St. Peter’s Health receives $288K grant to develop new treatment for depression

Staff at St. Peter’s Health said Thursday it received a $288,057 grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust that will allow it to provide what it described as “a powerful, proven treatment for patients struggling with the stress is intense.”

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation uses magnetic energy to stimulate nerve cells in the brain, improving symptoms of depression without surgery or invasive procedures, St. Peter’s said in a news release.

The money will cover costs related to equipment, facility improvements and staff training. The proposed renovations are expected to be completed later this fall, with treatment facilities available after the new year, officials said.

Under the medical guidance of psychiatrist and psychologist Dr. Bridget Crowley, St. Peter’s will be the only provider of stimulation therapy throughout its five-county service area, hospital officials said.

“This treatment represents a critical moment in addressing the rising depression and suicide rates in Montana, where the state is currently struggling with the highest suicide rate in the nation,” Crowley said.

He said he looks forward to having this option to treat patients who have had difficulty responding to standard treatments for major depression and other conditions.

On March 22, the US Food and Drug Administration approved stimulant treatments for teenagers. This marks a milestone, expanding access to life-saving interventions and reinforcing the urgent need for progressive approaches to mental health, St. Peter’s said.

Crowley completed a special training program in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation at Duke Health, supported by staff experts at the Fred C. Olson Learning and Development Institute in St. Peter’s, hospital officials said.

Walter Panzirer of the Helmsley Charitable Trust said they were proud to support St. Peter’s in this effort.

“Mental health is a critical issue facing all communities across Montana, and this partnership represents a major step toward addressing it,” he said in a news release.

Executive Vice President of St. Peter’s Health Foundation, Stephen Mason, said this money will affect mental health projects in St.

“With the support of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, we will have one more tool in our toolbox to combat the mental health crisis in our community,” said Mason.

The Montana VA Healthcare System has a TMS Mobile Medical Unit, which has been deployed around the state of Montana for several months. It is the first MMU of its kind in the country for the Veterans Health Administration, VA spokesman Matt Rosine said.

Duane Gill, executive director of the Montana VA, said it has been a great asset for the state.

“We are proud to be the first VA in the country to bring TMS to rural veterans,” he said in an email. “Because Montana is so big and so many of our veterans live in rural areas, they often don’t have access to a specialized treatment like TMS. Now, we’re going across the country to bring this amazing treatment to help veterans us to recover.”

Since it began giving back in 2008, Helmsley has made more than $4.5 billion in charitable donations. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program supports projects that connect rural patients with emergency medical care, bring the latest treatment methods to patients in remote areas and provide the latest training for hospitals. rural and EMS workers.

So far, the program has awarded more than $700 to organizations in Montana, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and the two US Pacific territories, Helmsley officials said. .

For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org