David Gergen Stages Come Back
Today, retired NFL Players are with The Pro Player Health Alliance (PPHA), Gergen’s Orthodontic Lab, and the famous Dr. Victor D. Woodlief to help spread awareness on the deadly disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The players, Cedric Hardman, Mike Haynes, Derek Kennard, Lincoln Kennedy, Guy McIntyre, and Mark Walczak are taking the stage to speak about their personal experiences with sleep apnea to help PPHA spread awareness.
These NFL players have been loyal and outspoken advocates of spreading awareness of the deadly disorder across the country. Joined with David Gergen, owner of Gergen’s Orthodontic Lab and founder of the PPHA, they all have been on a mission to “Tackle Sleep Apnea” nationally. Statistically, over 60% of the NFL and former NFL are suffering with sleep apnea. Who better to speak and share personal stories to the public?
Today’s sleep apnea screening event will be held atClub Auto Sport at 521 Charcot Ave, San Jose, CA at 7:00pm hosted by Dr. Woodlief. This event and the events that will follow are co-sponsored by Gergen’s Orthodontic Lab who will provide free oral appliances to qualified attendees. The goal of the event and national campaign is to generate as much awareness about sleep apnea and encourage attendees to get tested and diagnosed.
“I am a huge supporter of spreading awareness on sleep apnea amongst my former teammates as well as many other NFL greats with Pro Player Health Alliance and David Gergen. It is an honor to be able to stand up next to other players that have personal experience with sleep apnea. Awareness is key to helping save lives in this country,” said Mike Haynes.
The PPHA completed sleep apnea screenings of 45+ NFL players during Super Bowl this past weekend in New Orleans, LA. Some of the players that played a part in the screenings were Carl Eller, Wilbur Marshall, Guy McIntyre, Nat Moore and Mark Walczak, just to name a few. Walczak has stepped up and has been on a mission to help spread awareness amongst his former teammates and anyone else that will listen to his story about how diagnosis and treatment with an oral appliance has changed his life. He simply wants to help others. His best friend, Junior Seau, who is tragically no longer with us, suffered from sleep disorders. This is just one of the reasons Walczak is so passionate about helping to spread awareness.
“I am thrilled to see the momentum that we are making to help spread awareness of sleep apnea on a national level with these fantastic NFL greats!” said Gergen. “Spreading awareness at these events and screenings and through radio and television has been wonderful. I believe by spreading awareness we can save lives.”
Players will be screened for sleep apnea, and pulmonary diseases like asthma, COPD, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The devices will be used for this testing include the Nox-T3 and SentrySuite iOS device by CareFusion under the supervision of Andre Puleo, RPSGT and Michael Mesnik, M.A. Ex Phys. All data collected will form part of a longitudinal study of sleep and lung function in professional football.
Event Specifics:
Date: February 7, 2013.
Time: 7:00pm (open to public and press)
Location: Club Auto Sport, 521 Charcot Ave, San Jose, CA 95131
Special Attendees: Cedrick Hardman, Mike Haynes, Lincoln Kennedy, Derek Kennard, Guy McIntyre, and Mark Walczak
For more information about PPHA or the “Tackle Sleep Apnea” campaign, visit http://proplayersleep.org.
To register for the event on February 7, 2013, visit
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4661298068?ref=ecount
About Dr. Victor D. Woodlief
Dr. Victor D. Woodlief, a native Californian, returned to the Bay Area after graduating from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. In private practice for 21 years, his clinical focus has been TMJ disorders, Pain Management of head, neck and facial structures (craniofacial disorders), Orthodontics (pediatric and adult), Snoring and Sleep Apnea. Since completing his formal education, more than 1800 hours of continuing education have been completed toward TMD therapy, pain management, and orthodontics and sleep disorders.
He believes that patients deserve nothing but the best, and in order to provide that for them, it is important to stay current on the newest, most advanced technology and treatment options. His “one size does not fit all” approach continues to provide his patients with customized and effective treatment plans. This comprehensive approach has earned Dr. Woodlief the respect from both colleagues and patients alike. The deliberate choice to operate with a team of colleagues (MD’s, ENT’s, Neurologists, Orthopedic Surgeons, Pediatricians, Cranio-sacral or SOT Chiropractors, and Oral Myologists) allows a full spectrum of services.
For more on Dr. Woodlief’s practice, visit: http://www.doctmj.com/
About Mike Haynes
As a spokesperson for the Know Your Stats About Prostate Cancer® Campaign, Michael Haynes is committed to sharing the message of early prostate cancer detection. Haynes discovered he had prostate cancer during a 2008 screening event conducted by the AUA and supported by the National Football League (NFL). Now a prostate cancer survivor, he speaks on behalf of the Foundation, encouraging men to talk with their doctors about getting tested for this deadly disease. In his third year with the campaign, Haynes remains focused on driving the importance of prostate cancer awareness and education to fans on the local level. Haynes’ professional football career began when he was the fifth player selected in the 1976 draft. A first-round draft choice of the New England Patriots, Haynes was voted the NFL defensive rookie of the year. He was selected by his peers to represent the AFC in nine Pro Bowls during his 14-year NFL career with the Patriots (1976-1982) and Los Angeles Raiders (1983-1989) and earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 1983 Raiders. Haynes is widely recognized as one of the NFL’s greatest defensive backs. He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1994, named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1995 and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Earlier this year, Haynes and his former Raiders teammate, Lester Hayes, were named the best cornerback tandem in NFL history by the NFL Network program “NFL’s Top 10.”
About Pro Player Health Alliance
The Pro Players Health Alliance (PPHA) is an organization dedicated to helping former NFL players, through providing testing and treatment options for those who suffer from sleep apnea. In addition, the PPHA is dedicated to integrating education and raising sleep apnea awareness, in a fun and memorable way. In addition to the campaign, the PPHA is dedicated to testing and getting people treated who suffer from sleep apnea. The PPHA was created by David Gergen, President of Gergen’s Orthodontic Lab and Former NFL legends.
For more on the PPHA, visit: http://www.proplayersleep.org
About David Gergen
David Gergen, CDT and President of Pro Player Health Alliance, has been a nationally respected dental lab technician for over 25 years. He received the award for “The Finest Orthodontic Technician in the Country” given by Columbus Dental in 1986. He also has been appointed chair of the dental wing of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy a national interdisciplinary academy dedicated to sleep training and education with over 60,000 members. David rolled out of bed on September 12, 1981 and had his career “ah ha” moment. He knew he was going to be an orthodontic technician and he knew he was going to help people all over the country to help treat their sleep disorders in partnership with their dentists. He has worked for some of the pioneers in the orthodontic and sleep dentistry fields. He was the personal technician for the likes of Dr. Robert Ricketts, Dr. Ronald Roth, Dr. A. Paul Serrano, Dr. Clark Jones, Dr. Harold Gelb, Dr. Joseph R. Cohen, Dr. Rodney Willey, Dr. Allan Bernstein, and Dr. Thien Pham. One of his proudest achievements is receiving The National Leadership award for Arizona Small Businessman of the Year in 2004.
For more on David Gergen and Gergen’s Orthodontic Lab, visit: http://www.gergensortho.com
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