A Tribute to Ken Locklear from and tte Harch.

[Guest guest]

A Tribute to Ken Locklear: A Great Man, Father, Husband, Friend, and Contributor

to Society

On January 11, 2011, all of those who knew him, all of those who didn’t have

the good fortune and privilege of knowing him, and all of those who will know

and benefit from his legacy in the future lost a father, husband, friend,

colleague, employer, and selfless contributor to the betterment of mankind. Ken

Locklear, the President of American Baromedical Corporation, Best Publishing

Company, and Hyperbaric Medicine and Woundcare Magazine succumbed to cancer, a

disease he valiantly resisted and in the process used to advance the field of

hyperbaric medicine.

Ken’s tragically short life is an amazing story and a prideful one for all who

knew him. Ken was a Navy diver who experienced a near fatal diving accident

earlier in his life. His life was saved by the emergency application of

hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Not only did it save his life it launched him on a

mission. He believed that his survival was purposeful and he became deeply

spiritual. He felt that God had granted him a second chance during which he was

to share with everyone the benefits of the therapy that saved him. Coming to the

common sense appreciation of Cunningham’s Sensible Notion he believed that the

application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy acutely to patients with a variety of

other devastating injuries could save countless lives. This belief galvanized

his commitment to bring hyperbaric oxygen therapy to everyone who was not as

fortunate as him. His near death experience propelled him forward in a life

dedicated to helping others.

Frustrated with narrow-mindedness, complicated political agendas, and

obstructions to the advancement of hyperbaric medicine, Ken helped found the

International Hyperbaric Medical Association and became its first executive

director. As Executive Director Ken was instrumental in securing the Centers For

Medicare and Medicaid Services’ approval of diabetic foot wounds as the first

new CMS hyperbaric indication in 18 years. He was also responsible for inputting

recommendations to the Texas State Insurance Commission on the use of hyperbaric

oxygen therapy in their newly passed legislation mandating reimbursement of

treatment for brain injury. On behalf of patients he represented the IHMA at

state Medicaid hearings, medical board proceedings, and brought to the forefront

important topics in hyperbaric medicine. Through his efforts he was able to

force the publication of an article establishing the ethical basis of off-label

application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, forever changing the institutionalized

mischaracterization of off-label hyperbaric oxygen therapy as

“experimental.†During his three year tenure he tirelessly advocated for

hyperbaric oxygen therapy without a salary and at considerable personal and

financial sacrifice. In the midst of trying economic circumstances he

self-funded and launched HBO Med Today, a hyperbaric medicine trade journal that

quickly became widely read and acknowledged for its fair, balanced, and

informative reporting. In HBO Med Today he was able to explore, investigate, and

debate controversial important issues and further his work and the message of

the IHMA. His work as executive director was precedent setting. The IHMA, the

hyperbaric medicine community, and the American public are indebted to Ken for

his many contributions as their first executive director.

When Ken resigned as executive director it was not a resignation of his career

commitment to advance hyperbaric medicine. It was a strategic move to strengthen

the foundation from which he could advance the field much further. He spawned

American Baromedical Corporation with a contract at a Michigan hospital that

fell to him by default due to his impeccable integrity. He added additional

contracts and as an outgrowth of his dedication, hard work, spiritual

commitment, and eschewing of greed he was rewarded with professional and

financial success and a growing family by the time he was 38 years old.

Unfortunately, at that exact age he was stricken with metastatic cancer. He was

given a life expectancy of less than 6 months in 2007.

Ken then began the greatest fight of his life and in the process made a

discovery that will have far-reaching ramifications. Ken combined hyperbaric

oxygen therapy with his chemotherapy and never experienced the neutropenia,

anemia, peripheral neuropathy, and sickening side effects of chemotherapy. His

robust course through chemotherapy was so astounding that he pleaded with his

oncologist for additional rounds of chemotherapy receiving over one and half

times the amount of toxic chemotherapy for his cancer. Within months he was in

complete remission. What soon followed was a successful application for a

patent on the use of HBOT during chemotherapy to minimize side effects and a

new, once again, self-funded project. This project was a research study on the

combined application of chemo and HBOT in an animal cancer model. The

preliminary results were positive and announced last year.

Ken’s cancer battle also resulted in his realization that he had the means and

ability to accomplish his hyperbaric medicine goals through publication. He

purchased Best Publishing Company and reformed HBO Med Today as Wound Care and

Hyperbaric Medicine. Under these venues he began his balanced non-emotional

factual publishing of some of the most important topics in hyperbaric medicine

and was poised to make important advances in hyperbaric medicine.

More important than all of his contributions above, however, Ken Locklear should

be remembered for his character and values. There are few that can match him.

It’s why I so respected him and called him my friend, and why his loss is so

devastating. Ken was a man of unquestioned honesty and trust, a man who not only

stood for what is right, but did what was right, even when it was unpopular,

stressful, or controversial. He embodied his spiritual commitment and was a

beacon of integrity in a field where integrity has been historically questioned.

He was never afraid to speak the truth, to stand up and ask a tough question,

and try to openly discuss the many controversies and obstructions that have

marred the field of hyperbaric medicine. He brought disclosure, openness, and

transparency to hyperbaric medicine, tried to mend fences, and dispassionately

publish competing viewpoints. In his last year faced with the possibility of the

consequences of recurrent cancer he saw life through the eyes of a person with

terminal cancer. He had no patience with petty differences and anything that

interfered with the advance of hyperbaric medicine. He reached out to people

filled with resentment and old grudges, tried to bring antagonists together, and

mend fences within the hyperbaric medicine community. At the time of his death

he had an ambitious list of projects and believed that he would survive to see

them to fruition. If not he had planned for their execution without him. He said

his fate was in God’s hands as he stopped chemotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen

therapy.

Weeks before his death he asked me a final medical question. He wanted to know

what the end would be like. I told him that I thought it would be peaceful.

Our condolences to Ken’s young family. His passing is simply tragic and

premature. We know his family is proud of him for his commitment to the

betterment of mankind and his legacy. We will miss him deeply. May he rest in

peace. Goodbye Ken.

G. Harch, M.D.

tte Lucarini Harch

In lieu of flowers please send donations in Ken’s honor to:


First Care Pregnancy Center | PO BOX 15198 West Palm Beach, FL. 33416


Acts 2 Worship Center | 13000 Okeechobee Blvd. Loxahatchee, FL 33470


Oxygen Research Foundation | 2700 PGA Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

[Guest guest]

Thanks to all for sharing these tributes to Ken Locklear, and the quick

education on hyperbaric medicine his life encapsulates. His example will compell

patient advocates like me to continue the crusade. To add something like a new

CMS indication is so huge. Thank you to Drs Harch, Duncan and all the HBOT

crusaders and patients who keep the quest for better care moving towards the

next CMS, TBI and beyond!

>Ken was instrumental in securing the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid

Services' approval of diabetic foot wounds as the first new CMS hyperbaric

indication in 18 years.