The Concussion Blog

I received the following press release about a Concussion Symposium coming up in March.  The faculty is not your “usual suspects” rather some very good and known people in the medical field.  If you get the chance to head down to Texas for that Saturday I believe you will not be wasting your time or resources.  I would love to make it, however I have a prior commitment; that being said someone take good notes for me.

I would also like to add that having athletic trainers on the program list legitimizes this symposium in my mind.  Here is the presser;

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Austin, Texas (PRWEB) January 10, 2013

Concussion Compliance presents “Bridging the Gap on Best-Practices in Concussion Management.” This day-long exchange, sponsored by St. David’s HealthCare, brings together leading medical experts and practitioners to discuss the issues dominating today’s best-practice concussion management and how to incorporate the guidelines as well as the use of several tools into clinical practice.

The national symposium will be held March 2, 2013, at the Norris Conference Center, Austin. Registration is now open

“Communication and education that crosses traditional boundaries are key factors to providing good concussion treatment for our young athletes,” said Theodore Spinks, M.D., chair of the symposium program planning committee. He is a board certified neurosurgeon seeing patients in Austin, Round Rock, and Georgetown, Texas. Dr. Spinks currently serves on the CDC Expert Panel for Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. He also served on the Texas Medical Association Committee on Concussions in Athletes during the last session of the Texas Legislature.

The symposium program provides an overview of the current best practices and consensus statements on concussion management, the latest scientific research, an update on tools available to practitioners, and perspectives from experts in concussion management.

•     Featured Topics – The Physician’s Perspective; An Athletic Trainer’s Perspective; Head to Head: Cognitive Testing; Beyond Cognition: Balance Testing; A Look Into the Future: Vision Testing; Neurosurgical Management of Head Injuries and Concussion; Implementation of Best Practices Into Clinical Practice
•     Keynote Speaker – Dr. Steven Erickson will present on the latest best practices in concussion management. Dr. Erickson is the medical consultant for Major League Baseball caring for the umpires and serves on the Major League Baseball Medical Advisory Committee and the Major League Baseball Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee.
•     Reading of Proclamation from Governor Perry’s Office – March Concussion Awareness Month in Texas
•     Exhibit Hall – Featuring the newest in technology, practice services, practice information, and pharmaceuticals

In addition, Governor Perry has designated March as Concussion Awareness Month in Texas. The Governor signed HB 2038, or Natasha’s Law, in 2011. The law applies to interscholastic athletic activity, including practice and competition, sponsored or sanctioned by a school district, a public school, including a charter school, or the University Interscholastic League. The components include a Concussion Oversight Team, Removal from Play, Waiver and Graded Protocol to Return to Play, Specific Education/Training for all medical providers, and Statewide Tracking/Logging of Concussions.

The law is named after Natasha Helmick, a former Texas State University soccer player who stopped playing after suffering multiple concussions. An advocate for concussion legislation, Helmick will be on hand for the reading of the proclamation. “I am extremely excited to attend the Concussion Compliance symposium,” said Helmick. “I look forward to hearing about any new and continued research on treating our concussed athletes.”

Additional speakers include: Tina Bonci, MS, ATC, LAT; Mark Burnett, MD; Jason Clopton, OD, FCOVD; Steven Erickson, MD; Douglas Fox, MD; Derek Hamilton, OD; James Kemper, MD; Louann Kuntz, ATC, PT, DPT, MEd; Mike Lamb; Ken Locker, ATC; Mary McMains, OD, MEd, FCOVD; Shane Miller, MD; Anne Mucha, PT, DPT; Rachel Mundy, RN; Andrea Pana, MD; Martha Pyron, MD; Michael Reardon, MD; Paul Saenz, DO; Jamie Schlueter, MD; Emily Schottman, OD, FCOVD; Theodore Spinks, MD; Bucky Taylor, ATC; Richard Temple, PhD; Bridgett Wallace, PT, DPT; Rod Walters, DA, ATC.

“There’s no limit to what we can accomplish when we work together,” said Bridgett Wallace, owner and co-founder of Concussion Compliance and its sister company, Concussion Health. Wallace, PT, DPT, is also the president of 360 Balance, a specialty clinic in Austin. “It’s in the best interest of the injured athlete to have a broad, knowledgeable care team that may include their family, coaches, athletic trainers, team physician, school nurse and other allied healthcare providers.”

The intended audience includes athletic trainers, school nurses, allied healthcare professionals and physicians with an interest in sports medicine and concussion management.

“Each year, more than 300,000 people suffer from sport- related concussions in the US. The Texas Brain Injury Alliance is committed to providing support to those in need through education, awareness and resource referral statewide for concussion health,” said Penny Phillips, president, Texas Brain Injury Alliance. “We are proud to be a sponsor of the 2013 National Symposium which will provide a full day of education from highly educated professionals in the concussion world.”

St. David’s HealthCare is the presenting sponsor of the national symposium. To date, other sponsors include ReBuild Products, Natus Medical, Balance and Mobility, Balance Engineering, Concussion Health, Wells Fargo Insurance’s Play It Safe Concussion Care, 360 Balance, CORE Health Care, Texas Brain Injury Alliance, Stars in Your Eyes, Neuro Resource Group, NeuroImpact, Biodex Medical Systems, and Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas.

About Concussion Compliance
Concussion Compliance, a community outreach project by Concussion Health, offers school superintendents, coaches, athletic trainers, primary care physicians, and parents a free online resource to increase the safety and care of student athletes while complying with state concussion laws. To learn more about the free compliance program and to view educational videos, go to concussioncompliance.com.