The National Basketball Association (NBA) and GE Healthcare (NYSE: GE)
today announced a collaboration to promote orthopedic and sports
medicine research benefitting the health and wellness of NBA players as
well as athletes of all levels across the general population. The
multi-year alliance will focus on joint health and acute and overuse
musculoskeletal injuries* – challenges faced by NBA players and the
general population alike.
“NBA players are among the best athletes in the world, and their
well-being is the league's highest priority,” said NBA Commissioner Adam
Silver. “Our support for medical research through our partnership with
GE Healthcare will help us improve the long-term health and wellness of
NBA players. We are also excited that this research collaboration will
provide important insights to athletes at all levels."
Serving to advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
musculoskeletal conditions among NBA players, the effort aims to promote
health and wellness, reduce injuries, lengthen careers and improve
post-career health for NBA players. GE and the NBA will also collaborate
with additional partners, including NBA partners adidas, Kaiser
Permanente, Nike and Under Armour, to advance the research efforts.
“Musculoskeletal injuries extend beyond the basketball court and
negatively impact sports enthusiasts and everyday athletes around the
world,” said GE Healthcare President & CEO, John Flannery. “By combining
GE’s know-how in healthcare imaging technology and the NBA’s interest in
promoting player health and safety, we are working to help prevent the
most common sports injuries and improve treatment.”
This unique collaboration will be guided by a strategic advisory board
made up of physicians and clinical researchers representing institutions
across the U.S. who have demonstrated excellence in orthopedics, sports
medicine, radiology, and related disciplines. Dr. John DiFiori, the NBA
Director of Sports Medicine and a past President of the American Medical
Society for Sports Medicine, will serve as the Chair of the
board. Additionally, Dr. DiFiori will be joined on the board by team
physicians from five NBA clubs.
The NBA and GE will also provide funding for clinical researchers
working to study diagnostic and preventative techniques to identify
risks for the development of orthopedic conditions. This research will
contribute to a deeper understanding of overuse injuries and the
resulting impact on athletes’ health and missed playing time. The
findings from this research will support the work of NBA team physicians
and medical staffs as they continue to provide world class medical care
in the treatment of NBA players. The NBA and GE plan to elicit research
proposals later this year.
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and
services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and
more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on
things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough
challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and
diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing
technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps
medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients. For
more information visit our website www.gehealthcare.com.
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three
professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the
Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.
The league has established a major international presence with offices
in 13 markets worldwide, games and programming in 215 countries and
territories in 47 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than
125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters at the
start of the 2014-15 season featured a record 101 international players
from 37 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV,
which is available in 60 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which recorded
26.9 billion page views during the 2013-14 season, with more than half
of all visitors originating from outside of North America. The NBA is
the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with nearly 835
million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player
platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have
donated more than $260 million to charity, completed more than 3.3
million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 970
places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.
*Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or disorders of the
muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, an disorders of the nerves,
tendons, muscles and supporting structures of the upper and lower limbs,
neck, and lower back that are caused, precipitated or exacerbated by
sudden exertion or prolonged exposure to physical factors such as
repetition, force, vibration, or awkward posture.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/msd/
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