The LLS Therapy Acceleration Program

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Image: http://www.lls.org

Keefe Gorman, a managing director with Merrill Lynch, engages in outdoor sports such as skiing during his leisure time. Moreover, Keefe Gorman supports various charitable endeavors, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).

LLS, a voluntary health-focused organization, was founded in 1949. It is committed to efforts to find cures for blood cancer and strives to fund research and patient support. LLS currently supports more than 300 research projects. One of its initiatives is the Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP). The program selects and funds novel projects relating to diagnostics, therapies, or supportive care that have the capacity to raise the level of care for blood cancer patients, particularly in areas where medical needs are unmet to a large extent.

The TAP review process and funding are separate from standard LLS grants. TAP funding goes towards companies and clinical investigators with the goal of improving their access to necessary resources or helping them find partners to assist with processes such as registration, testing, and marketing. For instance, LLS and Kite Pharma, Inc., have partnered to augment the development of KTE-C19, Kite’s primary product candidate for treating patients who have refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Nursing Home Residents Regain Independence through Restorative Program

New York resident Keefe Gorman is an accomplished skier and financial professional for Merrill Lynch. In addition to his work with Merrill Lynch, Keefe Gorman plays an active role in his community. He previously served on the board of directors for the Reconstruction Home, a nonprofit nursing care facility in Ithaca. The facility offers a number of enrichment opportunities for residents, such the New Beginnings restorative nursing program.

New Beginnings strives to promote the independence of residents and alter the perception that nursing homes are “the end of the line.” Designed for individuals who recently lost the ability to perform daily living tasks on their own as a result of disease or age-related conditions, the program focuses on returning individuals to a level of physical functioning and preventing the deterioration of daily living skills and activities.

Additionally, New Beginnings can benefit residents who exhibit behaviors such as crying and aimless wandering. By increasing their ability to perform basic living tasks residents previously did for themselves for years, the program allows them to regain self-esteem and dignity.

To learn more about the New Beginnings program and other Reconstruction House services, visit the facility’s website at ithacanet.org/Orgs/Reconstruction.