Latest news with #MatthewPerryFoundation
CBC
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Coalition calls for Matthew Perry House plans to be halted
The Royal disputes flyers arguing Matthew Perry house will destroy green space 10 hours ago Duration 2:56 Social Sharing A group of Ottawa residents is calling for plans for a new addiction recovery centre on a patch of green space to be halted, while those who support the project are accusing them of spreading misinformation. The Common Sense Planning Coalition says it's worried the Matthew Perry House — proposed in the wake of the Ottawa-raised actor's 2023 death from a ketamine overdose — would take over "valuable community green space" on the grounds of The Royal, Ottawa's mental health centre. It wants the proposed lease negotiations to be terminated and says the centre should instead go up on an adjacent parking lot. "This is not about NIMBYism. It's about smart, sustainable and responsible planning that benefits everyone, including those who need addiction recovery services and the communities that support them," the group says in an online petition. But officials with The Royal and the Matthew Perry Foundation say some of their arguments about the project aren't factually accurate. Perhaps best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends, Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles hot tub in October 2023. According to a report by the Los Angeles County medical examiner's office, his death was an accident, caused by the "acute effects" of the drug ketamine. The 54-year-old had been reportedly undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to deal with depression and anxiety. While Perry had struggled with drug addiction in the past, he was "reportedly clean for 19 months" at the time of his death, according to the report. After his death, Perry's sister Caitlin Morrison — with the help of family, her brother's childhood friends and others — launched the Matthew Perry Foundation in his memory. Not a public park According to the foundation, the Matthew Perry House would offer a "comprehensive range of support services" to roughly 160 people going through the recovery process. Residents would already have completed a treatment program by the time they arrive. If all goes according to plan with the approval process, construction would begin in the spring of 2026. But the coalition's leader, Robert Simpson, said instead of going on a grassy patch of land sandwiched between Island Park and Byng drives, the house would be better situated on an adjacent parking lot. Members have circulated about 3,000 brochures opposing the plans throughout the neighbourhood, Simpson said. In them, the coalition criticizes The Royal for — among other things — working to sign a "75-year-lease that will see bulldozers roll in and level three acres of public green space." "We've been very clear that we support the Matthew Perry Foundation. We've been very clear that we support what they do and their mission," Simpson told CBC. "Our concern is bad urban planning." But not only does The Royal need to provide parking for staff, the land where the recovery centre would go is zoned for institutional use and is "absolutely not a public park," said president and CEO Cara Vaccarino. Our concern is bad urban planning. - Robert Simpson Vaccarino said the Royal has engaged in "wholehearted and sincere" communication about the project with people living nearby, holding multiple consultation sessions — including another one scheduled for April 29. "It is in our commitment, as public servants, to do all we can to leverage public assets for the greater good of the community," Vaccarino said, noting the recovery centre would help reduce supportive housing wait times for people with mental health or addictions struggles. She also said the coalition's campaign was misrepresenting the land where it would go. "There is no children's playground. It is not a community tennis court. There is no grassy playing field. There are no real walking trails," she told CBC, referencing claims made in the group's brochure. "We want our neighbours to be happy. We want our neighbours to thrive and to enjoy their homes," Vaccarino added. "But we also feel that, you know, in a lot of instances ... people with mental illness and addiction, they don't get the opportunity to live in beautiful neighbourhoods [like this one]." Space used for decades, coalition says Morrison, who serves as executive director of the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada, told CBC she's not surprised there's been pushback but is staying hopeful she can bring the project's opponents on side. "It was a little bit saddening — disheartening, I guess — to see a document like this where so many of the things that we're doing ... seem to be the opposite of what we're actually doing," she told CBC. The Island Park Community Association, meanwhile, said it supports the coalition's efforts, passing a motion last week calling for the development to be moved to the parking lot. Even if the land is The Royal's private property, it's still important to preserve green space in Ottawa, said acting president Bill Brooks. "It's land of a public hospital, which I take the view is for a public benefit," Brooks said. Brooks said the association also passed a motion asking for The Royal to suspend its negotiations with Ottawa Community Housing, which is acting as developer for the house. As for Simpson, he said he didn't feel the coalition's brochure was misrepresenting the nature of a space that's been accessed by dogwalkers, tennis players, children and others in the area for more than four decades.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Matthew Perry Foundation launches addiction medicine fellowship
The Matthew Perry Foundation has set up an addiction medicine training fellowship, 15 months after the former Friends star died of a ketamine overdose. Established with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine allows a doctor to join MGH's Addiction Medicine Fellowship for the 2025-26 academic year. Dr Sarah 'SK' Kler, a resident at MGH, will take up the role in June, tasked with studying addiction treatment and working toward providing addiction care in future work, the foundation said on Instagram on Tuesday. In a statement, the chair of the foundation's board Doug Chapin, and its executive director Lisa Kasteler Calio said Perry "believed deeply in eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction, and with that in mind, we are proud to lend our name to this important work". The Canadian-born actor, who had been taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, was in October 2023. A medical examiner later ruled that ketamine Dr Sarah Wakeman, the fellowship's programme director, warned against continuing to "silo addiction care outside the rest of medical care". In comments posted on the hospital's website, she said marginalising addiction as a social problem outside of the domain of physicians "will only exacerbate stigma and inequities and increase the deadly impact of this epidemic". Dr Wakeman called on the medical community to use "effective, holistic, wraparound services across medical settings" to help battle addiction. MGH "will work in close collaboration with the Matthew Perry Foundation to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and, most importantly, offer hope to those of every age, background, and experience who are struggling with substance use disorder", she said. Read more:Lively-Baldoni could go to trial'No protection' for BoyzoneGomez in tears over deportations In October 2024, Dr Mark Chavez, who had been charged in connection with Perry's death, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to distribute ketamine. Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in April. Five people, including Chavez, have been charged in connection with Perry's death. The other four are his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, an acquaintance of the actor named Eric Fleming, another doctor named Salvador Plasencia, known as "Dr P", and Jasveen Sangha, who was referred to in documents as the "Ketamine Queen".
Sky News
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Matthew Perry Foundation launches addiction medicine fellowship
The Matthew Perry Foundation has set up an addiction medicine training fellowship, 15 months after the former Friends star died of a ketamine overdose. Established with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine allows a doctor to join MGH's Addiction Medicine Fellowship for the 2025-26 academic year. Dr Sarah 'SK' Kler, a resident at MGH, will take up the role in June, tasked with studying addiction treatment and working toward providing addiction care in future work, the foundation said on Instagram on Tuesday. In a statement, the chair of the foundation's board Doug Chapin, and its executive director Lisa Kasteler Calio said Perry "believed deeply in eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction, and with that in mind, we are proud to lend our name to this important work". The Canadian-born actor, who had been taking ketamine six to eight times a day before he died, was found dead at his home in Los Angeles in October 2023. A medical examiner later ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death. Dr Sarah Wakeman, the fellowship's programme director, warned against continuing to "silo addiction care outside the rest of medical care". In comments posted on the hospital's website, she said marginalising addiction as a social problem outside of the domain of physicians "will only exacerbate stigma and inequities and increase the deadly impact of this epidemic". 0:51 Dr Wakeman called on the medical community to use "effective, holistic, wraparound services across medical settings" to help battle addiction. MGH "will work in close collaboration with the Matthew Perry Foundation to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and, most importantly, offer hope to those of every age, background, and experience who are struggling with substance use disorder", she said. In October 2024, Dr Mark Chavez, who had been charged in connection with Perry's death, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to distribute ketamine. Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in April. Five people, including Chavez, have been charged in connection with Perry's death. The other four are his live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, an acquaintance of the actor named Eric Fleming, another doctor named Salvador Plasencia, known as "Dr P", and Jasveen Sangha, who was referred to in documents as the "Ketamine Queen".
CBS News
28-01-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Matthew Perry Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital team up to fight addiction
BOSTON - The Matthew Perry Foundation, which carries on the legacy of the actor best known for his role on "Friends," is partnering with a hospital in Boston to fight addiction. Massachusetts General Hospital on Tuesday announced the creation of the "Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine." The inaugural fellow is Dr. Sarah "SK" Kler, who will join an exclusive program that helps physicians "become specialists and leaders in Addiction Medicine," the hospital said. "The Matthew Perry Foundation is honored to be in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital's Addiction Medicine Fellowship program," the foundation said in a statement. "Matthew believed deeply in eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction and, with that in mind, we are proud to lend our name to this important work." Matthew Perry's struggle with addiction Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the long-running sitcom, died from "the acute effects of ketamine," an autopsy found, after he was found dead in a jacuzzi at his home in Oct. 2023. In a best-selling memoir published the year before his death, Perry opened up about his struggle with addiction. He wrote that he was taking 55 Vicodin a day while "Friends" was on TV, and "I couldn't stop because the disease and the addiction is progressive." "My hope is that people will relate to it, and know that this disease attacks everybody," Perry told People magazine. "It doesn't matter if you're successful or not successful, the disease doesn't care." Reducing the stigma MGH said about 50 million Americans struggle with addiction, and hundreds of thousands die every year from alcohol and drugs. Fellowship program director Dr. Sarah Wakeman, the senior medical director for substance use disorder at Mass General Brigham, said it's important to incorporate addiction treatment with the rest of medical care. "Mass General will work in close collaboration with the Matthew Perry Foundation to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and, most importantly, offer hope to those of every age, background and experience who are struggling with substance use disorder," Dr. Wakeman said in a statement.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Matthew Perry Foundation Launches Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital
The Matthew Perry Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have created an addiction medicine training fellowship in Matthew Perry's name and selected its inaugural fellow, the organizations announced Tuesday. The Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine allows a residency-trained physician to join MGH's Addiction Medicine Fellowship to study addiction treatment and work toward providing addiction care in their future practice. More from Variety David Schwimmer on the 'Beauty' of 'Goosebumps' and How 'Friends' Went From 'Challenging' and 'Dark' to the 'Gift That Keeps on Giving' Matthew Perry Gifted Lisa Kudrow the 'Friends' Cookie Jar in 2004. She Found the Note He Left Inside It 20 Years Later and After His Death: 'Timing Is Everything' Lisa Kudrow Says the 'Friends' Cast Only Met Together Once in the 17 Years Between Series Finale and Reunion Special Dr. Sarah 'SK' Kler is the first candidate to be selected for the new fellowship, which is set for the 2025-2026 academic year. Dr. Kler is currently Chief Medical Resident in Internal Medicine at MGH and will begin the fellowship training in June. The MGH fellowship program, which is also funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, includes three total participants who will rotate through different departments and regional partners of Mass General Brigham, the healthcare system of which MGH is a founding member. 'The Matthew Perry Foundation is honored to be in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital's Addiction Medicine Fellowship program. Matthew believed deeply in eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction and, with that in mind, we are proud to lend our name to this important work,' the foundation's chairman of the board Doug Chapin and executive director Lisa Kasteler Calio said in a statement. The Matthew Perry Foundation was created to recognize Perry and his dedication to aiding people combatting addiction. The 'Friends' died in October 2023 of a ketamine overdose. 'Continuing to silo addiction care outside the rest of medical care and marginalize addiction as a social problem outside of the domain of physicians will only exacerbate stigma and inequities and increase the deadly impact of this epidemic,' Dr. Sarah Wakeman, the fellowship's program director, said in a statement. 'It is vitally important for the medical community to address substance use disorder using effective, holistic, wraparound services across medical settings. The training provided through the MGH fellowship will allow the next generation of physicians to provide and continually improve this care.' 'Mass General will work in close collaboration with the Matthew Perry Foundation to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and, most importantly, offer hope to those of every age, background and experience who are struggling with substance use disorder,' she added. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in February 2025
