Three Films, Three Conversations

Mary Lou Falcone is an internationally renowned publicist, author of the memoir I DIDN’T SEE IT COMING: Scenes of Love, Loss, and Lewy Body Dementia, and executive producer of the documentary Facing the Wind. Following the loss of her husband, artist Nicky Zann, to Lewy Body Dementia in 2020, she has become a national advocate for caregivers and LBD awareness, speaking at institutions including the Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan, and University of Pennsylvania.

For over fifty years, Falcone has been a leading figure in classical music public relations, guiding the careers of artists including Renée Fleming, Van Cliburn, and James Taylor, while working with institutions such as Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Philharmonic. A former faculty member at the Juilliard School, she currently serves on the board of the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center and as a U.S. representative to the Global BHP BrainTrust.

Terry Caffery, RN, MS, NP is a lifelong Rochester resident.  One of the earliest NP’s in Rochester, she went on to get her Master’s in Mental Health Nursing.  Now retired, most of her career was devoted to providing care for high-risk obstetrical patients.   Much of her retirement was devoted to end of life care for her mother and mother-in-law.  She is now married to someone with Lewy Body Disease. 

 Keith N. Fargo, PhD, is Director of Scientific Initiatives at the Lewy Body Dementia Association, where he oversees major research programs including the LBDA Research Centers of Excellence, a network of 27 leading academic medical institutions advancing research, care, and clinical trials for Lewy body dementias.

Dr. Fargo earned his PhD in Neuroscience from Indiana University. Prior to joining LBDA, he held leadership roles at the Alzheimer’s Association, where he helped expand the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), ISTAART, and TrialMatch, and later served as Chief Scientific Officer at the CMT Research Foundation.

Larry Guttmacher is one of the founders of Reel Mind. He is an Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Humanities at the University of Rochester. In past roles, he served as an Associate Dean in the Medical School, Director of Psychiatry Residency Education, and Clinical Director of the Rochester Psychiatric Center.

Dr. Guttmacher was recently diagnosed with Lewy Body Disease and has become increasingly involved in raising awareness and speaking publicly about living with the condition. He recently published an article in The Lancet titled Learning to Live with Lewy.

He is an active volunteer at St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center, teaches medical students and psychiatry residents, and conducts asylum evaluations with the Rochester Human Rights Initiative. He continues to be amazed and delighted by the community that Reel Mind has developed over the years.

Hochang Benjamin (Ben) Lee, M.D., is the John Romano Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Chief of Psychiatry at Strong Memorial Hospital, and Regional Chief of Psychiatry for the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Before joining Rochester, he was the founding director of Yale’s Psychological Medicine Service and previously held faculty and leadership positions at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research focuses on behavioral health care, dementia, delirium, depression, and mental health among older adults and Asian American communities.

Dr. Lee is board certified in psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and President of the International College of Psychosomatic Medicine.

Larry Guttmacher is one of the founders of Reel Mind. He is an Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Humanities at the University of Rochester. In past roles, he served as an Associate Dean in the Medical School, Director of Psychiatry Residency Education, and Clinical Director of the Rochester Psychiatric Center.

Dr. Guttmacher was recently diagnosed with Lewy Body Disease and has become increasingly involved in raising awareness and speaking publicly about living with the condition. He recently published an article in The Lancet titled Learning to Live with Lewy.

He is an active volunteer at St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center, teaches medical students and psychiatry residents, and conducts asylum evaluations with the Rochester Human Rights Initiative. He continues to be amazed and delighted by the community that Reel Mind has developed over the years.

Elizabeth J. Santos, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology and Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.  Dr. Santos is the Clinical Chief of the Division of Geriatric Mental Health and Memory Care.  When patients and families are faced with dementia and possible sequelae such as severe neuropsychiatric symptoms like psychosis, assistance is needed from a variety of sources, not just physicians.  As Medical Director of both the UR Mental Health & Wellness Older Adult Services and the URMC Memory Care Program, Dr. Santos has led multidisciplinary teams caring for patients and families who are dealing with dementia at all levels and she is now leading the CMS GUIDE Model initiation in Upstate NY.  She does nursing home consultations and is the Director of a number of programs including the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship, the UR Geriatric Telepsychiatry Program, and Project ECHOâ – GeMH OMH. Nationally, she is very active with the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, the American Psychiatric Association, the American College of Psychiatrists and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Larry Guttmacher is one of the founders of Reel Mind. He is an Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Humanities at the University of Rochester. In past roles, he served as an Associate Dean in the Medical School, Director of Psychiatry Residency Education, and Clinical Director of the Rochester Psychiatric Center.

Dr. Guttmacher was recently diagnosed with Lewy Body Disease and has become increasingly involved in raising awareness and speaking publicly about living with the condition. He recently published an article in The Lancet titled Learning to Live with Lewy.

He is an active volunteer at St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center, teaches medical students and psychiatry residents, and conducts asylum evaluations with the Rochester Human Rights Initiative. He continues to be amazed and delighted by the community that Reel Mind has developed over the years.