Karen Giles, MD, and Jim Benjamin, founders of Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions. PHOTO COURTESY OF Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions

MOOD BOOST

Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions hopes to bridge Georgia’s mental healthcare gap with evidence-based treatments for depression.

Psychiatrist Karen Giles, MD, has teamed up with veteran business executive Jim Benjamin to launch Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions (breakthrupsych.com). Opening in Sandy Springs this September, the clinic will specialize in evidence-based treatments like FDAapproved Spravato (esketamine) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as well as ketamine infusions for those with major depressive disorder.

According to Dr. Giles, 30% to 40% of these patients are categorized as “treatment-resistant,” or patients with depression that does not improve with medication. Breakthru hopes to change that. As Giles explains, all three of these treatments are forms of neuromodulation that target specific circuity in the brain, regulating mood and alleviating symptoms of depression. Giles calls them “game changers for many patients with treatment-resistant depression.”

Real-world studies of TMS, ketamine infusions and Spravato consistently show that over half of all patients with treatment-resistant depression will enjoy clinically significant improvements in their symptoms. And with ketamine and Spravato, suicidal ideation is reduced or eliminated in 75% and 40% of patients, respectively, and sometimes after only one treatment.

In addition, after an acute course of TMS, remission of symptoms may endure for one to two years, which is longer than electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and with no risk of the cognitive side effects that are often seen with ECT. After the initial treatment phase, ketamine and Spravato often require booster treatments, however, Breakthru is designed with the ability to combine treatment modalities to extend their benefits.

Breakthru’s 2,500-square-foot office suite contains multiple treatment and consultation rooms. Giles and clinical staff monitor all treatments. Patients will also receive access to a complimentary six-month group coaching and lifestyle modification program.

“The mind-body connection is essential in achieving lasting results for mental health,” says Giles. “We emphasize lifestyle medicine in conjunction with the biologic treatments offered in our clinic to set our patients up for lasting improvements in their mental health and all aspects of their lives, and we really think this approach sets us apart from other clinics.”

Breakthru plans to accept traditional insurance plans and will be affiliated with the Emory Healthcare Network, where Giles will continue to stay on as adjunct faculty in the department of psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine. If successful, the pair plan to open similar clinics in the Atlanta area and beyond.

“Georgia consistently ranks at or near the bottom of all states relative to access to mental healthcare in this country, and being able to provide services for people who suffer and have had virtually no response to any treatments is really important to us,” shares Benjamin.