If you have been treated for depression and continue to suffer, Roper St. Francis Healthcare wants to help.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare is teaming up with local and national experts to find the best diagnostic and treatment approaches to treat depression. The area’s largest healthcare system for adults is seeking men and women who have taken antidepressants and continue to experience depression.
If this describes you, please call the Roper St. Francis Research and Innovation Center at 843-724-2214.
Anyone who is interested in participating will be screened and all personal information will be kept confidential. Those selected will be offered treatment for depression as well as the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking clinical trials.
Depression is a serious and debilitating illness affecting 16 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds. Depression can lead to personal anguish and suffering. It also can cause significant difficulties for people socially, at work and at home.
Many medical treatments sold in more affordable generic form have shown only modest benefits in alleviating depression. In relatively uncomplicated cases, response rates range between 45-55 percent, and being symptom-free occurs in only 30-35 percent of cases. The effects of psychotherapy for the treatment of depression have been found to be modest, too.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare aims to address the limitations in diagnosing and treating depression.
“We are excited about this new initiative that we are embarking,” said Dr. Jacobo Mintzer, executive director of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare Research and Innovation Center. “We welcome referrals from all sources for this initiative that we hope will contribute to improving the lives of thousands of persons suffering from depression in our state and around the country.”
About Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Roper St. Francis Healthcare is Charleston’s only private, not-for-profit hospital system with a specific focus on community outreach. The healthcare system has three hospitals strategically located across the region: Roper Hospital on the Charleston peninsula, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in West Ashley and Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital in Mount Pleasant. The system is building a fourth flagship hospital, Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital, in the Carnes Crossroads community in Berkeley County.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare is the Lowcountry's second-largest private employer with nearly 5,600 employees. The healthcare system has a robust, active medical staff of more than 800 doctors representing nearly every medical specialty and provides services in more than 90 locations in seven counties. Learn more at rsfh.com.
About Roper St. Francis Research and Innovation Center
The Roper St. Francis Research and Innovation Center is comprised of the Clinical Research Program and the Innovation Center.
The robust research program allows patients access to the newest treatments and clinical trials available for varied conditions. It also creates an atmosphere of innovation, where we are building partnerships for the development of new therapies and establishing an intellectual research hub in the Lowcountry.
The Innovation Center was created to turn biotechnology ideas into products and businesses by recruiting ideas from physicians and researchers all over the world. Ideas that are submitted will be evaluated by the Innovation Center team to determine feasibility and market potential. If the idea is selected, the team will put together a development plan.