Oncology experts AAPM and GRYT Health launch suite of tools to connect patients to resources
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 18, 2020 – During the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, American Association of Precision Medicine (AAPM), a non-profit organization focused on accelerating precision medicine and transforming patient health, is partnering with GRYT Health (“grit”), creator of the Global Virtual Cancer Conference and the GRYT Health Cancer Platform to bring timely ongoing updates, expertise, resources, and connection to those dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
“Cancer patients currently are at a five-fold increased risk of mortality from COVID-19,” said Dr. Prasun J. Mishra, president and CEO of AAPM and chair of the AAPM Coronavirus Taskforce (ACT), which brings together global clinical, scientific, and technological leaders to discover and disseminate strategies for COVID-19 specific prevention, diagnostics, therapeutics, and solutions. “To date, there are no official recommendations in terms of ongoing oncology treatments with COVID-19. Today cancer patients are struggling with the reality of undergoing lifesaving treatments that could potentially compromise their immune system, making them more susceptible to the widespread pandemic.”
To connect cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and the general public to real-time information and experts to help inform decision making, GRYT Health and AAPM have developed a suite of resources on grythealth.com/coronavirus.
“Especially at a time when clear, actionable information is unavailable for those dealing with cancer and the coronavirus simultaneously, our community-based approach will provide targeted, timely resources where it is needed most – to cancer patients and their caregivers wondering how the virus affects their disease and treatment,” said Dave Fuehrer, CEO of GRYT Health and two-time cancer survivor. “Cancer patients and their families already undergo significant anxiety and mental stress having to deal with difficulties in diagnosis, access to care, treatments, and lifestyle changes,” said Fuehrer. “Trying to figure out what precautions they need to take in regard to COVID-19 only exacerbates the patient burden. We are proud to offer resources to our community that will not only inform them, but offer a way to get questions answered and provide connectivity through our global virtual cancer community in a time of mandated isolation.”
According to Dr. Kamala Maddali, Advisor to GRYT, AAPM, and Chair of ACT’s Diagnostics Taskforce, “The web portal will provide access to experts shaping public policy, diagnostics, and patient experience highlights, as well as weekly live programming to discuss the latest research and targeted updates to the cancer community in an interactive format. As programs are offered virtually, users can be anywhere in the world, aligning with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation of social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We plan to make this knowledge base visible to the broader patient community through the virtual platform by engaging various industry leaders working on COVID therapies and testing.”
In addition to the resources available on grythealth.com/coronavirus, users have the ability to connect with their peers in a variety of chatrooms on the GRYT Health platform, available at grythealth.com or on the free GRYT Health app, to find support and connections through others who are undergoing similar experiences. The platform also offers access to free 24/7 support through the mental-health tool, Vivibot, which is clinically proven to decrease anxiety and increase resiliency.
The series of free, live, virtual programming kicks-off with a COVID-19 patient and a physician treating those with COVID-19 on Saturday, March 28, 2020 at noon EST / 11:00 am CST / 9:00 am PST, followed by:
● COVID-19 Leaders Forum, Saturday, April 4, 2020 at noon EST / 11:00 am CST / 9:00 am PST
● COVID-19 Global Forum, Saturday, April 11, 2020 at noon EST / 11:00 am CST / 9:00 am PST
● COVID-19 Global Summit (CGS), Saturday, April 18, 2020, 10:30 am to 2:30 am EST / 9:30 am to 1:30 pm CST / 8:30 am to 5:30 pm PST
● Authenticity: Cancer and Your Mental Health Summit, Saturday, April 25, 2020, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm EST / 9:00 am to 3:30 pm CST / 7:00 am to 1:30 pm PST
All programs will be recorded and also available on demand. Users can register for these free programs by visiting grythealth.com/coronavirus, where they can also connect with our cancer community at any time and receive support. Additionally, users can sign up to receive ongoing updates regarding the latest COVID-19 news impacting their journeys.
About American Association for Precision Medicine
AAPM is a non-profit organization catalyzing healthcare transformation by fostering breakthrough innovation in prevention, early detection, treatment, and care. AAPM is on a mission to accelerate the field of precision medicine through research, education, communication, and collaboration to foster new medical breakthroughs. Through its programs and services, AAPM accelerates dissemination of new research findings among scientists and others dedicated to finding the right drugs, for the right patients, at the right dose, through the right route, and at the right time. AAPM promotes science education and training to facilitate ‘precision medical care’, based on an individual’s genomic, environment, and lifestyle differences enabling more precise methods to prevent and treat diseases. AAPM also facilitates a dialogue between the 4-P’s of precision medicine: patients, providers, public health planners (government), and payers to work together to achieve the goal of delivering improved outcomes at reduced costs.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, AAPM rapidly launched the AAPM Coronavirus Taskforce (ACT) in January 2020. ACT brings together a worldwide network of experts spanning clinical, scientific, technical, and advocacy backgrounds. The taskforce is focused on discovering and disseminating strategies for COVID-19 specific prevention, diagnostics, therapeutics, artificial Intelligence-driven solutions, funding opportunities, and other patient-centric prevention techniques. Please join us in our mission to save lives, visit http://www.aapm.health/
About GRYT Health
GRYT Health is a digital health company moving healthcare forward. Through our global oncology platform and work with the top healthcare organizations, we help advance the treatment, care. and experience of those affected by cancer. We do this through research, marketing, and clinical trial services that put people and caregivers first, integrating the patient experience – from early stage treatments through long-term survivorship – to ultimately improve health outcomes. The GRYT Health platform is a free resource that connects the cancer community to others with shared experiences and to information relevant to their journeys. With more than one million interactions in all 50 states and across 100 countries, the GRYT Health platform is evidence-based to increase resiliency, while decreasing anxiety and depression. GRYT Health was created by cancer survivors for those faced with a cancer diagnosis and their caregivers because they believe everyone’s experience matters. To join us in this movement, visit www.grythealth.com
