Blog
Peace in strength. Like the mighty oak that has survived some 600 years in what is now my back yard, we engage with experience and resilience. Whether the winds blow hard or the sun shines bright, we go on, deeply rooted and stretching for the heavens.
Strength in peace. Many challenges of the world, and Pharmaceutical R&D, grow out of mere misunderstandings. We seek to enhance mutual understanding and peaceful cooperation toward shared objectives.
- Peace and Strength by Kevin Freiert
Welcome to Narnia
New beginnings aren’t always scary, Right? In February I decided to open the door to a world that I knew very little about. I had a willingness to embark on this adventure but no idea what I would find. Turns out, I was right about how foreign this new world was (and not just the…
We Don’t Have 5 years!!
The moment was awkward. We had invited in a handful of patients who had the disease we were working to treat to our annual Development Team all-hands meeting. We wanted to learn from them and to be motivated by them. They poured their hearts out to us. They told us about their lives since the…
This Symposium Was Truly Rare
Sometimes you get the chance to experience something that resets your expectations. The Salem Oaks team had the opportunity to attend the Rare Patient Advocacy Symposium in Philadelphia on May 19, 2018. The event was organized in partnership between Global Genes and the Orphan Disease Center at UPenn. Although I may have only recently jumped…
Introducing Salem Oaks: Empowering Patients to Shape the Future of Medicine
I remember the day vividly. It was cold and rainy, the night before Thanksgiving. I was sitting in an oncologist’s office and she said those words, “You have cancer and I am not able to treat you. You are going to need to see a specialist.” It was official, I was a cancer patient and…
How to Incorporate Family Caregivers in Chronic Care Management
We need to help people understand their rights to information (and to privacy) when they choose to help care for a family member. The article points out many barriers to family members effectively assisting in the care of loved ones. http://bit.ly/2DLfTD6 This situation seems similar to writing one’s last will and testament. It needs to happen…
Patient Engagement Strategies Lack Patient Voice, Consumer Input
I found this quite ironic. “Physician, first heal thyself…” http://bit.ly/2Gv2Oj6
How many blessings can be squeezed into 20 years?
Twenty years ago, today, I woke up and had cancer. I had no idea what the day would bring. It had been about two months since I was diagnosed with myxoid liposarcoma in my left thigh.
Educating Patients: Taking Action to Refocus and Accelerate
Over the past weeks, I have discussed several barriers that make it difficult to involve patients in developing new medicines as much as everyone involved would like. My theory is that we need to do a better job educating patients. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Some of these barriers may seem obvious and manageable…