NFL Player Care Foundation signs Tulane as screening partner

Tulane University School of Medicine has been named the official screening partner for the NFL Player Care Foundation’s Healthy Body and Mind Screening Program, a national program, held with the support of the NFL Alumni Association, that offers free medical evaluations and mental health resources to former NFL players.

Tulane physicians and staff will be in San Francisco to conduct a two-day screening event Feb 4-5 prior to Super Bowl 50. The program offers comprehensive cardiovascular and prostate evaluations as well as mental health education to retired players. Tulane conducted a similar screening in December for more than 50 retired players at Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine.

“This is a very important program for these guys. We have found former players with significant heart disease and some with prostate cancer.  This program saves lives,” said Dr. Gregory Stewart, medical director of the NFL Player Care Foundation screenings program at Tulane. “There has been a lot of concern about concussions and brain health for athletes. While that is important, heart disease and prostate cancer are the silent killers and need to be addressed."

The NFL Player Care Foundation hosts up to 10 screenings each year across the country in NFL team cities and at regional events that attract large numbers of retired players such as Pro Football Hall of Fame Week and the NFL Players Association and NFL Alumni Annual Meetings. The screenings are offered as part of the NFL Player Care Foundation’s research programs, which help to advance public awareness and scientific understanding of health issues that affect former NFL players.