the entire inherited genetic makeup of humans). Using state-of-the-art, next-generation technology, advanced research has led to the identification of unique genetic characteristics that will help determine effective and custom treatments for patients with certain diseases. Utilizing high-throughput screening for drug discovery, personal gene sequence machines and a 1,600-processor supercomputing cluster, the RPCI team will efficiently be able analyze individual genome data.
Located within RPCI’s Center for Genetics & Pharmacology, the Center will also act as a resource for scientists and medical providers to use for national clinical care wp-contentlication. In addition to having a mobile unit, the CPM is the first regional resource for next-generation gene sequencing to have met federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) requirements.

At the end of  last year, RPCI was awarded a $5.1 million grant to begin the pilot phase of the genome project from Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council, established to promote regional economic development. Since then, RPCI has garnered an additional $18.5 million in investments to support the project. From RPCI, $16 million has been invested in equipment and infrastructure, and Computer Task Group (CTG), a Buffalo-based national leader in healthcare IT, has committed to $2.5 million. As a local and nearby partner, CTG will provide its healthcare and bioinformatics expertise to deliver personalized medicine quickly and cost-effectively. The University at Buffalo, IMMCO Diagnostics and Western New York Urology Associates LLC are additional supporters of the project.

Candace Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director of the CPM stated that “We now have the ability to do robust, ‘next-generation’ gene sequencing on blood and tissue samples, with tremendous possibilities in terms of what we can learn diagnostically, prognostically, therapeutically.” Johnson also stated that personalized medicine is the future, not just for oncology patients but for treatments across all diseases.

The CPM is a prime example of the type of support that Cuomo’s Council looks to provide for organizations throughout the region to capitalize on resources and developments that will support the local economy by creating more jobs and economic growth. Recognizing the growth hwp-contentening on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and throughout the region, Cuomo stated that “Western New York has a thriving health and life sciences industry cluster, which the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council and Roswell Park Cancer Institute recognized. Through the Regional Council process, they created a custom-tailored plan to take advantage of this opportunity, which will rebuild the regional economy.”

center-personalized-medicine-press-conference-2013-01-30-34RPCI’s President and CEO, Dr. Donald Trump captured the significance of the Center’s presence. He stated that “The doors are wide open in terms of the opportunities for entrepreneurship and technology transfer that will flow from [the Center].” The CPM team, partners and supporters increase RPCI’s menu of services, giving the institution the opportunity to contend with other small circle healthcare organizations providing similar medical services.

Immediately on the agenda, the CPM will undertake its first 3 sequencing projects, clinical research studies that will:

  • Predict on a case-by-case, personalized basis which of the two main types of standard chemotherapy, anthracycline-based or platinum-based, will be most effective in treating a woman’s breast cancer, and with fewest adverse side effects;
  • Develop, in collaboration with Western New York Urology Associates, a diagnostic test for superficial bladder cancer, the ninth most common cancer in the U.S. and the most expensive of all cancers in terms of cost to treat; and
  • Engage 600 healthy volunteers representing the ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and geographic diversity of the eight-county Western New York region in an initiative to identify the particular healthcare priorities of this community, aided by a mobile tissue-collection unit that will travel to disparate and underserved areas.
  • In addition, RPCI expects to use the resources of the CPM in planning individualized care for its lung, melanoma and leukemia patients in the near future.

Read more about the CPM below:

Roswell Launches Center for Personalized Medicine

Groundbreaking Cancer Research Hwp-contentening in Buffalo

Progressive Medicine is Roswell’s Newest Venture

 

New Vaccine Research Aims to Prevent Recurrent Ear Infections

by BNMCin Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, Member Institution(s), News5 Comments on New Vaccine Research Aims to Prevent Recurrent Ear Infections

Lab in UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center is one of few in the world studying an increasingly prevalent bacterium, once considered harmless
Children’s ear infections cause more than pain and sleepless nights; they temporarily disrupt hearing when children are at a critical age for speech and language development.  They also have major social and economic costs.

But while infants and children receive immunizations against infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococcus, there is no vaccine against Moraxella catarrhalis, an increasingly prevalent bacterium that causes at least ten percent of otitis media cases.

Now, University at Buffalo scientists, among just a handful of researchers in the world studying this organism, have received a $1.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop a vaccine against it. The researchers are among the first tenants in UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center, which opened in September on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The goal of the current research, funded by the NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, is to identify new virulence mechanisms for this understudied pathogen, identify the structure of a candidate antigen for a new vaccine and develop a new vaccine.

According to Timothy F. Murphy, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Microbiology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and principal investigator on the NIH grant, research on M. catarrhalis has lagged because it was originally believed to be a “commensal” or harmless bacterium. While it does cause milder cases of middle ear infections (otitis media) than other bacteria, Murphy said it is becoming more prevalent. Preliminary evidence also shows that existing ear infection vaccines are changing colonization patterns among otitis media pathogens, possibly increasing the prevalence of M. catarrhalis infections.

“Of the 15 to 20 million cases of otitis media each year in the U.S., about ten percent are recurring, causing incredible disruption for the child and the family,” explains Murphy. “When a child has the infection, the middle ear fills with fluid, a condition that can last for a month or longer. During that time, the child’s hearing is muffled, which disrupts the normal development of language and speech skills, potentially resulting in long term delays and learning problems in school.”

Recurrent ear infections also require repeated courses of antibiotics, which then contribute to the global problem of antibiotic resistance. Some children must undergo insertion of drainage tubes under general anesthesia.

“The best option would be to prevent these infections in the first place,” says Murphy.

The goal of the UB researchers is to identify M. catarrhalis antigens that are very similar among all strains so that a vaccine based on a single antigen will protect against as many strains of the bacterium as possible.

“Based on our results thus far, it looks like we will be able to identify antigens that are identical or very similar among all strains and genetic lineages,” says Murphy.

He and his colleagues are using bioinformatics to identify genes predicted to encode proteins on the surface of the organism, construct a gene chip to test which of more than 300 possible genes on the surface are identical or similar among multiple strains and then clone genes for some of the predicted proteins for testing in in vitro and mouse models.

The UB group is now testing several promising vaccine antigens that they have identified. A new vaccine could be ready for human testing in three to five years.

Murphy and his colleagues at UB are global leaders in the study of M. catarrhalis in otitis media in children and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations in adults. Their hope is that the same vaccine could be used to prevent both kinds of infections.

In addition to directing the M. catarrhalis research, Murphy directs UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center and is senior associate dean for clinical and translational research in the UB medical school. For more than a decade, Murphy has studied how M. catarrhalis causes both otitis media in children and infections in chronic obstructive COPD in adults.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

New Year, Better You – Healthy Living Opportunities on the BNMC

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Healthy Communities, Wellness4 Comments on New Year, Better You – Healthy Living Opportunities on the BNMC

Creating a healthier community is an important tenant of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus institutions. On the BNMC, there are many ways to promote healthy and active lifestyles. In 2013, we are once again encouraging overall wellness through our Lunch ‘n Learns series. These indoor wellness sessions are designed to inform and inspire employees to lead a healthier life.
Join wellness experts and fellow BNMC employees this spring to support living a healthier lifestyle at our Lunch ‘n Learns, every 3rd Wednesday from 12 noon – 1 p.m., January 16 until May 15.

BNMC Lunch 'n Learn Series 2013

 

Molecule Inhibitor, CFAK-Y15, Could Treat Certain Brain Cancers

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), Research2 Comments on Molecule Inhibitor, CFAK-Y15, Could Treat Certain Brain Cancers

Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) have published findings from a preclinical study assessing the effectiveness of a small-molecule inhibitor, CFAK-Y15, in treating some brain cancers. The paper, published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, demonstrates for the first time that inhibiting the protein focal adhesion kinase (FAK) with CFAK-Y15 is an effective wp-contentroach to controlling growth of glioblastoma tumors, especially in combination with the standard chemotherapy agent temozolomide (Temodar).
FAK is overexpressed, or produced in excessive amounts, in tumor cells, and has been shown to play a key role in survival of cancer cells. In this study, a team led by Vita M. Golubovskaya, PhD, an Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Surgical Oncology, found that animal models treated with CFAK-Y15 demonstrated significantly prolonged survival compared to the control group. CFAK-Y15 provides FAK kinase-specific inhibition by upstream targeting of autophosphorylation sites on the FAK protein. It belongs to a class of ‘two for one’ compounds that also inhibit the oncoprotein Src by inhibiting its autophosphorylation.

“We found that CFAK-Y15 significantly decreased the viability of the glioblastoma cells, and in many cases wp-contenteared to cause tumor shrinkage — especially when CFAK-Y15 was given in combination with temozolomide,” noted Dr. Golubovskaya, the paper’s first author. “These compounds target FAK signaling, which is critical for cancer cell and cancer stem cell survival, especially in invasive and metastatic cancers.”

“We’re eager to see this research move to the clinical phase because of the great need for more effective treatments for glioblastoma,” noted senior author William G. Cance, MD, FACS, Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair of the Department of Surgical Oncology. “The potential impact is great because glioblastomas are such an aggressive tumor, and because we know they produce FAK in especially high quantities.”

The authors also included researchers from the University of California at San Diego and faculty from the Department of Pathology at RPCI. CFAK-Y15 is being developed by CureFAKtor Pharmaceuticals LLC (www.curefaktor.com). Drs. Cance and Golubovskaya, both of whom also serve on the management team of CureFAKtor, were part of the team that first identified CFAK-Y15, in research published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in 2008.

The new abstract and paper, “Pharmacological blockade of FAK autophosphorylation decreases human glioblastoma tumor growth and synergizes with temozolomide,” can be accessed online at http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2012/12/12/1535-7163.MCT-12-0701.

This work was supported by Susan Komen for the Cure Foundation grant BCTR0707148 and three National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants: R01CA065910, R01HL073396, and the NCI’s Cancer Center Support Grant for Roswell Park Cancer Institute (P30CA016056).

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716-845-8593

New Center of Excellence Tenant's Research to Help Treat Muscular Dystrophy

by BNMCin Community, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, Member Institution(s), News, Research4 Comments on New Center of Excellence Tenant's Research to Help Treat Muscular Dystrophy

Inspired by his grandson, JB’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy diagnosis, Jeff Harvey, Tonus Therapeutics co-founder and chief financial officer, along with Frederick Sachs, University at Buffalo (UB) Distinguished Professor, Thomas Suchyna, Research Assistant Professor, and Philip Gottlieb, Research Associate Professor, all from UB’s Department of Physiology and Biophysics, partnered to develop a therapy for muscular dystrophy. Establishing Tonus Therapeutics in 2009, the group began to work together based off of initial research Sachs and his team first came across nearly 10 years ago, studying the effect of venoms on mechanosensitive ion channels.
As one of several forms of muscular dystrophy, Duchenne is the most lethal, rapidly getting worse over time causing respiratory problems in addition to severe and increased limb-muscle weakness. The absence of the dystrophin protein is due to a defective gene commonly found in males. Dystrophin helps muscle cells maintain their shape structure. Without that protein, cell membranes tear apart more easily and cause the muscle to contract abnormally. According to Sachs, when this hwp-contentens, the body “starts digesting muscle from the inside out.”

A UB spin-off company, having made the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences (CoE) its home headquarters, Tonus Therapeutics will continue its quest to develop drugs that help distribute and control the transfer of mineral substances like calcium to cells through the tiny conduits known as mechanosensitive ion channels. These channels, which Sachs co-discovered in 1983, connect the inside of a cell with its outside. Normally, in healthy cells the channels are closed, but when a cell is stretched or contorted, the channels open and let calcium and other substances into the cell.

Using GsMTx4, a peptide that scientists at UB discovered in the venom of the Chilean rose tarantula, Tonus Therapeutics will use the FDA “orphan drug” designation to move forward with the development of a therapy for muscular dystrophy. The designation of GsMTx4 comes with recognition from the government agency that the peptide is a promising method of treatment for a rare disease like muscular dystrophy. Research shows that GsMTx4 is capable of staying in the body for a long time without breaking down. This means it could be possible to deliver low doses infrequently, reducing costs for patients. The company has gathered preliminary data showing that GsMTx4 is nontoxic in mice and did not disturb heart function in mice or ferrets or isolated human heart muscle.

In November, Tonus Therapeutics licensed UB patents relating to GsMTx4 through UB’s Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (UB STOR).

Harvey stated that “Being located in a hub of research activity in Buffalo, close to other entrepreneurs and biotech startups, is important to [Tonus Therapeutics].” He also stated that “The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is extremely important to us because it provides ready contact with experienced entrepreneurs and potential clinical and commercial partners, including those within the [CoE].”

The CoE, a part of the 400,000 sq. ft. Buffalo Life Sciences Complex, houses more than 100 scientists with biological, physical and computational expertise. The CoE’s efforts aims to leverage its research resources, helping to create new technological advantages for health care and life sciences industry sectors, partnering with and supporting biomedical, research and development companies like Tonus Therapeutics. Marnie LaVigne, UB associate vice president for economic development stated that “Tonus benefits from the technological and business resources available here, and their continued growth will be an asset to Western New York’s economy.”

Prior to their move into the CoE, the Tonus team benefited from other UB resources and partnerships. Harvey is a graduate of the UB School of Management’s High-Tech Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership program, and Tonus received funding through the UB Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology (UB CAT). The Children’s Guild Foundation and the John R. Oishei Foundation have provided additional funding.

Learn more about Tonus Therapeutics below:

GO Bike Buffalo Receives National $50,000 Grant from Play Streets®

by BNMCin Community, Environment, Healthy Communities, Homepage, News, Wellness7 Comments on GO Bike Buffalo Receives National $50,000 Grant from Play Streets®

GO Bike Buffalo has announced that they have received a $50,000 grant from Play Streets®, an initiative created to help prevent and combat childhood obesity by the Partnership for a Healthier America and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
As 1 out of 10 cities chosen to receive the award, Buffalo will continue on its journey to create a city where alternative modes of transportation, healthy communities, and the education of the future generations are a top priority.

In addition to GO Bike Buffalo, collaborators include BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, the City of Buffalo and the Common Council. The award will help to make the City of Buffalo a place where children can play in the streets safely as they are provided with more options the stay active and healthy.

The President and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, Alphonso O’Neil-White, stated that “BlueCross BlueShield sees Play Streets® as a transformative program that will improve the health of our region and inspire people to make healthy choices.”

For one year, Buffalo, including the other 9-city award recipients (Minneapolis, MN, Savannah, GA, Durham, NC, New Orleans, LA, Omaha, NE, York, PA, San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, and Caguas, PR) will host Play Streets® events that will result in closing designated streets to traffic making the play-friendly road open to the community. In addition to the funds, each awardee will receive technical assistance, and communications and marketing support from the Partnership for a Healthier America, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to help promote the events that will take place in each community.

GO Bike Buffalo’s efforts to create healthy, environmentally sustainable, community-friendly transportation options in the City of Buffalo have not gone unnoticed. The non-profit organization’s dedication to local initiatives like the Complete Streets, GO Buffalo, Buffalo Green Code, Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities, and more has made a substantial impact in the community.

Justin Booth, Executive Director of GO Bike Buffalo stated that “GO Bike Buffalo is proud to introduce Play Streets® to the City of Buffalo in partnership with the Health Kids, Healthy Communities initiative to create safe, accessible and healthier communities by opening our streets so individuals and families can come together to participate in fun, healthy activities.”

A major contributor of childhood obesity is inactivity. It is recommended that children take part in physical activities for at least 1 hour per day. According to the Project HOPE. Child Obesity Policy Brief: The Pervasive Effects Of Environments On Childhood Obesity, 1 out of every 5 children (15 million) in America do not have access to a playground. In that same policy brief, more than a third of the children in this country are said to have no access to recreation centers in their immediate communities. Play Streets® is an effective solution that offers a high-impact way to encourage more physical activity in neighborhoods that often lack open space.

 The grant will help to promote walking and cycling this summer and will hopefully pave the way for continued and more frequent Play Streets® support in the future.

Visit gobikebuffa.org to stay up-to-date on the progress and events that emerge from the award.

 

 

November = Lung Cancer Awareness Month

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Environment, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Wellness6 Comments on November = Lung Cancer Awareness Month

It is natural to think of family, food and the things one is most thankful for when November rolls around. Raising awareness for lung cancer during the month of November is important to think about as well. While only 1 out of every 10 smokers will get lung cancer, it is still the number 1 cancer killer of men and women in the country, killing nearly 150,000 people per year. It is the second-most diagnosed cancer in men and women as well.
Its cause: smoke inhalation. Smoking tobacco or any kind of drug is the highest risk factor for lung cancer. Secondhand smoke causes nearly 50,000 deaths of nonsmokers every year according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Lung cancer has increasingly become a disease that is not just associated with smokers. Other risk factors include exposure to radon, asbestos, polluted air, and an existing lung disease.

According to Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) Associate Professor of Oncology and Director of Collaborative Research in the Department of Medicine, Mary Reid, PhD, between 60% and 70% of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed too late, making surgery a non-option. As efforts increase to create more early screening options, the probability of prolonging life increases dramatically.

RPCI Lung Cancer Screening

Through its High-Risk Lung Cancer Program, RPCI offers lung cancer screening for those who meet the criteria below:

  • Previously treated lung, oral, throat and/or esophageal cancer
  • Smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day for at least 20 years or the equivalent
  • Chronic lung disease, such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD)
  • Occupational-related asbestos disease
  • A family history of lung cancer in a first-degree relative
  • History of substantial secondhand smoke exposure

Tests used to detect lung cancer in its early stages are Bronchoscopy and Low-Dose Chest CT Scan (LDCT).

RPCI Lung Cancer Treatment

The Thoracic Lung Cancer Center at RPCI offers specialized comprehensive care for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Lung cancer patients treated at the Thoracic Center receive the the latest and most efficient treatment and surgical procedures, including Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS). VATS is a minimally invasive surgery that enables the surgeon to remove tumors in openings no bigger than 1-inch in diameter using a small video camera.

Cessation Programs

The New York State Smokers’ Quitline is free and confidential. Services include telephone counseling, a starter kit of free nicotine replacement, medications for eligible smokers, access and referrals to local smoking cessation programs and more.

RPCI offers a smoking cessation program, Just Breathe, helping smokers to quit using customized plans, in addition to providing behavioral counseling,  and pharmacotherapy.

Learn more about lung cancer on RPCI’s website.

RPCI’s Mary Reid, PhD