GU63.ORG TABLE OF CONTENTS 02 ABOUT GENE UPSHAW 04 THE GENE UPSHAW MEMORIAL FUND 06 GU MEMORIAL FUND PARTNERSHIPS GU Memorial Fund Recipient: 08 GENE UPSHAW MEMORIAL TAHOE FOREST CANCER CENTER GU Memorial Fund Recipient: 09 TAHOE INSTITUTE FOR RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH { 12 SUPPORT THE FUND GENE UPSHAW 1945 - 2008 Like Us On GU63.org [ ABOUT GENE UPSHAW ] Gene Upshaw was one of pro football’s true greats. As a longtime Truckee resident, Gene loved the majestic beauty of the mountains, the peaceful, laid-back community, and the place where he could relax and enjoy life with his family and friends. Gene passed away suddenly from pancreatic cancer in 2008 at Tahoe Forest Hospital, in Truckee, California. Gene was born in Robstown, Texas. He played college football at Texas A&I, (now Texas A&M), Kingsville. A Hall of Fame offensive guard for the Oakland Raiders for 16 seasons, Upshaw is the only player in professional football history to play in three Super Bowls with the same team in three different decades. In 1987, his first year of eligibility, Gene was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1999, he ranked number 62 on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. After a successful 16-year professional career with the Oakland Raiders, Gene served as the Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association for 25 years. During his long tenure at the helm of the NFLPA, he led the organization to a legal victory to secure free agency for all players in the NFL, negotiated the best player benefit package in professional sports and created the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFLPA, PLAYERS INC, which generated and continues to generate millions of dollars in royalties for the NFLPA and the players. In 1979 Gene was the recipient of the highest honor bestowed by the National Football League Players Association, the Byron “Whizzer” White Award. The award was established by the players in the National Football League to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to one of their own, Supreme Court Justice Byron Raymond “Whizzer” White — scholar, athlete, patriot, humanitarian and public servant. The NFLPA presents this prestigious annual award for outstanding service to team, community and country, to the player who is just as dedicated off the field as he is on the field. 2 [ GENE UPSHAW memorial fund ] changing lives through innovation and research Gene’s wife, Terri, and sons Justin and Daniel, established the Gene Upshaw Memorial Fund in memory of Gene. In recognition of the extraordinary care he received at Tahoe Forest Hospital, The Gene Upshaw Memorial Fund has created a partnership with Tahoe Forest Health System to provide funding for important health programs and research. The mission of the Gene Upshaw Memorial Fund is to honor Gene Upshaw’s legacy and advance the Upshaw family’s passion for quality medical treatment, care for patients and their families, sustainability and advancement of medical technology, and funding for research in areas such as traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Gene Upshaw Memorial Fund is currently partnered with Tahoe Forest Health System, the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center, and the Tahoe Institute for Rural Health Research (TIRHR) to advance its mission. Tahoe Forest Health System, A UC Davis Rural Center of Excellence Gene Upshaw Memorial Fund Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center Tahoe Institute for Rurual Health Research • A national model for rural cancer care • Innovation and research for high quality health care • Medical Oncology, Hematology and Radiation • Collaborative partnerships with prestigious science Oncology and academic organizations • Most current treatment options • Current projects include • State of the art technology including virtual tumor Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Home Blood Monitoring Critical Care Products To date, the Gene Upshaw Memorial Fund has generated nearly $825,000 to advance these important health initiatives. 4 [ GU MEMORIAL FUND PARTNERSHIPS ] Tahoe Forest Health System A UC Davis Rural Center of Excellence The vision of Tahoe Forest Health System is simple: To Be the Best Mountain Community Health System in the Nation. Tahoe Forest Health System includes Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee, California, and Incline Village Community Hospital in Incline Village, Nevada. A key strategy for advancing the vision of Tahoe Forest Health System is its relationship with the University of California Davis Health System. Examples of the partnership between Tahoe Forest Health System and UC Davis Health System include: • Tahoe Forest Health System was the first-ever designated UC Davis Health System Rural Center of Excellence, recognizing high quality rural health systems that show leadership in redesigning health care delivery. • Tahoe Forest Health System is an affiliate of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, an integrated, collaborative, network that unites hospital-based cancer centers for the purpose of delivering high quality cancer care in rural settings. This partnership allows our cancer patients access to the latest clinical trials and a link to medical specialists through virtual tumor board technology. • Tahoe Forest Health System is an affiliate of the UC Davis Rural PRIME medical education program, allowing UC Davis medical students to rotate and work in rural areas like Truckee/North Lake Tahoe as part of their MD and MPH programs. Medical students rotate through pediatrics, OB-GYN, and family practice clerkships at Tahoe Forest Hospital throughout the year. • The Tahoe Forest Health System subsidiary, the Tahoe Institute for Rural Health Research, has an agreement with UC Davis that provides for collaborative research efforts. With a strong focus on high quality rural health care delivery, collaboration, performance excellence, community engagement, innovation and excellent patient care, Tahoe Forest Health System was named one of America’s Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in 2011/2012, and one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in America for Patient Satisfaction. Tahoe Forest Health System offers a diverse range of outpatient services including home health, hospice, physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy, occupational health, skilled nursing/extended care facility, children’s center, health clinic, medical fitness center, pharmacy, and physician multi-specialty clinics. The new Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center opened in July 2012. Tahoe Forest Hospital UC Davis Medical Center UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center 6 [ GU MEMORIAL FUND RECIPIENT ] GENE UPSHAW MEMORIAL TAHOE FOREST CANCER CENTER Located in the High Sierra town of Truckee, California, the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center has a purpose as grand as its elevation: To provide the best rural cancer treatment in the country, and to do it in the most honest, supportive and compassionate way possible. As a proud affiliate of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center offers patients access to clinical trials and linkage to the most respected thought leaders on cancer treatment through virtual tumor board telemedicine technology. The new cancer center building opened in July, 2012, and offers a full battery of the latest medical oncology evaluation, diagnosis and treatment programs, including a new radiation oncology wing, featuring state-of-the-art True Beam radiation oncology, in addition to PT scan, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, the latest in imaging services, comfortable and modern infusion center, and onsite pharmacy and lab. As with any modern cancer center, there are comprehensive patient and family support programs, a family resource and teaching center, and breast prosthesis and wig salon. Clinical studies confirm that patient and family support services play an important role in treating cancer. Our programs are designed to meet the social, psychological, emotional and functional needs before, during and after the course of treatment. We use an integrated, whole-person approach that addresses each individual cancer patient’s journey, all offered at no cost. The Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center is led by Medical Director and Oncologist, Laurence Heifetz, MD, FACP. After 30 years in Oncology, Dr. Heifetz is admired for his personal and honest approach. He was a founding partner of Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, and is a clinical professor at UC Davis. Dr. Ahrin Koppel specializes in Medical Oncology and Hematology, and earned her medical degree from Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. She has experience in research at both UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and is well-published in the field of hematology, oncology and neuroscience. Radiation Oncology Medical Director, Daphne Palmer, MD, joined GUMTFCC after practicing at Renown Medical Center in Reno, Nevada, where she was Medical Director for the Department of Radiation Oncology. She completed her medical degree at UCLA. Dr. Palmer is skilled in treating a wide range of tumors and has completed comprehensive training with experience in stereotactic radiosurgery. Assistant Medical Director, Dr. Melissa Kaime, MD, FACP comes to the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where she was a staff physician in the Department of Hematology/Oncology. Prior to that she was the US Navy Medical Corps Hematology/Oncology