[November 18, 2014]

Sheridan Healthcare Partners with Football Legend Joe Namath for Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Sheridan Healthcare, Inc., a hospital-based, multispecialty physician services company, today announced it is partnering with Jupiter Medical Center and football legend Joe Namath on a clinical trial to study the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treating traumatic brain injury. The trial will be conducted through the recently-opened Joe Namath Neurological Research Center at Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Fla.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects 1.7 million Americans each year and can result from sports-related concussions, motor vehicle accidents, strokes, military combat or other trauma-related injuries. After sustaining multiple concussions playing 13 seasons of professional football with the New York Jets, Namath was encouraged by his personal friend Dr. Lee Fox, a Sheridan Healthcare Radiology Medical Director, to try hyperbaric oxygen treatment at Jupiter Medical Center. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy-which involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber-stimulates the healing process by allowing increased oxygen flow to an injured area.

After seeing improvements in Namath's brain function, sleep, cognition and memory function, Dr. Fox and Dr. Barry Miskin, chief of surgery at Jupiter Medical Center, developed a protocol for using hyperbaric oxygen therapy for TBI and received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to launch a clinical trial. Namath has committed to raise $10 million in support of the trial.

"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," shared Namath.

"We are thrilled to have received FDA approval to move forward in conducting this study that may lead to a treatment option for athletes and others struggling with TBI," said Dr. Fox. "Having Joe's support is a huge boon to both the financial needs of the research and to the visibility of our work. We hope his support will lead to a successful outcome for our study and more research in the area of TBI."

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 Sheridan Healthcare, Inc.

Sheridan Healthcare Inc. (www.sheridanhealthcare.com) is a leading provider of multi-specialty outsourced physician services to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and other healthcare facilities, primarily in the areas of anesthesiology, neonatology, emergency medicine, and radiology. Sheridan, its subsidiaries and affiliates currently operate in 25 states and employ more than 2,800 physicians and other healthcare professionals. Sheridan's anesthesiology division, established in 1953, is the leading anesthesia services provider in the country. In addition to physician and allied health services, Sheridan also provides support, training, clinical research and management in non-clinical areas. Sheridan is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a certified physician organization. Sheridan encourages its physicians to participate in clinical trials and bring new treatment opportunities to patients - www.sheridanclinicalresearch.com.

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