The National Football League and NFL Alumni Association announced a new neurological care program for retired players, following up on a proposal by Alumni Association Executive Director George Martin.
This new program is one of a series of NFL initiatives addressing the quality of life of retired players. The new program makes available neurological specialists at five leading medical centers across the country to evaluate and treat possible neurological conditions. Each center will have available to retired NFL players a team of specialists, led by a neurologist who will serve as a program director.
The five participating medical centers, selected for their expertise, high-quality service and reputation are: Morehouse School of Medicine (Atlanta), Mount Sinai (New York), Doctors of USC (Los Angeles), University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (San Francisco) and Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital (St. Louis).
Martin and the NFL Alumni Association announced at the Super Bowl a partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine to address mental-health issues affecting retired NFL players and their families. The partnership plans a series of mental health conferences for NFL alumni and their families and to provide comprehensive health-care information for players in their post-NFL careers. These conferences will be held on the same day and in the same venues as similar sessions offered to the general public. The partnership is being sponsored by a grant from NFL Charities at the request of the NFL Alumni Association.
Morehouse and the NFL Alumni Association will host a conference for the participating centers to discuss protocols and possible research strategies.
The neurological program is available to retired players vested under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan. Players who cannot afford treatment may apply to the NFL Player Care Foundation for a grant to cover some or all of the costs of treatment.
Retired NFL players may find additional information on medical and benefits programs at www.nflplayercare.com.