For Immediate Release:                                             Contact: Liz Thomas

June 12, 2005                                                                             856-642-6226, ext. 13

FORMER NFL PLAYER KEITH ELIAS

JOINS HEMO CONCEPTS, INC.

EATONTOWN, NJ -- Hemo Concepts, Inc., a 15-year old company providing integrated blood conservation technology and services to hospitals nationwide, has named former NFL player, Keith Elias of Lanoka Harbor, as vice president of development. In this position, Elias will help forge relationships to meet the company’s growing demand for financial support. Hemo Concepts’ blood conservation techniques are rapidly spreading throughout the county and are being adopted by medical professionals in some of the nation’s most prestigious hospitals.

 “We are fortunate to have Keith Elias as a member of the Hemo Concepts team,” said Hemo Concepts CEO Damon Keeley.  “In addition to his recognition as a world-class athlete, Keith has been had experience in successfully raising private capital and is also a well respected member of the community.”

Elias spent five of his 20-year football career playing professionally with the New York Giants and the Indianapolis Colts.  In 1995 Elias earned the Giants Unsung Hero Award from the NFL Player’s Association for his standout performances both on special teams and in the backfield.  As the Indianapolis Colts’ special teams captain, he lead the team in kickoff returns in 1998 with an average of 22.6 yards per return, and had a career high 17 tackles in 1999.

After retiring from the NFL, Elias took a position as vice president of investments for First Ivy Capital, where he helped form limited partnerships to invest in commercial real estate.  After successfully putting together several multi-million dollar deals, he helped raise $29 million for the Ivy Healthcare Fund. 

Elias earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University and was awarded an academic scholarship for postgraduate work by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.  He was awarded the ten-year All American Award by the American Football Association in 2003.

He is active with the Christian and Missionary Alliance youth ministry organizations in several communities, and works with Heroes and Cool Kids, a youth mentoring program. He is also the Central New Jersey Representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a frequent guest speaker at schools, banquets, churches, and charitable functions. 

About Hemo Concepts ^SM

Hemo Concepts, Inc., Eatontown, NJ, was founded in 1991 to provide hospitals with auto transfusion services (ATS), a method of blood conservation used during surgery. In 1999 Hemo Concepts began providing Integrated Blood Conservation (IBC) programs and advanced technology to hospitals and today serves more than 40 hospitals nationwide; providing ATS services, administering IBC programs and providing Blood Conservation Training through their Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Institute (BMSI).

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