26 minute read
STATUS REPORT
buzz STATUS REPORT
above: Valerie Geerer with friends and family at the Rhythm and Roots Music Festival in Rhode Island right: Val Geerer
Getting Vocal Vocal
above: Val Geerer with her husband, Michael HOW A GROUNDBREAKING STUDY IS USING VOICE PATTERNS TO DETECT ALS PATTERNS TO DETECT ALS, A DISEASE THAT IS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE
by jamie marshall
In December of 2016, Valerie Geerer was doing her normal lunchtime walk with work colleagues when a friend noticed something off about her gait. “I remember she said, ‘Is there something the matter with your foot?’” the fifty-nine-year-old Stamford resident recalls. “I told her I felt fine. A month later I was tripping myself. It was ironic. Six months earlier, my husband Michael and I were climbing mountains in Utah. And suddenly I couldn’t walk without stumbling.”
Over the next four years, as her leg strength deteriorated, Val and Michael made the rounds of doctors, none of whom could come up with a satisfactory explanation. Because Val has Type 1 Diabetes, the first neurologist she saw assumed she had diabetic neuropathy. She knew he was wrong. “That doesn’t happen within six months. And I didn’t have the feeling of pins and needles in my feet. I needed to find another neurologist.” That led Val to a doctor in Greenwich, who treated her for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). “We did that treatment with infusions and although it helped the fatigue it
never helped me get my strength back,” she said.
From there, Val sought a second opinion at Columbia Presbyterian in New York. “They did all these tests—EMGs, bloodwork, even a spinal tap. These didn’t identify any specific disease. It hadn’t progressed beyond my legs at that point.”
Beginning in 2020, she noticed she was having trouble with the fine motor skills in her hands, and in August she lost the strength in her arms. A month later, the doctors were able to give her a diagnosis of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, eventually leading to full paralysis for which there is no cure. Life expectancy after the onset of symptoms is from two to five years.
For Val, the diagnosis was a relief. “Not that it’s a great diagnosis,” she says. “But at least I knew what to expect.”
Although she is confined to a motorized wheelchair, Val is still able to work from home four days a week with the help of dictation software. She and Michael still travel, which is her passion. She is also helping move the needle forward on ALS research as a participant in a groundbreaking study conducted by EverythingALS, a nonprofit organization founded by Indu Navar, whose husband, Peter Cohen, died of the disease in 2019. The study uses AI technology to gather physiological data on the speech patterns (vocal and facial expressions), gait movements (walking and climbing stairs) and breathing of people with ALS. Val first learned about the study through her local ALS support group.
“A friend told me about it, and I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll do it if it will help.’” Once a week, Val connects with an EverythingALS avatar that walks her through several tasks, including saying different words, repeating different phrases, and counting as high as she can in a single breath.
“I’m still in the OK range for breathing, but it’s not as good as it used to be,” she says. “It’s interesting to see how my results have changed over the course of time. I know my speech has definitely slowed since this started, and I have difficulty with certain words.” (EverythingALS has recently changed the protocol, so people only have to log in once a month.)
By gathering as much data as possible from participants at different stages of their illness, the study will provide biomarkers that will help make early detection easier and also track progression during the course of the disease, so the information can be used in clinical trials. “It’s a way to see the subtle changes that are happening,” says Navar. “Even though someone’s speech might not be impacted, the AI is seeing the change.”
For Navar, an electrical engineer with a master’s in computer science and a tech entrepreneur/investor who helped launch WedMD, Serus and other ventures, the motivation to improve diagnostic tools for ALS is personal. Her husband died a year after he was diagnosed and two and a half years after the onset of symptoms. “The hardest part was the waiting,” she recalls. “We’d go to doctors, and they’d say come back in eight months and we’ll see where we are. Wait and see on the one hand is a good thing—we thought maybe it’s not so bad. On the other hand, hope is not a strategy. And every part of our background was screaming this is wrong, this is wrong.”
Since it launched in 2020, under the auspices of the Peter Cohen Foundation, the EverythingALS research study has enrolled nearly 1,000 participants. The project is free and open to anyone in the U.S. eighteen and older, those with ALS and those without. If Navar has her way, one day preventive care for neurodegenerative diseases will be as commonplace as doing blood work for diabetes and cholesterol.
“Going through the experience of losing someone you love to ALS is a nightmare,” she says. “I don’t want to see others go through what I experienced: no hope, no cure. By creating EverythingALS I wanted to give patients an outlet where they can be proactive about their situation while also getting answers and advice from professionals.”
For information about the study and EverythingALS, visit everythingals.org.
Peter Cohen • Peter Cohen and Indu Navar • Founder of Everything ALS, Indu Navar • Indu with friends and supporters
GM: Reef Road is the third novel you’ve written in a relatively short period of time, and now you’re working on your fourth. Is it hard to keep coming up with new story ideas? DEBORAH GOODRICH ROYCE: I’ve been writing for a long time, but it’s only in the last eight years that I’ve completed three novels. For the first fifty years of my life, I didn’t have that many ideas. But in the past few years, it’s been very fruitful. I like to talk about this with younger people as encouragement. I think for all of us, the exciting thing is that there are chapters to come. We have too many pressures when we’re younger. For me, it took an empty nest to free me up into the deep dive of novel-writing. And that’s been exciting. And I keep coming up with things I want to write about. but I would never want to say if it’s him or not. What was more interesting to me than the facts was exploring the idea of generational trauma. How do we start addressing the effects something this horrific has on people and the way that impact can be passed down? How does it happen and how do you stop it? What do we need to do as a society and as individuals to make that happen? If you look at this kind of trauma, it’s a bit like a hamster on a wheel. How do you knock the hamster off? Is it therapy? Is it something else? This novel goes to a much darker place.
Fact & Fiction Real-life events inspired DEBORAH
GOODRICHROYCE’s latest page-turner. We sit down with the author to get the scoop
Deborah Goodrich Royce has mined some of the darker corners of her own family history to craft her third novel, Reef Road, an intriguing murder mystery that alternates between Palm Beach at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the unsolved murder of a twelve-year-old girl in 1948 Pittsburgh.
The Greenwich resident will officially introduce her novel at a book launch on January 7 to benefit the Avon Theatre in Stamford, which the actress, philanthropist and author renovated along with her husband and fellow historic preservationist, Chuck Royce.
When she sat down to chat with greenwich magazine about Reef Road, her page-turning whodunit had already received some early enthusiastic reviews.
GM: This novel opens on the sands of Palm Beach with a gruesome discovery. Did the setting have personal significance? DGR: I was in the middle of a book tour in March 2020 for the paperback release of my first book when the world came to this crashing halt because of Covid. Palm Beach was where I happened to be staying at the time, so that’s where I remained. All my engagements got canceled. I had a new window of open time with an empty nest, and I was enveloped by this heat and sense of claustrophobia. There was an eeriness, and I was taking my twilight bike rides; riding up and down the streets of Palm Beach. And somehow, this feeling of the world crashing in around us took me back to this horrifically traumatizing event. GM: Can you give us a little background? DGR: My mother’s best friend was murdered in December of 1948. My mother was to go over to her house that night and didn’t for so many reasons. For my entire life, I felt the presence of that event and the impact it had on my mother’s life. So, I decided to open my computer and really did the research on those events. There was a trove of material there. I was able to get the coroner’s report and so much more.
And now I can see the serendipity of doing the book at this exact place and time. The setting was perfect. As I was doing it all, it was a hot, hot spring. There are two women in a hot house, and there was a feeling of confinement and abandonment that permeates the book. In the end, the pandemic serves as an important setting. GM: The true-life murder case that inspired Reef Road remains unsolved. Did you come to any conclusions about the perpetrator in your research? DGR: Well, the case was reopened in 2008, and I do hope it is eventually solved. There has always been a lot of suspicion surrounding one person, GM: Did your mother read the book? DGR: She did and she approves, although she’s glad our lives were not as nearly as dark as the ones I imagined for the book.
GM: Reef Road relies on an unreliable narrator to give it a dark and twisty turn. Was is it fun crafting a voice that couldn’t quite be trusted? DGR: A lot of fun! You know, I’m really intrigued by the secrets people keep. Of course, some of them are of no consequence, but every once in a while you find out something about someone and ask yourself, “How did I not see that coming?” I’ve certainly encountered a few people in my life who had some incredible backstories you never, ever would have imagined. That fascinates me. I’m a huge fan of Hitchcock films, and I love the idea of a twist and a reveal. Sometimes when your writing this stuff, you even surprise yourself. My narrator certainly did. And that’s very exhilarating.
GM: Earlier in your life, you worked as an actress. Who would you cast to play the main Reef Road characters: “The Writer” and “The Wife”? DGR: I have thought about the role of “The Writer” quite a bit, and I would love to see Cate Blanchett. She’s so beautiful and incredibly talented. For the wife, who has to be about fifteen years younger and incredibly beautiful, I think there are a lot of ways you could go should this ever end up on film.
GM: How about Scarlett Johansson? DGR: Oh, I like that idea. Let’s go with her. She’d be so interesting and mysterious. I’d be very pleased to see her.
GM: What’s next for you? DGR: I’m one hundred pages into my next book. I’m not ready to talk about the plot quite yet. I don’t know how far I’ll get before this next book tour begins, but the plan is to take it as far as I can before we have our launch for this one.
sh p by janel alexander
Above: Emerald and diamond deco ring jacket, price upon request Left: The Serpentine sitting room, where Ali and her team meet with clients to customize and discuss their jewelry desires. Below: Ali Galgano
MODERN
MAXIMALIST
VISITING SERPENTINE IS LIKE POPPING INTO YOUR CHICEST FRIEND’S NEW TOWNHOUSE—AND LEAVING WITH THE BEST GOODIE BAG EVER
Top: Yellow sapphire and diamond star motif earrings, $8,400 Middle: Emerald-cut five-stone engagement ring, price upon request Below: Multicolor sapphire and diamond tennis necklace, price upon request
Ali Galgano started her career in finance before shifting directions to follow her passion for gemology. A Westchester native, she first set up shop in New York City, but, with the onset of Covid, recognized the shift of many of her clients to Fairfield County. She began searching for space to set up an atelier-type service that would represent the Serpentine Experience.
Walking up the stairway of the stately townhouse tucked off Mason Street, you know you’re in for something special. The space encompasses three open concept rooms—a jewelry gallery, a sitting area and an inviting space for reclining and viewing her latest collections. Designed by Ali and interior designer Daniel Richter, Serpentine is not your average jewelry shop.
A visit with Ali begins with a full consultation, complete with chocolates and champagne. Sun streams into the by-appointment-only space as Ali asks questions to get to the root of how clients like to wear jewelry— what fingers for rings and why, layered or singular, north/south vs. east/west gem placement (who knew that was a thing). She also asks lifestyle questions, like how you treat your jewelry, what you want it to represent and what the long-term plan is for your jewels.
Serpentine specializes in diamonds and gemstones, but it’s the elegant and thoughtful design that makes the pieces unique. Bespoke fine jewelry and ready-to-wear staples are expertly mixed with a range of elevated classics. “We are thrilled to be in the heart of Greenwich as the newest destination for custom fine jewelry and looking forward to becoming active members of the community,” says Ali.
Welcome to your new home!
go
by kim-marie galloway
Taking Flight
ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY HAS DROPPED THEIR COVID ENTRY RULES, AND AMERICANS—ALL OF THEM, LITERALLY— ARE READY TO TAKE TO THE SKIES. BEFORE YOU ENTER TO JET-SET FRAY, BE PREPARED
OPTIONS FOR HASSLE-FREE TRAVEL
BEFORE YOU ENTER THE JET SET FRAY, BE PREPARED
START HERE
You’re A Star
Just as we were going to press, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to update its deadline requiring travelers to have a Real ID-compliant license or valid passport to fly anywhere in the U..S. Originally scheduled for 2023, the new date is now May 7, 2025. But don’t procrastinate that trip to the DMV. Book an appointment and be sure you have all the documents you need—they vary by state. Check the official website for a list of requirements. dhs.gov/real-id
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or CLEAR?
Global Entry and PreCheck are government programs that verify you’re a reduced security risk and therefore trusted with wearing your shoes through security and leaving your laptop in your bag. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck. Once approved for Global Entry (for international travel), you’ll receive a KTN, Known Traveler Number, that will give you TSA PreCheck (for domestic travel). It’s your job to add it to your flight reservation. TSA PreCheck is $78 for five years. Global Entry is a one-time fee of $100 but needs to be renewed every five years. Check your credit card perks. Your issuer may cover the fees.
CLEAR is a purely commercial operation. It pays the airlines a lot of money for the ability to put its clients at the front of security lines. It’s like being put at the head of the line for the hottest club in town. The standard price for CLEAR is $189 annually, but if you add family members there are discounts. Thirty-one airports and four cruise ports have CLEAR. access.cbp.gov; tsa.gov; clearme.com
Get a Pass
Don’t have Global Entry? There’s an app for that. And shockingly, very few people know about it. The free app will help you clear customs and immigration on return to the U.S., often as quickly as you would with Global Entry. Bonus: The entire family can use it at once. Scan everyone’s passport into the app ahead of time (or last minute, if you’re that type). When you land, select your port of entry and terminal on the app, and you’ll get a QR code, flash the code along with your physical passport to the agent in the dedicated mobile passport line and be on your way.
Look for Mobile Passport Control in your app store. It’s free and secure. Some savvy travelers who have Global Entry also do Mobile Passport and pick the shortest line. It’s me. I’m the savvy traveler. But you already guessed that.
The More You Know
Airlines have delayed and canceled flights in record numbers over the past year. They also struggle to keep luggage on the same plane with its owner. At one point, British Airways announced it simply was no longer answering the phones.
No one can avoid inevitable travel trouble, but you can see it coming. Download an airline tracking app (I like Flight Aware) and set up notifications for your flight. If it is delayed, pull up the app and click through to the plane’s previous flight to check its status. If you think you might miss a connection or you’re worried your delayed flight will eventually be canceled, protect yourself and book the next flight. The airline or a travel advisor can do this for you. Do it quickly, because there are always limited seats.
If a storm is coming and an airline puts out a weather waiver allowing customers to change flights to different days or adjust the route, take them up on it before everyone else does. VIP TRAVELER
The Fast Track
Ever wish the airport had the equivalent of the Disney Fast Pass—a magical ticket allowing you to bypass all the lines and go straight to your gate? Book yourself a VIP fast-track service at any airport in the world through a travel company. Whether you’re arriving, transferring or departing, you can hire someone to help whisk you through the chaos. We spoke with Hicham Enhaili, founder of Simply Select, a VIP travel company based in New York and London. Hicham was about to miss a connection in Johannesberg and luckily had a service provider who could help him make his connection by quickly transferring him from one plane to the other. Rates vary by airport and service but start at around $250. A fast-track agent will meet you curbside before you even enter the terminal. They will walk you to the front of the check-in or baggage drop line, escort you through security, get you lounge access and wait until they deliver you to the boarding gate. Simply Select can be reached at 212-365-8606 or online at simplyselect.com.
do
by liz barron by mary kate hogan
Providers Diana Palmisano, Melissa Knudson, Laura Palmisano and Lauren Abramowitz
Hello, Gorgeous
SKIN SOLUTIONS COLLECTIVE OPENS ON THE AVENUE
There’s a new, elevated skin-care oasis in town, with Skin Solutions Collective recently launched on Greenwich Avenue. Led by Lauren Abramowitz, founder and master injector, this cosmetic dermatology practice is the third location for the luxe beauty medical spa. First opened twenty years ago on Park Avenue, today the group has its flagship in Tribeca, a seasonal space in the Hamptons and an office opening soon in Miami.
“We wanted to come out to the suburbs, and we thought, there’s no other suburb. So here we are,” says Lauren, who adds that Greenwich has been an attractive locale for clients from farther afield. “Some Long Island and Westchester patients who were coming to the city now travel to Greenwich and make a day of it, do some shopping, have lunch.
This chic space features pristine treatment rooms with all the latest equipment and striking modern décor, but what really distinguishes Skin Solutions is the level of experience—and good vibes—that its providers bring. Lauren and her team of cofounders are pioneers in the field. For the collective, she joined forces with Laura and Diana Palmisano and Melissa Knudson, who between them have more than sixty-five years of experience. Sometimes dubbed the Queen of Injectables, Lauren began her career just as Botox had been FDA-approved for cosmetic treatment. She takes a holistic approach to helping people, working closely with them to understand and achieve their goals.
That starts with having fresh, clear skin, which the Skin Solutions team delivers through facials, laser treatments and excellent skin-care products (they carry the Biologique Recherche line). Then they take a full-face approach, determining what treatments will be most beneficial for skin tightening, smoothing lines, relaxing wrinkles, boosting collagen. There are body treatments available, too. The best way for a prospective client to determine how Skin Solutions can help is to set up a complimentary fifteen-minute virtual consultation.
169 Greenwich Avenue, second floor, 203-885-1580; skinsolutions.com
above: Medical technology is critical to procedures, and advances open doors to treatments.
WHAT’S NEXT?
HOW CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY IS REVOLUTIONIZING LOCAL HEALTHCARE
by tom connor
As the digital revolution continues to transform virtually every aspect of our social lives, A.I.-assisted technology is having a significant impact on hospitals and healthcare systems throughout Fairfield County. Since the onset of the pandemic, telemedicine and remote everything—from doctor’s office visits and video consultations with specialists to medical evaluations, diagnoses and treatment—have increased patient access to healthcare providers locally.
To explore the latest hardware, software programs and services, we turned to three prominent healthcare providers in our area.
COGNITIVE CARE Nuvance Health
The millions of Baby Boomers now in their seventies have ramped up the need for cognitive care as more exhibit signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia and other issues around memory, thinking and language. To date, no medications have been approved to treat MCI.
In October, Nuvance Health became one of the first health systems in the U.S. to pilot Neuroglee Connect, a remote monitoring technology for patients with MCI. Taking a cue from current guidelines about the benefit of regular brain stimulation and healthy lifestyle habits, staff at Nuvance’s Neuroscience Institute use the technology to provide brain-stimulating activities to patients through its iPads, then measure performance and identify signs of cognitive deterioration.
“Nuvance Health has embraced a range of technological solutions to continue providing the best care possible for our patients,” says Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Albert Villarin. “We are constantly innovating cutting-edge care in all of our hospitals.”
above: The biplane angiography system, a high-tech system —unveiled at Norwalk Hospital—helps care for neuro and heart patients.
DR. ALBERT VILLARIN Chief Medical Information Officer
above: Stamford Health
above: A doctor at Stamford Health explains how the EsoGuard device works to a patient.
In September 2022, Stamford Health’s Heartburn, Reflux and Esophageal Specialty Center introduced a noninvasive early- screening procedure for esophageal cancer, the fastestgrowing cancer diagnosis in the U.S. Traditionally, the only screening for the cancer has been with an endoscopy, a thirty-minute procedure that requires anesthesia and still can be uncomfortable.
Called EsoGuard, the technology can identify precancerous cells in a process that takes two minutes and is performed in an office visit. The screening is important because over-thecounter medications for heartburn and acid reflux—common preconditions for esophageal issues— can disguise cancer.
Dr. Michael Ebright, thoracic surgeon and director of the Esophageal Center, notes: “This new screening technology will expand access for potentially lifesaving early screening for patients.”
ROBOTIC ASSISTANCE Bridgeport Hospital / Yale New Haven Health
At Bridgeport Hospital, part of the Yale New Haven Health system, A.I.-guided TUG robots are helping address the current shortage of nurses by carrying out routine administrative tasks, such as transporting specimens from the lab and monitoring patients. The robots are freeing healthcare professionals to attend to patients.
“The care we provide requires emotional impact and the human touch, neither of which can ever be replaced by technology,” says Anne Diamond, president of the hospital. But, she adds, “one of the benefits of A.I. is that these new tools and technology will allow us to spend more time with our patients, providing the care that is critical to their wellbeing and healing.”
Elsewhere in the Yale New Haven Health system, robotic-arm technologies are enabling surgeons to perform joint replacements with more accuracy and precision. For patients, this means smaller incisions, increased saving of healthy tissue, minimal scarring and faster recovery time.
Such innovations are improving care locally as well as providing a glimpse of the future of healthcare in America.
above: The entrance to Bridgeport Hospital left: A TUG robot, which can pick up administrative tasks around the hospital.
eat
by mary kate hogan
Looking for a healhty, delicious and easy-to-prepare meal? Danielle Lutsky has got you covered.
PLANT POWER
VEGGIE BURGERS HAVE GOTTEN A MAJOR GLOW-UP, THANKS TO THIS GREENWICH MOM
We all vow to fit more vegetables into our diets, but prepping plant-based meals that the whole family will love can be challenging. That’s where Plantidote Foods comes in. Started last year by Danielle Lutsky, a Greenwich mom of two, this small business cooks up delicious vegan burgers (and other items) that are simple to prepare and made only from whole, organic ingredients such as red lentils, quinoa, onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
above At home with the Lutskys: Demi, Jordan, Josephine and Danielle right: Josephine enjoys her Plantidote dinner
Each patty is packed with twelve grams of protein and contains no fillers or protein powder.
Danielle, who has been eating a mostly veggie-and-fruit-based diet throughout her life, experienced firsthand how plant-based eating helped her family, and that led her to create a line of plant-based foods. When her mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer, doctors initially said she couldn’t have chemotherapy due to her overall health issues (she had been living with M.S.). During this difficult time, the family surrounded her with loving support and helped her switch to a plant-based diet, bringing her green juices and preparing healthy meals. Doctors were so impressed with how her health improved that she was able to receive treatment.
In 2019, Danielle’s husband, an athlete who competes internationally and teaches jiujitsu, was looking to make changes in his diet to improve performance and help his body recover from the strain of repeated workouts. He found the plant-based diet to be a game changer and hasn’t looked back. He and Danielle
WHERE TO BUY
OLD GREENWICH FARMER’S MARKET WESTPORT FARMER’S MARKET NEW CANAAN FARMER’S MARKET DOUBLE L MARKET (Westport) MIKE’S ORGANIC (Coming Soon to Greenwich)
You can also pick up an order from Plantidote’s kitchen in Rowayton, across the street from 314 Beer Garden. plantidotefoods.com worked to mix up a plant-based patty that was both nutrient-rich and very simple to prepare. Friends tasted their burgers and encouraged the pair to try selling them through the farmer’s markets. They did, and the response was huge: “We have sold out every time we’ve gone to the farmer’s market,” Danielle says.
What sets Plantidote apart from other burgers? Both the purity of ingredients and the taste, with four flavors (Original, GarlicCashew, Sesame-Ginger and Curry), plus seasonal versions based on what farmers are growing. “People get their texture fix, their protein fix, and there’s tons of fiber,” Danielle says. “I’m so happy to be able to give people a vegan patty that's not fake meat, that tastes really good and is so easy to prepare.” The patties, which are sold frozen, can be cooked in just eight minutes. For fall, the seasonal flavor tastes a bit like stuffing, with roasted veggies, sage, rosemary, parsley and onion; another seasonal blend combines beets, dill, lemon and garlic. Besides being served as burgers or as a protein on top of salad greens, the patties can be used to make veggie tacos, tossed over pasta with tomato sauce or pesto, rolled with lasagna noodles, sauce and almond ricotta and fried for a vegan rollatini, with kale and other veggies over rice, among the many ideas. Check Plantidote’s Instagram @plantidotefoods.co for more easy recipes. G
