Alcor News

Alcor Northern California Regional Quarterly Meeting

2009-06-12T00:23:48Z

There will be a meeting about Alcor and cryonics in the San Francisco Bay Area, on July 12, 2009, at 4:00 pm. Exact location to be determined later. Please contact mark_galeck@pacbell.net for details and what dish to bring for the potluck.

Alcor Patient Care Trust Assets

2009-06-12T00:11:22Z

As of April 30, 2009, the Alcor Patient Care Trust Fund has assets of
3.05 million dollars, invested as follows:
* The Patient Care Trust owns just over 75% of the shares in
Cryonics Properties, LLC, the limited liability company that owns the
Alcor building (all other shares are owned by Alcor members). These
shares (representing the Trust's equity in the Alcor building) are
valued at approximately $470,000 based on the original purchase price
of the building (they would be higher at current market value). The
Trust also owns the mortgage on the building, valued at about
$280,000. Alcor pays rent to Cryonics Properties, LLC. Since Alcor
does not occupy the entire building, there are additional tenants who
also pay rent, which provides some additional income for the Patient
Care Trust.
* Capital equipment (primarily dewars) and leasehold improvements
(capital improvements to the Patient Care Bay) valued at
approximately $610,000. These are carried on the books and subject to
depreciation, but are not assets that would be liquidated.
* A cash account in which income (other than investment account
income) is placed, expenses are disbursed, and money is transferred
to the investment account. On the above date it contained about
$200,000 but generally contains on the order of $100,000. In
addition, on the above date the Accounts Receivable totaled $70,000.
* An investment account held at the firm of Morgan Stanley,
containing about $1.42 million. Thus far, no withdrawals from this
account have ever been made.

The balance and investment summary of the Patient Care Trust Morgan
Stanley Investment Account is now being posted monthly on the Alcor
website. To read more, click here: http://www.alcor.org/AboutAlcor/patientcaretrustfund.html

Cryonics Meeting, New York

2009-05-23T00:25:54Z

Cryonics Meeting, New York, June 6th 2009, Saturday 2-5 pm

At Stonehurst, home of Peter Gouras M.D.
Riverdale, the Bronx

Topics to be considered:
1. Can local members be organized to aid in the cool-down and transport of a deceased member?
2. What is the best protocol for doing this?
3. Can we support a laboratory in NYC to study for cryopreservation of organs and the brain in particular?

For the address, directions and to RSVP please contact: pg10@columbia.edu

First Responders Training at Alcor Facility

2009-05-13T22:23:48Z

Alcor plans to start a series of regular training sessions that will be held at Alcor up to six times a year, beginning with three during the remainder of this year. The first of these free training weekends for first responders will be on the weekend of June 13th and 14th 2009 at the Alcor facility in Scottsdale Arizona. This training is open to anyone who would like participate for the two days. We only have room for fifteen people, so please RSVP early to Regina Pancake, Alcor's Readiness Coordinator, at Regina@alcor.org to hold your spot.

The Alcor transport team will still be traveling to perform training in regions where we have first responder teams in place already. However as the community of cryonicists near Alcor grows, it makes sense to have training sessions for our local population of members. Those who are interested may also travel to Scottsdale to attend these sessions if they wish.

Laughlin Training

2009-05-09T01:30:12Z

On May 4th and 5th, Alcor's transport team did a two day training in Laughlin Nevada for the casino owner's security detail who are tasked with being Don Laughlin's personal first responders in the event of his legal death. The Alcor team trainers, Aaron Drake, Todd Huffman and Regina Pancake set up stations for the employees to experience hands-on all the equipment that is utilized. After running everyone through the various processes and underlying theory, the Alcor staff members on the second day worked out several scenarios that would work with the help of the eleven security employees who volunteered for this duty.

The team then did a timed walk through of an actual transport from within the casino. It began with placing our mannequin (Manny) in one of Mr. Laughlin's penthouse suites, and went through all the way to how to get the ice bath/thumper unit onto the Lear jet. It was a straightforward exercise, and all that were involved rolled with the variables that any scenario of this nature can throw at a team. In the end, they now have a working ice bath/thumper unit deployed to their region, and all the new individuals on the Riverside Casino team feel much more competent in performing this service for their employer if it comes to that on their watch.

New Board Member

2009-05-06T22:22:55Z

Alcor is pleased to announce the election of Tim Shavers to the Alcor
Board of Directors at the May board meeting (held April 25 for
scheduling reasons). Tim is a new member of Alcor, but has been an
active Advisor and member of the Finance Committee since last year. He
brings to the board an impressive background in law and business
consulting. His full bio can be read here:
http://www.alcor.org/AboutAlcor/meetdirectors.html#shavers

Recent Deployments

2009-05-06T22:12:11Z

April was a busy month for Alcor field work. Two Alcor members had
scheduled surgeries in Arizona during the last week of April. One of
the surgeries was deemed to be high risk. The surgeries were in
Tucson and Phoenix, one day apart. Alcor elected to perform
precautionary standbys for both of them, bringing in three team
members from Suspended Animation, Inc. (SA) from Florida for a joint
deployment exercise with Alcor personnel. This proved invaluable
because just prior to the surgeries, Alcor's Standby Coordinator,
Regina Pancake, became ill, and Alcor's Transport Coordinator, Aaron
Drake, was deployed to Canada for a last-minute non-member case in
Vancouver, British Columbia.

Four staff members from Critical Care Research, Inc. (CCR) also joined
the standbys on a voluntary basis to help out (thanks!) after driving the
SA transport vehicle from its California base to Arizona for the standbys.
Aaron Drake returned two days later, in time for the second higher risk
standby, after the family in Canada decided not to proceed with cryonics
arrangements.

Both surgeries were successful, and the members are recovering.

There was another deployment outside the USA in February of this year,
when Regina Pancake spent a week in England preparing a patient for
low temperature shipment to Alcor. A full report of this case will be
published soon.

Cryonics Magazine

2009-05-06T22:08:14Z

Alcor apologizes for the substantial delays in getting the two remaining 2008 issues to its members and subscribers in time. To get the publication of the magazine back on track again, and to improve its contents, Alcor has appointed Alcor member and publisher of the cryonics blog Depressed Metabolism Aschwin de Wolf as editor of the magazine.

Alcor is determined to publish the 2008-3 and 2008-4 issues and 2009-1 issues in quick succession over the coming months. If you have any questions about the magazine, or would like to contribute to the magazine, please contact the editor at: aschwin@alcor.org.

Alcor's Transport and Readiness Team Update

2009-04-07T23:28:58Z

The last weekend of March, Alcor's transport coordinator, Aaron Drake, and
readiness coordinator, Regina Pancake, conducted a training session at the
home of board of director member Michael Riskin, for the Southern
California team. It was a great turnout of 16 people, including everyone at
Critical Care Research, who drove out the Suspended Animation's rescue
vehicle to familiarize the Southern California team with the capability that
it brings to the region. The team also received the new Alcor ice bath/thumper
unit and practiced the use of it during the session. It was an uplifting, productive
gathering that was run well by Southern California team coordinator Michael
Geisen who kept everyone on task till the end. Food was graciously provided
afterward by Michael Riskin in a relaxing atmosphere.

In the coming months, Alcor will be making the rounds to all the existing
teams, and to some newly forming teams, for training sessions. If you are
interested in participating, please email either Aaron@alcor.org
or Regina@alcor.org, who would love to hear from you, our members.

We will be dispersing the more advanced equipment for deployment to the
regions as we either receive it from our manufactures or finish construction
in-house. We look forward to meeting you all and hope that those who are in
the position to donate their time to our first responder teams will add us
to their busy lives.

Our community needs you all. In addition, we will be sending out a survey,
in the near future, that we would like potential team members to fill out.
We are sending it out in batches, so some of you will get it before others.
But please take the time to fill this out and tell us a little about yourselves.

Alcor Southern California Meeting

2009-03-19T22:55:41Z

On Sunday March 29, EMT and Alcor Readiness Coordinator Regina Pancake and paramedic and Alcor Transport Coordinator Aaron Drake will attend the Alcor Southern California Meeting and will bring along the new Alcor icebath and Thumper combination. Also attending will be the Critical Care Research staff who will give a tour of the West Coast Suspended Animation transport vehicle. The meeting will be held at Alcor Board member Michael Riskin's home in Fullerton, California from 06:30 pm to 08:30 pm.

For more information and RVSP, contact Regina Pancake
(regina@alcor.org) or Aaron Drake (aaron@alcor.org)

Alcor training sessions are currently being scheduled for Nevada (May
2009) and Texas (Summer 2009). More details will be posted to Alcor News and the website when they become available.

Alcor's Scientific Advisory Board

2009-03-19T22:52:14Z

Alcor's Scientific Advisory Board held its first meeting in Florida during December. A topic of discussion was the ongoing projects at Alcor and management's plans for continuing development. Ralph Merkle and Robert Freitas also presented their plans for developing the medical nanotechnology that may be necessary to revive patients cryopreserved using current methods.

The point of the meeting was to establish how the advisory board could become more active in promoting cryonics and how the credibility of the field could be improved. Overall, it was an excellent meeting. The medical nanotechnology aspects of the meeting will be discussed in an upcoming issue of Cryonics magazine, and the advisory board intends to discuss other issues in more depth.

Next Board Meeting

2009-03-19T22:43:01Z

The next Board meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2009, at the Alcor facility (7895 East Acoma Drive in Scottsdale, AZ) at 11:00 AM (MST). Members and the public are encouraged to attend.

Research and Development

2009-03-19T22:39:03Z

Semi-Annual IACUC Meeting

Our semi-annual IACUC meeting was held in December, with its regular review of the animal protocols and facility inspection. The committee requested a few modifications to safety protocols and the development of standardizing forms for some activities. Everything else was in order.

Whole-body Vitrification System

We have begun the large task of documenting the whole-body vitrification software, and work continues to refine the enclosure.

Administrative Update

2009-03-19T22:22:54Z

Membership Statistics

For the month of December 2008, Alcor had 875 members on its Emergency Responsibility List. 2 memberships were approved; no memberships were reinstated; 1 membership was cancelled; and no members were cryopreserved. Overall, there was a net gain of 1 member.

2008 Membership Statistics
Finalized -- 72
Reinstated -- 3
Cancelled -- 32
Cryopreserved -- 6
Net Gain -- 37
TOTAL MEMBERS -- 875
ANNUAL GROWTH -- 3.1%

For the month of January 2009, Alcor had 876 members on its Emergency Responsibility List. 3 memberships were approved; 1 membership were reinstated; 3 memberships were cancelled; and no members were cryopreserved. Overall, there was a net gain of 1 member.

Applicant Statistics

For the month of December 2008, Alcor had 62 applicants for membership. Eight new applicants were added; 2 applicants were converted to members; no applicants were cancelled. Overall, there was a net gain of 6 applicants.

2008 - Number of Applicants
January -- 55
February -- 64
March -- 68
April -- 67
May -- 66
June -- 68
July -- 67
August -- 62
September -- 62
October -- 61
November -- 61
December -- 62

For the month of January 2009, Alcor had 65 applicants for membership. Seven new applicants were added; 3 applicants were converted to members; 1 applicant was cancelled. Overall, there was a net gain of 3 applicants.

Information Packet Statistics

For the month of December 2008, Alcor received 147 information packet requests; 7 were handed out during facility tours or from special request. 173 was the average total number of information packets sent per month in 2008 as compared to 129 in 2007.

2008 Information Packet Statistics
January -- 275
February -- 225
March -- 169
April -- 316
May -- 274
June -- 87*
July -- 136*
August -- 130*
September -- 95*
October -- 130
November -- 88*
December -- 147
TOTAL SENT -- 2076
*due to computer issues this number is lower than usual.

For the month of January 2009, Alcor received 148 information packet requests; 14 were handed out during facility tours or from special request. 148 was the average total number of information packets sent per month in 2009 as compared to 173 in 2008.

Improving Alcor’s Capabilities

2009-03-10T23:30:35Z

In February 2009 Alcor initiated an ambitious and coordinated effort to improve its training, stabilization, and cryopreservation capabilities. Alcor's new Transport Coordinator and paramedic Aaron Drake is undergoing thorough education about the objectives and technologies of cryonics. Aaron will also play an important part in Alcor's national training program. An innovative questionnaire is being created and refined to track and map all individuals that are available for case work listing their specific skills and experience. One room in the Alcor building is currently being transformed to a designated "readiness room" to track and monitor capability and (potential) cases. This week will also see the return of periodic case simulations at the Alcor building.

Alcor is further undergoing a comprehensive review of its standby kit inventory list, equipment, and protocols. Our short term objective is to quickly restore physical capabilities in areas with high numbers of Alcor members. When new equipment is made available to these areas, training sessions will be organized to educate medical professionals and volunteers about its use. The Alcor R&D committee will be engaged in a detailed review of stabilization technologies and protocols. After evaluating the available technical options for induction of hypothermia, cardiopulmonary support, and remote blood washout in terms of cost, effectiveness, and operation requirements, decisions will be made about which technologies to adopt and corresponding documentation will be generated.

The Alcor Transport Technicians policy will be reviewed to eliminate waste and strengthen its incentive structure. A closer look at Alcor's capabilities and protocols in non-US countries such as the United Kingdom will be another priority for the organization.

Ongoing and specific progress reports on these topics will be published on the Alcor news blog and in Cryonics magazine. Please contact solutions@alcor.org if you have any suggestions or want to be part of this endeavor.