FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact:
Kathleen Ahern
Director of Marketing
Jupiter Medical Center
(561) 263-2896
Kathleen.Ahern@jupitermed.com
Jupiter, FL, September 30, 2014 – The Joe Namath Neurological Research Center at Jupiter Medical
Center opens today in Jupiter, FL, to help combat the debilitating effects
of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the United States. Joe Namath, the
legendary New York Jets quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Fame member,
shared his personal story about his health issues to help raise awareness,
funds and widespread support for targeted research into a potential new
treatment for TBI, which affects 1.7 million Americans each year.
Also announced today was the launch of a clinical trial to study the effectiveness
of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treating traumatic brain injury which
may result from sports-related concussions, motor vehicle accidents, strokes,
military combat or other unfortunate accidents. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
stimulates the healing process by allowing oxygen to flow into the injured
or affected area and has been used successfully to treat diabetic wounds
and foot ulcers at Jupiter Medical Center’s Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center.
“We are grateful for Joe Namath’s partnership and commitment
to help us investigate a potential treatment for traumatic brain injury
which may help others with this problem, regardless of their ability to
pay,” said John Couris, President and CEO of Jupiter Medical Center.
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI as it is commonly known, is a broad classification
for brain-injury diagnosis when brain cells can’t get enough oxygen
or transport oxygen to stimulate the production of new brain cells. Symptoms
may include mental impairment, confusion, slowed response, fatigue, speech
and balance impairments.
“My 13 seasons as quarterback with the New York Jets were unforgettable
but now I’m participating with the dedicated team at Jupiter Medical
Center to help them raise $10 million to explore a possible new treatment
for this debilitating condition,” said Joe Namath.
“I sustained my share of concussions playing pro football and had
recently experienced some concerns such as fatigue and decreased cognition.
Also, the 2012 suicide of star linebacker Junior Seau of the San Diego
Chargers left a lasting impression on me when I learned that it may have
been caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain
disease, often a result of multiple concussions. So, together with Jupiter
Medical Center, The Joe Namath Neurological Research Center was created
to help those currently suffering and to potentially prevent others from
enduring the debilitating long-term effects of TBI,” he added.
Background
Joe Namath’s friendship with Dr. Lee Fox, Chief of Radiology at Jupiter
Medical Center, led to testing and treatments at Jupiter Medical Center’s
Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center, which had been successfully using
hyperbaric oxygen therapy for other chronic health ailments. The doctors
did a thorough cognitive assessment of Mr. Namath and a baseline brain
imaging study, then performed a series of hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments
for six months. They saw improvements in his brain function through the
brain imaging studies, as well as his improved sleep, cognition, and memory
function so a decision was made to launch a clinical trial to determine
if it could also be a possible treatment for TBI.
Based on Joe’s experience, Dr. Barry Miskin, Chief of Surgery and
Medical Director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Program at Jupiter
Medical Center and Dr. Lee Fox developed a protocol for using hyperbaric
oxygen therapy for traumatic brain injury and received approval from the
Food and Drug Administration to launch the clinical trial.
As with any clinical research study, there are costs involved. Therefore,
Joe Namath has committed to raising $10 million dollars for the study
and will champion greater awareness of traumatic brain injury. He wants
professionals as well as weekend athletes, veterans or anyone over the
age of 18 who qualifies for participation in the research protocol to
be able to afford to undergo this therapy. Initially, 100 patients will
be gathered for the clinical trial under the direction of Dr. Barry Miskin
and Dr. Lee Fox. They will test the use of hyperbaric oxygen to determine
if oxygenation can stimulate the healing process for brain injuries.
About the trial
For more information on the Joe Namath Neurological Treatment Center at
Jupiter Medical Center and the clinical trial, call 1-800-864-2234 or
561-263-4TBI, or visit
www.namathneurocenter.com
About Jupiter Medical Center
Jupiter Medical Center is a not-for-profit leading regional medical center
that provides a broad range of services with specialty concentrations
in wound healing and hyperbaric services, oncology, imaging, orthopedics
and spine, digestive health, emergency services, lung and thoracic, women’s
health, weight management and men’s health. Founded in 1979, the
Medical Center is staffed by teams of highly-skilled physicians, surgeons,
nurses and therapists, many trained at renowned schools of medicine such
as Harvard and Duke, delivering cutting-edge medical care to every patient.
For more information please call (561) 263-2234 or visit
www.jupitermed.com.
JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER TEAMS-UP WITH NFL LEGEND JOE NAMATH TO HELP THOSE
SUFFERING FROM TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES (TBI)