Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
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Massachusetts Bills Offer a Pathway Toward Expanded Psychedelic Access
LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 12 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news:
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Massachusetts bills offer a pathway toward expanded psychedelic access
Embracing the promise of psychedelic therapies like psilocybin would place Massachusetts at the forefront of this new wave of evidence-informed reform.
By Kaitlyn Boecker
A version of this public comment was submitted to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery on November 10, 2025.
States across the country are advancing legislation to safely expand access to psilocybin, with impressive results.
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 12 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following news:
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Massachusetts bills offer a pathway toward expanded psychedelic access
Embracing the promise of psychedelic therapies like psilocybin would place Massachusetts at the forefront of this new wave of evidence-informed reform.
By Kaitlyn Boecker
A version of this public comment was submitted to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery on November 10, 2025.
States across the country are advancing legislation to safely expand access to psilocybin, with impressive results.Oregon and Colorado have implemented regulated psilocybin programs that include licensed service centers, product testing, and facilitator training. New Mexico just approved legislation to authorize limited medical psilocybin access for patients with qualifying conditions. Lawmakers in Arizona, California, Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Missouri, and Washington continue to seriously consider multiple proposals for psilocybin regulation and access.
These efforts, like the proposals contained within Massachusetts H.2203 and H.4200, represent the growing movement from criminalization to sensible regulation grounded in public health and harm reduction.
Legislatures are acting for several key reasons:
* Mental health crisis: Conventional treatments are often costly, inaccessible, or ineffective for conditions like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, addiction, and chronic pain.
* Strong safety and efficacy signals: Peer-reviewed research increasingly supports psilocybin's potential therapeutic benefits.
* Public support: Decriminalization and safe access policies enjoy increasing bipartisan support.
* Policy innovation: With limited federal action, states are designing novel frameworks that balance access, safety, and oversight.
Promise of psychedelic-assisted therapy
Over the past decade, medical and scientific communities have increasingly recognized the potential of psychedelic therapies for the treatment of intractable mental health conditions. Clinical evidence suggests that certain psychedelic-based therapies are more effective than conventional treatments for various mental health disorders; current treatment options frequently have efficacy rates in the low teens. Earlier this year, the U.S. National Network of Depression Centers released a consensus statement calling for expansion into funding, research, and large-scale studies to explore the promise of psychedelic-assisted treatments.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted psilocybin "breakthrough therapy" designation twice: first in 2018 for treatment-resistant depression, and again in 2019 for major depressive disorder. This status is specifically designed to expedite the regulatory review of drugs demonstrating substantial and superior treatment potential over existing options for serious, unmet medical conditions. As of 2025, two psychedelic substances--psilocybin and MDMA (for treatment of PTSD in 2017)--have already received breakthrough therapy designations. There are currently 14 active FDA Phase II or Phase III psilocybin clinical trials underway.
Psilocybin-assisted therapies have shown long-lasting favorable changes in well-being, attitude, and personality within only one- or two-session doses. Robust research suggests these therapies could treat a range of disorders, many with limited and/or largely ineffective treatment options--including anxiety in terminal illnesses, certain neurodegenerative diseases, obsessive compulsive disorder, and drug dependency--in addition to their FDA-recognized potential in treating depression.
A 2024 article in the academic journal Brain Sciences reviewed a dozen high-quality studies on the therapeutic effects of psilocybin administration, concluding: "A quantitative analysis of the studies indicates that psilocybin is highly effective in reducing depressive symptoms severity among patients with primary [major depressive disorder] or [treatment-resistant depression]. Both single-dose and two-dose psilocybin treatments significantly reduced depressive symptoms severity, with two-dose administration sometimes yielding more pronounced and lasting effects."
Generally, psilocybin is said to have the best safety profile of any psychedelic substance. Psilocybin has low physiological toxicity, low risk of abuse or addiction, and no linked persistent harmful physiological or psychological effects during or after use, according to years of anecdotal data as well as modern scientific investigations. Psilocybin overdose is also exceedingly rare. A 2017 PubMed study found that, of 9,233 psilocybin users, only 19 (0.2%) reported seeking emergency medical treatment. They sought help mostly due to psychological symptoms (anxiety, paranoia), with poor "mindset," poor "setting," and mixing substances as the most-reported reasons for incidents. All but one patient returned to normal within 24 hours, and all patients recovered within seven days.
A facilitated access model provides safety without costly overregulation
Both bills would establish a pilot program for facilitated therapeutic access to psilocybin. This approach blends regulated adult use with public health safeguards, allowing individuals to access psilocybin in a structured, informed environment that includes support, screening, and education, without requiring full clinical supervision. Ultimately, this model would avoid the cost barriers of a strictly medicalized system while creating accountability through licensed providers, required education, and robust tracking.
Conclusion
Clinical research of psilocybin and other psychedelic substances is a rapidly emerging field that is quickly changing the landscape of mental health across the country. States retain the authority to expand access to these substances through their own laws, with pioneers like Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico responding to public health interests.
Embracing the promise of psychedelic therapies like psilocybin would place Massachusetts at the forefront of this new wave of evidence-informed reform. Recognizing the therapeutic value of new treatments will avoid the extremes of prohibition or unregulated use, instead offering a practical, public-health-based pathway to safe, equitable psilocybin access.
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Kaitlyn Boecker is a government affairs specialist at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/testimony/massachusetts-bills-offer-a-pathway-toward-expanded-psychedelic-access/
Health Foundation: Winter Pressures Expose NHS Fragility
LONDON, England, Dec. 12 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release:
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Winter pressures expose NHS fragility
Responding to the latest NHS monthly performance statistics, Francesca Cavallaro, Senior Analytical Manager at the Health Foundation, said:
The latest urgent and emergency care figures for November show the NHS beginning to feel the first signs of winter. Flu started earlier than usual this year and admissions are rising at the same pace as last year, but the number of patients in hospital with flu is yet to approach the peaks seen in 2022/23 and 2024/25. The NHS
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Dec. 12 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release:
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Winter pressures expose NHS fragility
Responding to the latest NHS monthly performance statistics, Francesca Cavallaro, Senior Analytical Manager at the Health Foundation, said:
The latest urgent and emergency care figures for November show the NHS beginning to feel the first signs of winter. Flu started earlier than usual this year and admissions are rising at the same pace as last year, but the number of patients in hospital with flu is yet to approach the peaks seen in 2022/23 and 2024/25. The NHScould face major pressures if cases continue to climb rapidly in the weeks ahead.
Ambulance services are currently meeting this year's target for reaching serious emergencies in an average of 30 minutes across the year. However, performance has fallen as winter approaches and the prospect of returning to the prolonged delays in response times and handovers at hospital seen in recent years could have serious implications for patient care.
The elective waiting list rose slightly in October but waiting times improved. However, this does not yet reflect the impact of the most recent resident doctor strikes. Progress will be hard to make with intensifying winter pressures, the threat of further industrial action, and trusts struggling to deliver against tight financial plans.
These pressures expose the NHS's fragile balancing act. The government's Autumn Budget provided no additional funding to help services maintain essential care and meet stretching performance targets, even as demands continue to rise. This leaves the NHS in a precarious financial position--a recipe for worsening patient care and stalled recovery.'
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/winter-pressures-expose-nhs-fragility
Health Foundation: ONS Life Expectancy Data Shows Recovery From Pandemic, But Long-term Stagnation Persists
LONDON, England, Dec. 12 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release on Dec. 10, 2025:
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ONS life expectancy data shows recovery from pandemic, but long-term stagnation persists
Commenting on today's ONS life expectancy for local areas of the UK: between 2001 to 2003 and 2022 to 2024, Jason Strelitz, Assistant Director (Prevention) at the Health Foundation, said:
Life expectancy at birth has now recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic shock. The latest three-year estimates (2022-2024) show males at 79.1 years, just below the pre-pandemic peak of 79.3 years, and females at 83
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Dec. 12 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release on Dec. 10, 2025:
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ONS life expectancy data shows recovery from pandemic, but long-term stagnation persists
Commenting on today's ONS life expectancy for local areas of the UK: between 2001 to 2003 and 2022 to 2024, Jason Strelitz, Assistant Director (Prevention) at the Health Foundation, said:
Life expectancy at birth has now recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic shock. The latest three-year estimates (2022-2024) show males at 79.1 years, just below the pre-pandemic peak of 79.3 years, and females at 83years, back to their 2019 peak (see Figure 1). However, progress has stalled compared with the steady gains seen before 2012. If that earlier trend had continued, men today would be living 3.6 years longer and women 2.6 years longer than current figures show (see Figure 2).
This stalling of life expectancy reflects a long-term failure to improve the nation's health. Many national goals, including economic growth, depend on a healthy and thriving population. Comparable countries are doing much better than the UK, indicating significant room for improvement.
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Figure 1 Life expectancy is returning to pre-pandemic levels
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Figure 2 If the pre-2012 growth rates had continued, life expectancy would be much higher now
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Figure 3 Life expectancy is below the national average for every local authority in the North East
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Regional inequalities remain stark (see Figure 3). Every local authority in the North East is below the Great Britain average, while the highest life expectancies are concentrated in the south of England.
The Government has rightly committed to a shift from treatment to prevention. There have been significant steps forward, for example with the child poverty strategy. But what is needed now is a clear set of targets to narrow the health gap, backed by a cross-government strategy.
Improving health must be at the heart of decision-making, ensuring resilience and wellbeing are embedded across policies. Only with decisive action will we build good health and ensure that inequalities don't become further entrenched.
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/ons-life-expectancy-data-shows-recovery-from-pandemic-but-long-term-stagnation-persists
OMRF recognized again as a top Oklahoma workplace
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 11 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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OMRF recognized again as a top Oklahoma workplace
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For the 13th straight year, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has been named one of the state's top places to work.
The 2025 Top Workplaces rankings resulted from an anonymous employee survey on factors such as job satisfaction, management quality, pay and benefits, and opportunities for growth.
Each year since the surveys began in 2013, OMRF has ranked among the state's top 10 large employers (350-plus employees). The nonprofit
... Show Full Article
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 11 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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OMRF recognized again as a top Oklahoma workplace
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For the 13th straight year, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has been named one of the state's top places to work.
The 2025 Top Workplaces rankings resulted from an anonymous employee survey on factors such as job satisfaction, management quality, pay and benefits, and opportunities for growth.
Each year since the surveys began in 2013, OMRF has ranked among the state's top 10 large employers (350-plus employees). The nonprofitbiomedical foundation has ranked in the top five for nine of the past 10 straight years.
The Oklahoman newspaper announced this year's winners at a Dec. 10 event in Oklahoma City, based on results compiled by Energage, a Philadelphia-based research and consulting firm. Earlier this year, the same firm recognized OMRF as one of the nation's top 10 workplaces of its size.
In survey responses, employees overwhelmingly responded that they feel empowered, respected, supported and able to grow in their role. Their collective opinion provides a sense of validation to Courtney Stevens Greenwood, OMRF's vice president of human resources.
"We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels both valued and connected to our mission," she said. "These survey results tell us we're succeeding, but we never stop trying to improve."
Lisa Nelms started working at OMRF in 1976 as a high school senior and has remained for nearly 50 years. Now the foundation's accounting director, she credits her coworkers and the opportunities she's been given as primary reasons for her longevity.
"I spend more time with my OMRF family than my actual blood family," Nelms said. "We are very close, and I consider myself so lucky."
Research technician Makayla Tillett, who recently earned an undergraduate degree from Oklahoma City University, hopes to follow in the footsteps of OMRF's executive vice president and chief medical officer, Judith James, M.D., Ph.D.
Both served summer internships as Fleming Scholars at OMRF, and Tillett has applied for the University of Oklahoma's M.D.-Ph.D. program, which James was the first student to complete.
Tillett is now a full-time employee in the lab of her Fleming program mentors, scientists Umesh Deshmukh, Ph.D., and Harini Bagavant, Ph.D., and she says the limitless learning opportunities keep her job interesting.
"I love so many things about OMRF, but foremost are my mentors, who are incredible teachers dedicated to training the next generation of scientists like myself."
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Original text here: https://omrf.org/2025/12/11/omrf-recognized-again-as-a-top-oklahoma-workplace/
New Foundation Report Examines Explosive Growth in Data Centers, Opportunities for Financing
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation posted the following news release:
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New Foundation Report Examines Explosive Growth in Data Centers, Opportunities for Financing
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Washington, DC, December 11, 2025 - U.S. data centers, a key component of the nation's technology infrastructure, were a driving force behind a surge in equipment and software investment during the first half of 2025, accounting for roughly one-third of real GDP growth. With data center costs ranging from $200 million for smaller facilities to well over $1 billion, data center financings in
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation posted the following news release:
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New Foundation Report Examines Explosive Growth in Data Centers, Opportunities for Financing
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Washington, DC, December 11, 2025 - U.S. data centers, a key component of the nation's technology infrastructure, were a driving force behind a surge in equipment and software investment during the first half of 2025, accounting for roughly one-third of real GDP growth. With data center costs ranging from $200 million for smaller facilities to well over $1 billion, data center financings inthe U.S. were $30 billion in 2024 and could double to reach $60 billion in 2025 according to a new study, " Vertical Market Outlook Series: Data Centers," released today by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (Foundation). The study provides an overview of the U.S. data center vertical and addresses topics including macroeconomic factors, market dynamics, and equipment/technology trends that will have an impact on the sector and its needs going forward.
"This Foundation study examines the unprecedented AI infrastructure buildout we're seeing with some of the largest tech playersGoogle, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoftcollectively planning to spend over $350 billion on AI-related data centers in 2025 alone," said Will Tefft, Equipment Manager - EverBank Corporate Asset Finance and Foundation Trustee and Research Committee Member. "This sizable infrastructure investment is not without its challenges as energy consumption, environmental impacts and other issues need to be addressed. Overall, this sector presents tremendous opportunities for the equipment finance industry's characteristic innovative, flexible and expert solutions."
The new study presents data and research from a variety of sources, and examines a range of issues, including:
* Data center ecosystem definition, composition, size and future growth
* Macroeconomic environment:
* U.S. government regulations and legislation
* Labor
* Sustainability
* Market dynamics and trends:
* Equipment technology
* Cooling systems
* Energy usage, storage and management
* Security
* Real estate
* Planned data center spending
* Trends impacting equipment finance
This report is the 14 th release of the Foundation's forward-looking Vertical Market Outlook Series designed to help readers recognize and understand opportunities and challenges that may affect their businesses. It was prepared by global advertising, technology, and data company Big Village, which also produced the previous studies in the Vertical Market Outlook Series. Download the full report at https://www.leasefoundation.org/industry-resources/vertical-outlook/.
All Foundation studies are available for free download from the Foundation's online library at http://store.leasefoundation.org/.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
X: https://twitter.com/LeaseFoundation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10989281/
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission to advance the $1.3 trillion equipment finance sector by producing data-forward research and market outlooks, as well as cultivating the next-generation workforce through Campus to Career programs, including curriculum development and collegiate scholarships. Founded in 1989 and 100% funded through charitable donations, the Foundation drives innovation and career development for the future of the industry. www.leasefoundation.org
Media Contact: Kelli Nienaber, knienaber@leasefoundation.org
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Original text here: https://www.leasefoundation.org/news_item/new-foundation-report-examines-explosive-growth-in-data-centers-opportunities-for-financing/
Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children's Launches to Treat Babies Well Before Birth
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Dec. 11 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children's Launches to Treat Babies Well Before Birth
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WILMINGTON, Del. (December 11, 2025) -The Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children's launched today, offering a compassionate and personalized health care experience for mothers who receive a complex fetal diagnosis during their pregnancy. The Institute for Maternal Fetal Health and its world-renowned clinical leadership will provide state-of-the-art care for mothers and their babies
... Show Full Article
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Dec. 11 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children's Launches to Treat Babies Well Before Birth
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WILMINGTON, Del. (December 11, 2025) -The Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children's launched today, offering a compassionate and personalized health care experience for mothers who receive a complex fetal diagnosis during their pregnancy. The Institute for Maternal Fetal Health and its world-renowned clinical leadership will provide state-of-the-art care for mothers and their babiesat Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, as its first location in early 2026.
"The launch of the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children's will usher in a new era of cutting-edge care for mothers carrying fetuses with known congenital anomalies," said R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, President and CEO of Nemours Children's Health. "Our commitment to deliver state-of-the-art fetal interventions while surrounding the whole family with robust psychosocial support underscores our unwavering commitment to Whole Child Health."
Maternal Fetal Care Leadership
Julie S. Moldenhauer, MD, PMH-C, one of the nation's foremost maternal-fetal medicine specialists and fetal interventionalists, serves as the inaugural Executive Director of the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health. Dr. Moldenhauer is triple-board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, maternal-fetal medicine, and clinical genetics.
Dr. Moldenhauer holds the newly created Elizabeth W. Snyder Endowed Chair in Fetal Therapy and Innovation. Mrs. Snyder, a Delaware philanthropist and businesswoman, is a champion for the health and well-being of children and families across the region. The Snyder Chair will ensure that Nemours Children's remains at the forefront of fetal therapy and innovation, driving advancements in early diagnosis, surgical intervention, and family-centered care.
When parents receive a serious fetal diagnosis, the excitement of pregnancy can change into a frightening experience. Dr. Moldenhauer and her team use a family-centered approach to support psychosocial needs and facilitate joint decision-making. The team works to create a personalized pregnancy experience and birth plan for each family.
"I'm thrilled to lead the new Institute for Maternal Fetal Health at Nemours Children's and to further advance research and fetal intervention in this rapidly evolving field," said Dr. Moldenhauer. "Whole Child Health begins well before birth. Our goal is to transform a prenatal diagnosis into a positive outcome while recognizing that celebrating motherhood often gets overlooked after the diagnosis of a fetal condition. We are honored to provide a healthcare experience that considers the needs of each expectant mother and her family as our standard of care."
State-of-the-Art Care in a Calming Environment
In early 2026, Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, will serve as the first location within the Institute for Maternal Fetal Health. It will provide advanced quaternary care including leading-edge multimodal fetal imaging, prenatal diagnostics, fetal intervention, high-level genetic evaluation, and complex neonatal care with comprehensive pediatric subspecialty support.
Families often feel that they've missed out on their ideal birth experience when they receive a fetal diagnosis during pregnancy or learn that their baby will require intensive care immediately after birth. The Institute will offer a calming, wellness-focused environment to help parents have the best experience possible.
After giving birth in the Advanced Delivery Unit, all mothers will be just steps away from their babies. This closeness promotes connection and wellness for both mom and baby. All essential care facilities for medically fragile infants, including the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, are adjacent.
"The establishment of this Institute marks the beginning of Nemours Children's Health becoming the nation's first multi-hospital, multistate children's health system providing such leading-edge servicesand ultimately one of the nation's largest, most distinguished prenatal diagnosis and fetal intervention programs," said Katherine Deans, MD, MHSc, Senior Vice President and Enterprise Surgeon-in-Chief for Nemours. "This elite level of care will be available to every mother whose baby needs this specialized care, and we think it will have a strong impact on outcomes."
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two freestanding children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children's needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website with health information written for parents, kids and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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Original text here: https://nemours.mediaroom.com/MFH
Donors offer $300,000 matching gift to OMRF
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 11 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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Donors offer $300,000 matching gift to OMRF
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A group of donors is offering to match up to $300,000 in gifts to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation made by Dec. 31.
Teaming to provide this year's matching gift are Boeckman Ford of Kingfisher, Dale and Beth Matherly of Arcadia, Jake and Melissa Matherly of Arcadia, and a donor who asked to remain anonymous. Their combined gift guarantees a match of all donations, up to a total of $300,000, made by year-end to the Oklahoma City-based
... Show Full Article
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 11 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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Donors offer $300,000 matching gift to OMRF
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A group of donors is offering to match up to $300,000 in gifts to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation made by Dec. 31.
Teaming to provide this year's matching gift are Boeckman Ford of Kingfisher, Dale and Beth Matherly of Arcadia, Jake and Melissa Matherly of Arcadia, and a donor who asked to remain anonymous. Their combined gift guarantees a match of all donations, up to a total of $300,000, made by year-end to the Oklahoma City-basedcharity.
Sylvia Zimmerman of Moore has supported OMRF for nearly two decades. For her, the matching gift offers an opportunity to amplify her donation.
"I'm a smaller donor," Zimmerman said. "I like the idea that a larger donor is matching my gift to make a much bigger impact."
Donations to OMRF fund research aimed at healthy aging as well as preventing and treating diseases that include cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease and autoimmune disorders.
"For almost 80 years, OMRF has focused on helping people live longer, healthier lives," said OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D. "The generosity of Oklahomans has fueled many life-changing discoveries, and this wonderful matching gift can provide a new spark for many more to come."
All donations to OMRF are tax-deductible, and they are also eligible for Oklahoma's Biomedical Research Tax Credit. Find details about the tax credit at omrf.org/TaxCredit.
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Original text here: https://omrf.org/2025/12/11/donors-offer-300000-matching-gift-to-omrf/
