WHEN MIND OVER MATTER - MATTERS

By LinDee Rochelle

—Customs and Border Patrol Officer

Personalized repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the brain … wow, that’s a mouthful. Although it’s thankfully shortened to PrTMS®, what does it mean, why should you care, and where can you get a mental tune-up?

Do you have trouble sleeping well, suffer with migraines or periodic headaches from stress, perhaps from overwhelming personal issues, or a frontline job? Mental exhaustion is just as common as physical exhaustion, but “resting” your brain isn’t a simple process.

Looking for relief, you might peruse today’s television and online ads, wondering what could work for you. The ads are full of one-size-fitsall miracle drugs (less of a miracle if you listen to their garbled disclaimers) for depression, anxiety, PTSD and a myriad of other mentally debilitating conditions.

It used to be, when a body part hurt—back, neck, arm, or leg—we sought a physical doctor to help fix what’s wrong. But when our brain hurts—figuratively or literally—we tend to shrug it off and chalk it up to stress. If we spoke of it to anyone, it was a mental health doctor who largely suggested we take a “chill pill.” That was then, this is now. How PrTMS® and a health group full of innovative services, is different …

Before Serene Health’s treatment, the Border Patrol Officer was restless, sleepless, and emotionally tired. After, he was elated to find, “My relationship with my kids and wife improved, my work performance improved. Overall, I feel more in control of my life.” a Restoring hope and self-worth for every person who walks through our doors better outcomes with non-invasive procedures [thereby] saving money for total healthcare costs. Expensive behavioral health drugs are not needed; and we get to the source of the problem, rather than just dealing with the symptoms.”

MindSet by Serene Health Group is a dynamic group of health professionals, of one mind, understanding that our bodies need to be treated as a whole, and the brain has more to do with our overall health than given credit. Their goal is to make life better, one person at a time. How? By tackling many of the common mental health issues we all experience from time to time, at varying levels, to truly focus on your individualized treatment. Whether it’s through PrTMS® or other advanced care.

Today’s level of health care is undergoing intense scrutiny with heightened focus on mental health. For far too long, the general system, especially with mental issues, has fallen short of society’s needs. Mental health is still swept under the rug or worse, ignored.

Even WHO (World Health Organization) admits, “Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. Lack of support for people with mental disorders, coupled with a fear of stigma, prevent many from accessing the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.” Between 2005 and 2015, they reported an 18% increase in people living with depression.

In addition to depression, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and migraines, Serene Health treats anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a number of co-occurring disorders.

Oscar demonstrated the urgency of healing our mental health issues, “After several studies by large health plans of people entering their ER facilities in Northern California, they found that about 45% of patients who went in for regular physical care, were suffering from mental health issues, rather than physical.”

Oscar Medina, owner and CEO of Serene Health Group explains, “We’re a behavioral healthcare company, so part of what we do is look for solutions to the [client’s] overall problem. PrTMS® is one of our services that helps provide

A key element to their whole healthcare business is not only to “make this treatment available to those who can afford it,” says Oscar, “but more importantly for those who cannot afford it, to have access to it.

“We’re working on different ways of [attending to] patients who don’t have any family to help them, or have Medi-Cal or managed care, to participate in the program, too. We’re negotiating better pricing for the health plans and coming up with solutions for those who can pay a little bit less, like membership programs.”

Taking their services into the office is one of their innovative access campaigns. Corporations will find The Executive Program an excellent employee benefit, as a refreshing “tune-up for the brain,” that will help them sleep better and focus more during the day.

Serene Health has been able to treat patients with many types of mental health issues that the recent pandemic has fueled, especially for our children. “At the kids’ level,” says Oscar, “it’s way out of control, and we’re trying to help with that.”

Thinking forward, not only in terms of technology, but safeguarding the future, “We’re starting to work with school districts to help kids who need psychotherapy health care services,” says Oscar, “by starting an in-school program throughout the state.”

Bringing Together The Minds To Help Your Mind

Behind every great idea, service and company, are the people who created it, advance it, and interact with the public.

As MindSet by Serene Health Group makes advances in their treatments, they’re also expanding to establish more locations to serve more people. They are a devoted and diverse group of professionals in the healthcare industry.

having [behavioral healthcare] issues.”

Dr. Murphy adds, “When the brain is out of tune, it doesn’t behave as well. Our goal is to tune the brain wave pattern and create a balanced brain, with less noise.”

Finishing the analogical picture, “What PrTMS® does,” explains Oscar, “is bring back that marching band all on one line and says, ‘you need to stay in this line and all march to the same music we’re playing here.’ When you get them all together, it becomes a solution to some healthcare problems that a person may have. It allows the neurons in your brain to start talking to each other more effectively and accurately.”

Brainstorming (pardon the pun) brought Oscar and Dr. Murphy’s companies together. “I’ve known Dr. Murphy for close to twenty years,” said Oscar; their friendship forged a bridge when Oscar looked to him for novel techniques and technologies to add to their treatment regimens.

In addition to Serene Health Group, Dr. Murphy and PeakLogic are expanding access to their clinical decision-making software by working with approximately thirty-five partner locations across the country. They’ve treated more than ten thousand patients and Dr. Murphy states, “We empower physicians with a clinical decision-making tool that helps them deliver a very personalized form of TMS.” am able to speak to the [fire] department [for instance] as peers, not just as a clinician and say, these are the results that I saw … this is what we can provide.” He recently treated eight members of a local fire department as part of a department sponsored trial, with results still pending.

There is another perk for Chris, other than helping people enjoy a better life. “For many years as a paramedic, I’d pick broken people up and drop broken pieces off at the hospital, never learning the outcome. People come in here, and though not [physically] broken, they have concerns and confusion” confounding their lives. “At the end of treatment, I get to see the whole product—get to see how it affected them and how they changed for the better. It’s been great!”

For those who choose to participate, “… none of it is punitive or linked to their jobs in any way,” ensures Chris, “however, when you are habitually depressed, it’s going to affect both home and work life. Serene wants to help you get up in the morning, looking forward to your day.”

Dr. Kevin T. Murphy is Founder & CEO of MindSet—acquired by Serene Health in July 2022—and PeakLogic, his medical software company. In the capacity of Associate Medical Director for Serene (for their Del Mar site), Dr. Murphy’s PeakLogic automates the display, processing, and protocol treatment algorithm for PrTMS®.

After many years as a Radiation Oncologist specializing in the treatment of brain tumors, and engineering innovative developments in the industry, Dr. Murphy began focusing on the advancement of TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation). The catalyst for personalizing the TMS method came as a result of his work with patients.

“I was looking for ways to improve sleep, pain control, mood, and overall wellbeing of my pediatric brain tumor patients,” said Dr. Murphy. “I began exploring these opportunities in 2013 and for the past ten years have been improving the algorithms.” This resulted in formalizing PrTMS®

How does “Personalized repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the brain work?” Oscar repeats Dr. Murphy’s oft-quoted analogy for clarification: “Our neurons are like a marching band, and when they’re not marching together, they’re going different ways; that’s when we start

Chris Peters is Director of Business Development for MindSet by Serene Health, taking a non-invasive, non-drug related approach to treatments into the field for patient convenience, since February 2022. The mobile unit is the first of its kind, portable TMS solution that brings treatment directly to clients.

The former firefighter/paramedic first heard of Oscar and Serene Health while taking treatments through Dr. Murphy. The doctor told him about Oscar and their plan for taking treatments into the field to help public service companies, sports team members, the military, and corporations that want to help their employees enjoy an effective work-life balance.

After connecting with Oscar, Chris realized he could help others in a different way through Serene Health. The specially equipped van allows them to bring their unique healthcare tools into the workplace and serve more people.

Using his former profession as an example, Chris said that the industry (firefighting) is set up for a [twenty-to-] thirty-year career … law enforcement, firefighting, the medical field and many other professions deal with not only the stress of those they’re helping, but their personal pressures, as well.

“What’s occurring,” says Chris, “is the call volume, the work schedule, the lack of sleep, the types of calls [they must deal with], is not allowing people to sustain for thirty years. I

Melinda Silva, M.D. in her Chula Vista medical practice of integrative functional health, partners with MindSet by Serene Health Group to better serve her clients, and provide medical services to support Serene’s treatments.

“I had a calling last year,” explains Dr. Silva, “that I really wanted to help patients in behavioral health. I think mainstream medicine largely fails in that arena. I don’t think we have enough tools to help people, and the tools and resources we have are not enough to help the masses. I asked myself, what can you do to make a positive impact on the behavioral health and needs of our community.”

Local publisher, Christie Craig, introduced her to Oscar. “The one thing I liked about Serene, is they do the ‘personalized’ TMS treatments. It’s been around [for a long time], but it’s all a standard, ‘one size fits all’ treatment. With Serene’s personalized treatments, each patient receives an EEG analysis of the brain to determine what type of treatment would help the best. Then they customize it to the patient’s unique brain needs.”

Dr. Silva explained that she feels her role is to augment Serene Health’s unique approach and sees the advantages of pairing their range of treatments with her traditional talk therapy and standard medicine. “I’ve been a doctor for twenty-five years and for me, the most ideal treatment in medicine is one of high benefit and low risk—and that’s what TMS is. It’s a ‘nobrainer,’ pun intended.”

Her methods of lifestyle medicine mean, “I treat people from the inside out,” says Dr. Silva. “I’m looking at people with a holistic view, so I look at sleep, energy, nutrition, exercise—the whole person.” She agrees with Oscar that the public’s challenges over the past three years have heavily contributed to heightened levels of overall ill health. “People are more depressed, more anxious.” A new approach to mental health, especially, is needed.

Sean Leonard is a Nurse Practitioner specializing in psychiatric care, based in Serene Health’s Oceanside office.

“I’m a board-certified primary care geriatric nurse practitioner and board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner,” says Sean. His background in both addiction medicine and psychiatric stabilization, along with TMS, is just one reason Oscar counts him as a vital part of the organization.

“I have been a friend of Oscar’s for over five years in several other healthcare adventures,” says Sean. Coming now to Serene Health through a partnership, furthers my hopes of delivering PrTMS® to the masses. Working with Serene is the piece that had been missing in my profession.”

Putting It All Into Perspective

Every client is seen and evaluated by a psychiatrist, even if their primary issue is physical, and treated according to the psychiatrist’s recommendations. An initial EEG (electroencephalography) is taken, which records spontaneous electrical activity of the brain, for analysis.

A psychological evaluation is done and putting it all together, a personalized plan of action is established, using any of several treatment methods provided by Serene Health. EEGs are taken every week of treatment, so the protocols can change accordingly.

Coming full circle here, the comments from patients of Serene Health’s therapy are emphatic about its beneficial effects on their lives.

Chris Peters knows first-hand the benefits of PrTMS® treatment, not just in seeing the changes in his clients, but experiencing them himself.

After thirteen years as a firefighter, Chris didn’t think the job had impacted him that much, but he woke up one day and everything had just accumulated, piled on his shoulders, and “I just didn’t feel right, didn’t feel like myself,” Chris recalls. “I was in a fog every day. I couldn’t think clearly, couldn’t get thoughts out, and it began to interrupt my home life. I just wanted to sleep.”

He decided to seek help and was fortunate to see a doctor who knew Dr. Murphy and his TMS program. Chris took treatment and by the end of two months, he’d seen amazing results. More importantly, said Chris, his family “… saw dramatic improvement almost immediately. It’s just my belief, but I personally feel every firefighter could benefit from this.”

A police officer from San Diego, came to the MindSet by Serene Health Group with sleep-related issues, including moodiness and irritability. “From the very first session in the van, I felt a sense of peace, as though taking these steps would not only identify some of my issues, but could relieve them. It filled me with a sense of excitement.”

On a lasting basis, he found, “The treatment afforded me the ability to recognize when I was about to enter a high state of stress.” It provided him a type of buffer, and a marker, “… so I could more readily shift out of the ‘red zone’ into a more comfortable tempo. Especially at work.”

By being less reactionary, the officer explained, “I am able to take a tick and process the scene; feel like I have better clarity while making decisions under stress.” And at home, “My wife saw a difference in me and commented on how I was more at peace and easier to be around.”

The need for brain-to-body treatment should be fundamental, beginning with children in sports. Anthony Miller, former wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers, confirms recent news reports that football players (for instance) often pay heavily later in life, for their combative career choice.

Looking back, Anthony mentioned, “… I had three recorded concussions, and they said, ‘when you see stars, those are minor’; and I said, ‘man, I didn’t have just minor concussions—and I had those even in high school’.”

Today, however, he didn’t think he was having more problems than the average aging process seems to include. He also comes from a family of strong cognitive capacities and longevity, with his mother at eighty still going strong, following in the footsteps of her mother who lived to be ninety-eight. But, “… me at fiftyeight,” he admits, struggles with memory loss and absentmindedness.

“At first, I thought it was just me, then I started talking to some of my friends that played football and we realized we were experiencing some of the same conditions, like forgetting someone’s name and it comes to you five minutes later,” and he added with a laugh, “or a couple times I left the oven on and my girl [pointedly] reminded me. I’m not as sharp as I used to be … so I would do block puzzles and other things to stimulate my brain.”

Friend and Chargers’ hall-of-famer, Wes Chandler, put Anthony in touch with Serene Health. “It’s been very helpful to our guys who have played the game, with [resulting] concussion issues, and their overall health.” He attended a meeting in which Serene staff offered treatment which he thought could be beneficial. Anthony appreciated their convenient mobile unit too, which delivered an intensive month