Navy Medicine Talks TBI with the Tennessee Titans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (NNS) -- A Navy Medicine leader met with the Tennessee Titans at the Titans training facility here to discuss shared initiatives between the Titans and Navy Medicine on the treatment of traumatic brain injury, May 10, as part of Nashville Navy Week.

Rear Adm. Donald Gintzig, deputy chief, medical operations, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, met with the top athletic trainer and medical staff and toured the facility during the visit.

"It was a pleasure having Rear Adm. Gintzig visit the Titans as part of Nashville Navy Week," said Brad Brown, Tennessee Titans head athletic trainer. "It has been a great opportunity to open the discussion on what the National Football League and Navy Medicine are doing to prevent and treat traumatic brain injury. It is so important to keep our players and service members safe and to prevent TBI as much as possible."

During the visit, Gintzig and the Titans medical staff discussed concussion management, resiliency training, advancements in virtual reality treatment, and alternate TBI therapy.

"We thank the Titans and the NFL for continuing to highlight the damaging effects of traumatic brain injury on our service members and players," said Gintzig. "It is crucial that we continue these conversations, sharing lessons learned, because there are many similarities, be it on the battlefield or playing field."

During his visit, Gintzig highlighted the care that is being done at the Concussion Restoration Care Center in Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan as well as the treatment being provided at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for TBI/PTSD, Bethesda, Md.

As a global force for good, Gintzig also discussed the importance of research and development as a supporting element of the maritime strategy and its vital role in concussion treatment.

Navy Medicine is a global healthcare network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

Nashville Navy Week is one of 15 Navy weeks across the country this year. Navy Weeks are designed to show Americans the investment they make in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant Navy presence.

For more information about Nashville Navy Week, visit http://www.navyweek.org/nashville2012/index.html.

For more news from Navy Medicine, visit www.navy.mil/local/mednews/.