LaDainian Tomlinson Runs Down New Challenge - To Improve and Build a Legacy of Quality Health Care in San Diego County
San Diego Chargers' running back LaDainian Tomlinson has agreed to a unique five-year partnership with Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH). As the National Football League's Man of the Year and Most Valuable Player, Tomlinson now joins the PPH team as a health advocate -- rushing for another cause, and investing his time and energy to help address the many challenging health issues facing communities in San Diego County.
Tomlinson will play an important role in raising awareness, educating the community and helping find solutions to issues such as childhood obesity, diabetes, cardiac care, stroke prevention, women's and men's health, senior isolation, teenage suicide, drug and substance abuse and improving access to care for the underserved.
"This is a historic partnership; one that will be the standard for an industry and have a dramatic impact on the health and well-being of the region for years to come," says Gustavo Friederichsen, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for PPH. "A progressive health organization like PPH has joined forces with the NFL Man of the Year, an exceptional individual who cares deeply about his community. The effect will be powerful."
Project21SD
Through the partnership, PPH and Tomlinson will launch a visionary program called Project21SD -- named for the football player's jersey number as well as the 21-month initial rollout of the program. Together, Tomlinson and PPH will bring together like-minded organizations to participate in solution development, attack preventable diseases, promote healthy lifestyle choices for youth and families, and deploy measurable outcome-based tactics to make a difference. PPH plans to follow the successful implementation of Project21SD with a national campaign, Project21US.
"I am proud to be associated with PPH," says LaDainian Tomlinson. "Pomerado Hospital is my community hospital and I look forward to working with the health system to make a difference and improve the lives of people in the community. It's a personal mission and passion of mine to reduce diabetes and obesity in children, and raise awareness of other health issues like heart disease, stroke and improving access to care."
Dial Don't Drive
Tomlinson will begin his partnership with PPH and Project21SD through his involvement with Dial Don't Drive -- PPH's new community education campaign designed to increase awareness and use of the 911 emergency system among persons experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. More than half of all heart attack patients are driven to emergency departments or walk-in themselves. This alarming number results in poor outcomes for patients, with many of them suffering long-term health problems or a higher risk of death due to delays in treatment. By dialing 911, cardiac patients are stabilized in the field, and their 12-lead EKG is read and transmitted wirelessly to the hospital where a physician will be able to determine if the patient is experiencing a heart attack. Upon arrival, the cardiac team will already be prepared to deliver life saving treatment in a matter of minutes, well below the national average time of 90 minutes.
SportClips Hair Salons in San Diego will serve as a supporting organization of the health awareness campaign handing out Dial Don't Drive informational DVDs to its customers. This is an example of the powerful ripple effect Tomlinson, PPH and Project21SD will have in identifying health issues, finding solutions, raising awareness, and partnering with organizations such as SportClips to help get the message out through advocacy and education.
PPH Expansion Efforts
As part of the new relationship, Tomlinson will also be involved in PPH's expansion and building plans that includes the construction of a new regional medical campus in Escondido, an expansion that will double the size of Pomerado Hospital in Poway, a remodel of the existing Palomar Medical Center, and the building of several satellite medical centers in North San Diego County. Tomlinson will serve as PPH's first honorary architect. In the future, the Chargers' running back may also have one of PPH's new buildings and/or programs named after him and his family.
Nursing Recruitment
California ranks nearly last in the number of nurses per capita. According to a 2006 study by the California Hospital Association, California is ranked 49th out of 50 states. As part of the partnership between Tomlinson and PPH, the Chargers' running back will support recruitment efforts and conduct outreach efforts to local high schools and colleges to encourage students to explore careers in health care.
Football Accolades
In 2006, Tomlinson was selected as the Chargers' first-ever Associated Press MVP, and became the first player in team history to win the league's rushing title with 1,815 yards; he racked up 2,323 total yards from scrimmage, the sixth-highest single-season total in league history; he set a total of 13 new NFL records; he added six new team records to his resume; he went to his third-straight and fourth-career Pro Bowl, and he led the Chargers to a franchise-record 14 wins and their second AFC West title in the last three years. Along the way, Tomlinson helped the Chargers set a new team scoring record and he completely obliterated the NFL's single-season scoring record of 186 points, which had stood in place since the legendary Paul Hornung established it in 1960.
Community Involvement
Tomlinson's accomplishments on and off the field helped solidify his selection as the NFL's Man of the Year. The award is named after one of Tomlinson's childhood heroes, the late Walter Payton.
Tomlinson is no stranger to community work. In addition to his accolades on the football field, the star running back established Tomlinson's Touching Lives Foundation. The foundation hosts events throughout the year, including youth football camps in San Diego and Texas, a golf tournament, a Thanksgiving program in which he provides more than 2,100 San Diego families with complete holiday dinners and a Christmas program in which he gives away more than 2,100 holiday gifts to patients at Rady's Children's Hospital in San Diego.
Palomar Pomerado Health, California's largest public health district, is North County's most comprehensive health-care delivery system, recognized for clinical excellence in cardiac care, women's services, cancer, orthopedics, trauma, wound care, rehabilitation and behavioral health services. Facilities include Palomar Medical Center, Pomerado Hospital, Villa Pomerado, Palomar Continuing Care Center, Escondido Surgery Center, Palomar Pomerado Behavioral Health Services and Palomar Pomerado Home Care.
WHAT: LaDainian Tomlinson Joins Palomar Pomerado Health Together, Building a Legacy of Quality Health Care in San Diego County WHEN: Thursday, July 26 11:00 a.m. - press conference 11:30 a.m. - LaDainian Tomlinson to visit with patients at birthing center and skilled nursing facility WHERE: Pomerado Hospital Conference Room D, Third Floor 15615 Pomerado Road Poway, CA 92064 WHO: LaDainian Tomlinson and Palomar Pomerado Health physicians, nurses and hospital staff CONTACT: Andy Hoang OFFICE: 858.675.5018 MOBILE: 619.861.5811 andy.hoang@pph.org SOURCE Palomar Pomerado Health |
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