semi annual report v4 - david lynch foundation

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SEMI ANNUAL REPORT Expansive vision and bold, practical goals are hallmarks of the David Lynch Foundation’s mission. Never content to rest with “what is”, we will go even bigger in 2021. As our nation and people worldwide face unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety in the face of a global pandemic and seismic societal shifts, Transcendental Meditation has the potential to dramatically transform individual wellness and societal resilience. Through trusted partnerships with long-standing community organizations; city, state, and federal government; corporations; academia; and the philanthropic sector; DLF continues to build an evidence-based case for the widespread availability of Transcendental Meditation. In particular, we are working with public and private health insurance providers to make this healing modality available to vulnerable populations nationwide. This report outlines the key initiatives that are bringing the extraordinary benefits of the Transcendental Meditation technique® to populations in need - Heal the Healers 21 to None Healthy Families Healthy Communities Washington, DC programs Meditate America

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Page 1: Semi Annual Report v4 - David Lynch Foundation

SEMI ANNUAL REPORT

Expansive vision and bold, practical goals are hallmarks of the David Lynch Foundation’s mission. Never content to rest with “what is”, we will go even bigger in 2021. As our nation and people worldwide face unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety in the face of a global pandemic and seismic societal shifts, Transcendental Meditation has the potential to dramatically transform individual wellness and societal resilience. Through trusted partnerships with long-standing community organizations; city, state, and federal government; corporations; academia; and the philanthropic sector; DLF continues to build an evidence-based case for the widespread availability of Transcendental Meditation. In particular, we are working with public and private health insurance providers to make this healing modality available to vulnerable populations nationwide. This report outlines the key initiatives that are bringing the extraordinary benefits of the Transcendental Meditation technique® to populations in need -

• Heal the Healers • 21 to None • Healthy Families Healthy Communities • Washington, DC programs • Meditate America

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Heal the Healers – COVID 19 Healthcare Workers In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the David Lynch Foundation recognized that healthcare workers were beginning to deal with crushing levels of stress and anxiety and making rapid, life-or-death decisions, all while putting their own health at risk. We quickly mobilized to respond to the needs of our healthcare workers. On April 6, 2020, DLF’s Chief Executive Officer, Bob Roth, announced the launch of Heal the Healers Now (HTHN) during on live national television on ABC’s Good Morning America. We are thrilled with the impact of our work over the past year and yet we

know that the pandemic is far from over and our healthcare workers will have a long and arduous road ahead of them.

The response from healthcare workers, hospitals, research centers, and donors has been extraordinary. Clinicians and researchers recognize the value of TM as a tool to help healthcare workers maintain equanimity and resilience during what is, for many, the most challenging period in their personal and professional lives. Through Heal the Healers, more and more healthcare workers are gaining access to this powerful, non-pharmaceutical tool; TM instruction is underway in an increasing range of healthcare settings nationwide; and hospitals, policy makers and those concerned with the wellbeing of our nation’s health care industry and its medical (and other) providers will have additional evidence of TM’s effectiveness, which will help to secure and allocate funding for further TM instruction. Heal the Healers Now includes:

• Research focused on TM and healthcare provider burnout, resilience, and wellness at 10 major research and teaching centers.

• TM Instruction at 20 hospitals and medical centers around the country 1. Research Overview: As of 11/5/2020, the following research studies are part of HTHN (or are in the last stages of the approval process):

• Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard (Cambridge, MA) • Florida multi-site nurses study: Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Tampa General Hospital,

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, and two Veterans Administration sites • Miami, FL multi-site: Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Miami; Baptist Hospital; Mercy

Hospital • Tucson, AZ multi-site: Banner-University Medical Center; University of Arizona College of

Medicine • UCI Medical Center (Irvine, CA) • UCLA Health (Los Angeles, CA) • University of Michigan Hospital (Ann Arbor, MI)

In New York City, a multi-center, inter-institutional study on frontline healthcare workers is in development, with funding from the William E. Chatlos Foundation, Robin Hood Foundation, Starbucks Foundation, and other private donors. Ongoing planning is taking place with senior faculty at: Weill

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Cornell Medical Center; Mt. Sinai Health System (Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth); New York University Medical Center; and Columbia University Medical Center. September included the launch of the Miami multi-site study (at Baptist Hospital, Mercy Hospital, and Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital) with 65 subjects. At Brigham & Women’s Hospital (Harvard Medical School), 19 providers learned TM in October, and additional courses will take place in November. A total of 35 emergency medical personnel will learn TM through this study. At one major university research and medical center, two randomized controlled trials have been approved and funded. One study has been underwritten by the Marcus Foundation, where 40 subjects are learning TM and 40 control subjects are not. (Those who did not receive TM instruction will be offered the chance to learn to meditate after the study concludes). Researchers are examining improvements in stress, as measured by psychological and physiological determinants and neuro-functional imaging, over the course of three months. At the University of Arizona Medical Center, University of Michigan Hospital, and UCLA Health clinical trials are awaiting final approval from their Institutional Review Boards. Once approved, research is slated to begin in the coming months. 2. TM Instruction

Combined, the two elements of Heal the Healers – research and instruction – are bringing TM to healthcare workers nationwide and building an evidence-based case for healthcare and hospital systems to integrate TM instruction as a universally-available benefit for their employees. TM will help these valued clinicians to be more resilient, focused, rested, and effective, ultimately elevating the level of care received by their patients and their ability to deliver excellent care.

Since Spring of 2020 we have taught TM at the following healthcare organizations –

Facility Northwell Health System/Manhattan Eye & Ear Hospital (NY) Northwell Health System/Long Island Jewish Hospital (NY) Northwell Health System/Lenox Hill Hospital (NY) Lenox Health Greenwich Village Hospital (NY) NYC Health + Hospital/Bellevue (NY) NYC Health + Hospital/Elmhurst (NY) CentraState Medical Center (NJ) Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard (MA) Southcoast Health System (MA) Stamford Hospital (CT)

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Howard University Hospital (DC) Rhode Island Hospital (RI) The Miriam Hospital (RI) Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital (FL) Baptist Hospital (FL) Mercy Hospital (FL) Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital (FL) Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (FL) Capital Caring Health, Halquist (VA) Capital Caring Health, Adler (VA) Advocate Masonic Illinois Medical Center (IL) Sinai Health System (IL) Doylestown Hospital (PA) Kaiser Permanente (OR) Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department healthcare workers (CA) UCLA Health (CA) Mission Hospital Laguna Beach (CA)

DLF is also a respected service provider in the Los Angeles substance abuse recovery community, with professionals in this area referring their clients to learn TM. The LA County Department of Mental Health and the Veterans Family Wellness Center are exploring the idea of funding a recovery program with a TM component in the Juvenile Justice Camps. 21 to None – Veterans

Tragically, an estimated 21 veterans take their own lives every day. During the pandemic – with its resulting economic impact, increased social isolation, and other negative influences – veterans’ suicide is up another 20-30%, compelling military leaders to again look for proven strategies and interventions to help. DLF’s “21 to None” national initiative builds upon the organization’s 15+ years of working with veterans and active duty soldiers and aims to reduce the number of daily veteran suicides from 21 to zero. The goal of 21 to None is to provide every veteran, and his or her family, a no-cost opportunity to learn TM.

“I stood on the window ledge and shut my eyes and said a prayer and was about to jump. I know what got me in that window ledge, but I also know what got me out of that window ledge and why I’m here now. I believe in my heart that Transcendental Meditation is a humongous portion of the reason I am sitting here now.” – Leshonda Gill, Iraq War veteran

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DLF has been teaching meditation to veterans and their families for more than ten years years through its Operation Warrior Wellness program. Building upon this experience, as well as relationships that DLF has developed with the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration, DLF is launching its newest campaign, 21 to None, with two primary action steps: Action Step One: Veterans Lifeline. In this three-year, national initiative 10,000 veterans will learn TM through funding provided by philanthropists, foundations, and corporations. Action Step Two: A National Study to Secure Federal Funding. DLF has launched the largest study ever conducted on meditation and veterans with PTSD. We are conducting this landmark, $8 million, Phase 3 Clinical Trial in close partnership with the highest levels of leadership at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The research team has designed a two-armed randomized controlled trial taking place at nine sites, including in the Bronx, NY; Northport, NY; Washington, DC; Boston MA; Denver, CO; San Diego, CA and Palo Alto, CA, in addition to Columbia University and University of Southern California. This study will compare TM to Present Centered Therapy (PCT) in the treatment of veterans with PTSD. in January 2020, JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) published an article on current VA treatments and recommended that TM be among the first-line treatments for TM to be included in VA/Department of Defense guidelines. The study also will include data on suicidal ideation, substance use, and sleep. The study is being conducted by top tier of VA researchers in the country. In addition to these initiatives, DLF is piloting programs with two new cohorts of veterans and cadets:

• In December, we launched a pilot TM training program for military veterans who are New York Police Department officers. The program is launching in partnership with the NYPD’s Health and Wellness Task Force, which was created in 2019 under the leadership of NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill in response to a tragic spate of suicides of NYPD officers. This renewed focus on officer mental health and wellness was initiated before COVID-19; during the pandemic, NYPD officers are under even more strain and require immediate, effective interventions to deal with the tremendous stress that they face every day on the job.

• DLF will pilot a TM training program at the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership, the nation’s only all-women’s cadet corps. Part of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA, the VWIL focuses on academics, leadership, physical training, and sisterhood. This pilot integrates DLF’s experience in working with both women and veterans while placing that work in a new environment – a cadet corps on a college campus.

• The Journal of Traumatic Stress has accepted the DLF-funded Northwell PTSD study

The effects of Transcendental Meditation as an Adjunctive Treatment for PTSD

• 40 veterans with PTSD were randomly assigned to either learn TM or receive treatment as usual at the Northwell Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans

• There were large and significant reductions in both PTSD and depression symptoms in the TM group compared to controls 3 months after learning TM

• An extensive follow-up program is scheduled for all subjects

DLF’s Capitol Hill office has established essential partnerships with the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, and other military offices and leaders. (Please see the Washington section of this report for details.)

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Healthy Families Healthy Communities – Survivors of Domestic Abuse

In Fall 2016, DLF created an entirely new program model by establishing The Meditation Center at THEARC (Town Hall Education Recreation Arts Campus). The Meditation Center has taught TM to more than 800 people throughout the greater Washington area; in particular, in Wards 7 and 8. These DC Wards (neighborhoods) are deeply impacted by urban blight, economic hardship, violent crime, and inequities in healthcare and other vital services. Wards 7 and 8 also are reeling from the disproportionate effects of COVID-19. For

example, when compared to DC’s seven other Wards, Ward 8 ranks #2 in COVID-19 cases while experiencing 70% of DC’s COVID-19 deaths.

A Ward 8 community organizer who learned TM at The Meditation Center remarked: “People are tired, people are stressed, people are angry, they have trauma…. and it's showing up in the community, which is why we have so much violence. If we can get the community to buy into TM, it would make it a better place to live, a better place to work, a better place to play, and I know that TM can solve the issue of violence.”

In addition, for the past five years, the David Lynch Foundation has partnered with city agencies and service providers to help more than 1,000 women living in domestic violence shelters in New York City and Los Angeles learn TM. In New York City, our domestic violence program is funded by, and implemented with, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, with the strong personal support of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr.. In Los Angeles, we have taught TM to women and girls from Friendly House and New Village Girls Academy. We are raising funds in Los Angeles to continue these partnerships with local organizations and to investigate and establish new partnerships. Based on our successful track records in NYC and LA, we have launched a new partnership in Washington, DC with House of Ruth. Washington, DC Programs

Community Programs Howard University Hospital: In this three-pronged partnership, we are teaching TM: (1) as part of the hospital’s Violence Intervention Project, a program with the DC’s Office of Victims Services and Justice Grants, where our instructors will teach TM to 20 gunshot violence patients, (2) to Howard's Emergency Room/Trauma staff, and (3) to 30 nurses as part of our Heal the Healers Now national initiative.

Children’s National Health System (CNHS): DLF is a long-time partner with CNHS, stemming from the support of its CEO, Dr. Kurt Newman. The Meditation Center is teaching 40 youth in the hospital’s outreach programs.

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House of Ruth: Our partnership with House of Ruth, one of DC’s most respected service providers, will enable women who have survived domestic violence to learn TM. Please see the Silence the Violence section, above, for a description of this partnership.

Capitol Hill Office DLF has established an office on Capitol Hill, with the goal of securing long-term, institutional and government funding for TM instruction. DLF’s vision is that TM become a widely-accepted treatment modality for stress-related illnesses that is reimbursable through government and military agencies as well as private health insurance. To support our work with active-duty soldiers and

veterans, we have established relationships with the Department of Defense, National Defense University, the Veterans Administration, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, and more. We have taught TM to more than 100 military leaders and have cultivated connections with military advisors like Major General Stephen Rippe (US Army, retired; current CEO of Armed Forces Retirement Home) and General Spider Marks (US Army, retired; current consultant and on-air military and national security analyst), whose good counsel informs our work. In addition, Susan Molinari (R-NY) Steve Israel (D-NY) two highly respected retired members of Congress sit on DLF’s Board of Directors, and their advice and guidance have been pivotal. DLF maintains an active presence on Capitol Hill, with more and more Members of Congress and Congressional Staff learning TM. This improves the health and effectiveness of leaders in our nation’s capital while creating a cadre of Capitol Hill legislators and staff who understand the benefits of TM and can support legislative action and budget appropriations to make it more widely available. Advocates on the House Committee on Wellness and other committees can help bring this goal to fruition. We are engaging with experts in legislative advocacy and healthcare regulations to pursue Congressional appropriations and identify barriers to healthcare reimbursement for TM. One example of how instrumental these relationships are, and the value of our numerous Hill advocates, is an upcoming event hosted by Pew Charitable Trusts (a national think tank), in which DLF and a panel of experts will present the research, efficacy and application of TM to frontline healthcare workers and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. Pew Charitable Trusts is inviting all of the Chiefs of Staffs to all Members if Congress to learn about TM and its impact in these areas.

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Meditate America – making TM available to all Americans

Expansive vision and bold, practical goals are hallmarks of the David Lynch Foundation’s mission. Never content to rest we turn our focus on bringing the transformative TM practice to more Americans than ever before. Meditate America, DLF’s newest initiative, has the goal of bringing TM to over 1,000,000 people in America. Launched on December 3, 2020, with an all-star, virtual Benefit Celebration and Concert to raise funds and awareness. The high-profile event, was hosted by award-winning actors

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness, Good Morning America co-anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, and ABC’s Medical Correspondent Jennifer Ashton, MD. Musical performances by luminaries such as Sting, Graham Nash, Elvis Costello, Kesha, Jim James, and Angelique Kidjo attracted a large and diverse audience. Funds from the benefit concert are being used teach TM to healthcare workers, veterans, vulnerable youth, families in crisis, and others who are reeling from the direct and indirect impacts of the global pandemic and all the stress, uncertainty and fragility that has come with it. As Meditate America grows, it will bring TM instruction to new populations and support our aforementioned efforts to make TM a widely accepted treatment modality for a range of health and mental health issues. Our work with public and private health insurers, lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and other key government agencies and decision makers will help achieve our ultimate goal of making TM instruction free and readily available to anyone who seeks it through their health insurance.