As  Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and a private rheumatologist in Renton for 20 years, Dr. Andrew Holman was able to help define a new concept in medicine called immuno-autonomics: How stress flares immune activity.

Find Dr. Holman’s Slide Deck here.

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Seattle-based Inmedix validated stress as the primary reason immunosuppressive treatments fail. 

Inmedix suspects it could to do the same for COVID-19: assess and control how fight-or-flight stress drives the disease to cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), ventilator support and death.  More important, mitigating fight-or-flight stress in COVID-19 might reduce the overwhelming immune activation, just as it did in untreatable rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Holman told us that “It comes down to stress.”  There is a growing body of evidence that stress has a big impact on health–particularly with regard to immune system regulation and the treatment of of autoimmune disease.  Some of these stress reactions are hard wired into humans.  

Increased stress seems to weaken treatment and is often the primary reason that treatment fails in patients.

Dr. Holman’s company, Inmedix is developing very sensitive tests that measure the heart rates.  These tests measure beat-to-beat changes.  These changes are indications of the impact of stress.  The new technology is able to measure these changes accurately to 1/1000 of a second.  The goal is replace blood testing–in some cases–with math–and greatly improved the treatment of disease.

Notes From Hal Beals:

Scientific data shows that stress is strongly linked to autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Lupus and Fibromyalgia. 

Dr. Holman’s research is to measure the biochemistry of stress to predict therapy effectiveness through his company-Immedix. Today there is evidence that Heart Rate Variability is associated with stress which triggers the well known “flight or fight” responses that increases stress. The brain can trigger this response in1/1000 second.  The average heartbeat takes 1/2 a second.   But useful measurements of Heart Rate Variability, measurements must be accurate to 1/1000 second. Immedix is getting close to this level of accuracy.  

75% of patients with autoimmune diseases do not improve with standard treatments.  Dr. Homan believes that with more accurate measurement of stress levels, more effective drug treatment, combined with changes in diet, exercise, sleep and meditation will reduce stress and greatly improve the quality of life for patients. And new research indicates that stress is related to certain cancers.  

Note: A program summary is on the way! Doc did a great job telling the story of his impressive journey from a young boy in Jim Crow’s Mississippi to becoming a Seattle University professor with four degrees! We are grateful to have him as a member.

Wilson “Doc” Reed was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, into a family of farmers. He grew up in the small town of Redwood, which became the home of International Paper Company after buying up many of the small farms in the area.

Doc lived his early life during the Jim Crow era of the South that was regulated by twenty-two laws regarding race relationships.  Because of this strife nearly six million Americans fled the south and migrated to the north and the midwest.  He attended racially segregated schools. 

Doc’s mother died at age 36 from cancer and his family pretty much fell apart.  In 1969, he boarded a bus and traveled 2,600 miles, arriving in Seattle to live with his father’s family.  He attended the University of Washington and earned four degrees. 

He taught at Seattle University for seventeen years before retiring.  He is currently writing a book on poverty to Ph.D. and lives in Shoreline. He is a single Dad to a 21 year old son.

Education:

• Ph.D., Political Science, Northern Arizona University
• M.A., Criminal Justice, State University of New York at Albany
• M.A., Political Science, University of Washington
• B.A., Political Science / African American Studies, University of Washington

Visit Dr. Reed’s Website here.

Eric Ramsing’s Notes:

1. Ranken introduced the Speaker, Dr. Wilson “Doc” Reed. Also known by the sobriquet “June Bug”.
   1. Born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi on a family farm
   2. Reed spoke of the Jim Crow laws growing up in Mississippi while showing family photos of youth.
   3. Talked of how life under the harsh rule of segregation and uneven interpretation of the rule of law, and of unspoken “law”, resulted in a feeling of self-inferiority.
   4. Imparted his historic support system composed of Leaders, Teachers, Parents and Clergy.
   5. Four degress:
      1. University of Washington, BA and a MA in Political Science
      2. Masters degree in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York-Albany
      3. Ph.D. in Political Science at Northern Arizona University

1. “Vicksburg to Seattle” in 1969 by bus.

Tim Burgess served 10 years at Seattle City Hall as a member of the City Council and as the city’s 55^th Mayor. He was first elected city-wide in 2007 and won re-election in 2011 and 2015.

Tim was the lead architect of the Seattle Preschool Program for the city’s three-and four-year old children, one of only three municipal government facilitated preschool programs in the United States to meet all ten national quality standards. Tim led the effort in 2011 to double the size of the city’s Families and Education Levy so school-based health clinics could be located in every middle school and high school. Tim developed the Seattle Retirement Savings Plan for workers without an employer-offered plan, making Seattle the first city in the nation to create a such a mandatory plan. Under his leadership, Seattle became the fourth major U.S. city to fully fund the Nurse Family Partnership, a home visitation program for low-income families that The New York Times calls America’s best anti-poverty program. Tim also persuaded his colleagues to adopt an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition with the revenues dedicated to gun violence prevention and research. In his time at City Hall, he was a consistent and staunch advocate for criminal justice and police reform, economic growth policies, and tourism promotion.

Key Points Summary by Michelle Lee

The Seattle city government appears not to have a plan for unsheltered living. Encampment in public places blocks uses of public spaces such as parks, sidewalks and sports fields and harms business recovery.

To guide the city government, Tim, some neighborhood and business groups have formed Compassion Seattle, a citizen initiative planning to put a charter amendment on the King County election ballot this November.  They will need 45,000 signatures to make sure the initiative is certified although only 33,060 signatures are required.

The charter amendment will ask the city to:

• To make available mental health and substance use disorder treatment services and to create a behavioral health rapid-response capability as an alternative to police response in some situations

The city will spend the money but the services will be provided by King County which has mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, but not yet the behavioral health rapid-response capability yet.

• To create 2,000 new units of emergency housing within 12 months

Emergency housing includes enhanced shelters, mini houses and hotel/motel rooms.  Different from regular shelters, lockers, on site treatment services and housing referral are available at enhanced shelters.

• To remove encampments with public health or safety risks or obstruct access to or use of public spaces

Removal is not a quick fix.  Outreach professionals are needed to build and nurture relationship, persuade the individuals to move and accept services.  However, if the encampments endanger safety, public health and use of public space, immediate removal is required.

• To establish a dedicated fund in city treasury for these purposes and to accept outside contributions from public, businesses, philanthropy and other government entities

• To require 12% of the city’s general fund be allocated to human services program, including homelessness

Today 11% is allocated to human services, the additional 1% equals to approximately $18 million.  Expected cost for the new behavioral services is $5-16 million depends on number of people sign up. 

• To invest in, support and cooperate with the new Regional Homelessness Authority

The Regional Homelessness Authority was established 2 years ago, the new chief executive has been recently hired.

• Charter amendment sunsets in six years (December 2027)

If the measures in Charter amendment do not work in 6 years, it is time to try something else.  If there is no sunset clause, the City constitution will be changed forever unless it is voted again.

The charter amendment is currently pending at the court for some legal issues.  Tim would like to collect signatures from as many people as possible once it is cleared.

Thanks to Club Member Michael Bronsdon for making this program possible.