What is the River Centre Foundation?

The River Centre Foundation is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization established to advance education, prevention, research, and treatment of eating disorders.

A volunteer board of trustees consisting of professionals, business leaders, family members and interested members of the community oversees the management of the Foundation.

Our Mission

The Bridge to Recovery Walk on May 20, 2012

The River Centre Foundation is hosting the 2012 Bridge to Recovery Walk which will be held on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at Olander Park in Sylvania, Ohio. Last year's walk was a huge success and we are hoping to make this an even turnout this year! If you register before May 1, 2012, you will receive a free commemorative Walk t-shirt. This year there will be a cookout folloing the walk and eveyone is invited (for those of you who need counts, they will be provided).

The schedule for the Walk is:

9:00 am---Registration
10:00 am--Bridge to Recovery Walk
10:30 am--Raffle (some really cool things this year!)
11:30 am--"Numbers Do Not Define Me" Scale Smashing event
12:00 pm--Noon Cookout- Everyone is Invited!

Registration: at the First Giving Website.

http:/firstgiving.com/rivercentrefoundation/bridge-to-recovert-walk-2012

For more information, contact Jan at 419-206-1306.

What the Foundation Has Done With the Generous
Donations From Last Year

Research Initiatives

• Development of Research Article Database. Christopher Keiper, a Ph.D. candidate at Fuller University in California, was hired by the Foundation in July 2011 to provide research assistance and consultation to undertake several activities that would enhance scientific knowledge of eating disorder research as part of the Foundation's mission. Approximately 24,000 scientific research article references from various online databases have been organized and imported into a local EndNote database that will allow the up-to-date analysis of research trends in the eating disorder field.  This comprises the majority of scholarly articles on eating disorders. Electronic versions of more than 1,200 of these articles have been attached to the electronic record to provide ready access in developing research projects. These research references have been organized by subcategories so that they can be easily incorporated into research papers.Using the database, literature reviews will be conducted to assist in research projects that are being planned. 

• Treatment Effectiveness.  The River Centre Clinic has an extensive patient database that allows for the assessment of various parameters of treatment effectiveness.  In order to prepare the database for analysis, Mr. Keiper has provided technical assistance in checking data and calculations as part of an evaluation of the integrity of the database. Preliminary data analyses of clinical outcomes have been conducted in order to provide information that will assist in identifying factors that can improve the quality of care. 

• Study of Medication in the Treatment of Eating Disorders.  Although often helpful for secondary symptoms, most psychotropic medications (e.g., antidepressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotics) are not approved for primary treatment of eating disorders. In order to began data analysis for this study, the Foundation provided funds to purchase data analytic software, SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Two medical students from the University of Toledo Medical Center were interns at the RCC in 2011 and they assisting in gathering data on psychotropic medications prescribed to a 200 consecutive patients entering treatment at the RCC.  Preliminary analysis of the data indicate that two-thirds of patients entering treatment at the RCC are on one or more psychotropic medications. About 60% of adolescents are on psychotropic medications compared to more than 70% of adults.  Even though there is little evidence for the effectiveness of psychotropic medications in emaciated patients, 68% of those with anorexia nervosa were on at least one medication.  Currently, statistical analyses are being confirmed and data integrity is being ensured to prepare documents for submission to publication. New cases have been added, so that the last 250 clients who have been admitted to the RCC are being checked for data integrity and analyzed for information about how often drugs are prescribed to people with an ED.

• Spirituality Research.  There is evidence in the literature on eating disorders that spirituality may be an important variable in recovery.  The Foundation is supporting research aimed at identifying spirituality variables that may be important.  In order to better understand religious and spiritual needs of clients, a questionnaire was created that includes 3 validated psychological instruments that measure the domains of public religiousness, intrinsic religiousness, spiritual transcendence (how one’s religion helps them to overcome circumstances), religious comfort (comfort one receives from spirituality), and religious strain (struggle with one’s faith). A fourth measure that assesses religious ascetic drive is currently being piloted- a domain thought to be important in persons of faith who live restrictive lifestyles. Currently, over 25 questionnaires have been completed by new clients, and results are being compiled to determine the nature of spiritual attributes. These measures will also help to determine how religious variables impact treatment outcomes.

• Structured Exercise in Treatment. Since compulsive exercise is an important predictor of death in anorexia nervosa the conventional wisdom in empirically based treatment as generally been to suspend exercise during treatment or at least the initial phase of treatment.  A recent study challenged this convention by indicating that therapeutic exercise may be a positive influence in treatment. A Ph.D. occupational therapy student from the University of Toledo is completing a capstone project at the RCC and the focus of this project is assisting in the development of a therapeutic exercise program based on an recent cognitive-behavioral manual for the treatment of compulsive exercise in eating disorders. 

• Internship Program. In April 2012, two psychology Ph.D. students from UNAM University in Mexico City will be completing a 3-month internship at the River Centre Foundation.  Their primary focus will be to complete their Ph.D. research on the epidemiology of eating concerns in samples of Mexican students who completed the EAT-26 at intervals over a 20-year time-span.  The two students will also assist in completing a comprehensive literature review of more than 5,000 articles that have cited the Eating Attitudes Test in the past 30 years.  They will also assist in the analysis of data from several sources to update the original Factor Analysis of the EAT-26 as well as gather comprehensive validation data from different patient and non-patient samples for publication and presentation on the EAT-26 website.  Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) Literature Review and Data Analyses.  The EAT-26 is probably the most widely used standardized self-report measure of symptoms and concerns characteristic of eating disorders.  In the past 30 years, the EAT-26 has been translated into many different languages and used in hundreds of studies. The original publication (Garner, D.M. & Garfinkel, P.E., 1979, Psychological Medicine, 9, 273-279.) and the subsequent publication describing the refinement of the test (Garner et al., 1982, Psychological Medicine, 12, 871-878) are the 3rd and 4th on the list of the 10 most cited articles in the history of the journal Psychological Medicine 

Advocacy

One of the Foundation's mission is advocacy for those with eating disorders.  This involves informing and educating legislators, governmental agencies, research organizations, insurance companies and managed care organizations about the need for better health insurance coverage and funding for eating disorder treatment and research. 

• In an effort to fulfill the advocacy mission, in 2011 the Foundation joined the Eating Disorder Coalition which is a Washington-based organization focused on educating and working with congress to influence federal policy. 

http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/our-members.htm

• In October 2011, the Foundation provided financial support for Dr. Brithany Pawloski to travel to Washington DC in 2011 to attend Eating Disorder Coalition Lobby Day. She visited Representative Marcy Kapter's (D-OH) and Senator Sherrod Brown's offices as well as several other representatives from other states to discuss the need to support legislation to improve the treatment options for eating disorders.

Public Education

In February 2011, the Foundation sponsored an information booth at Westfield Mall and volunteers passed out Eating Disorder Awareness ribbons that had been made for Eating Disorders Awareness week.  It was a huge success since it provided people with information about how those suffering from eating disorders can obtain help

Support the Foundation

The River Centre Foundation is a 401(c)(3) tax exempt organization supported financially by private donations, community events and funding by the River Centre Clinic. Gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible and can be in the form of grants, tributes, endowments, and planned giving options. Gifts to the Foundation will increase our ability to develop new programs aimed at improving the quality of life for those suffering from eating disorders through research, professional training, community education and advocacy. The Foundation tax ID number is 34-1944117 and tax deductable receipts will be issued for all donations.