| Concussion Management Program at St. Charles Earns National Certification as New York State Mandate Takes Effect |
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St Charles Hospital’s Concussion Management Program, Think Smart!, has earned certification as a Credentialed ImPACT™ Consultant (CIC). The certification recognizes the program’s high level of education and training as well as its extensive experience with the computerized neurocognitive concussion assessment tool, ImPACT™ (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing). The CIC certification of the Concussion Management Program at St. Charles arrives just days before New York State’s Concussion Management and Awareness Act takes effect on July 1, 2012. The new law requires all schools to remove concussed athletes from contact sports until they are cleared by a physician and to provide education and training so that coaches and athletic trainers are better able to identify and address concussion during games. “We are very proud to be credentialed as an ImPACT™ consultant as it is a reflection of our commitment to providing the very best in concussion care and education, as well as our aptitude with this assessment tool,” said Jennifer Semel, MD, Medical Director, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, St. Charles Hospital. “As medical professionals, our primary responsibility lies in prevention and education. As the new regulations go into effect, we will continue to offer our concussion services to school districts on Long Island.” Currently, St. Charles concussion management clinicians have provided ImPACT™ testing and concussion education to more than 22,000 student athletes at 29 Long Island school districts. The outpatient Think Smart! Concussion Management Center at St. Charles, in collaboration with Advanced Rehabilitation Medicine and Orthopedic Associates of Long Island, provides a continuum of care that includes pre-season baseline testing, education and training as well as injury assessment, recovery and eventually a safe return to play. When an injury occurs, services begin with the Emergency Department where staff is specially trained to triage and care for athletes following an acute concussion. In the outpatient Concussion Management Center, the student athlete is seen by a multi-disciplinary team of concussion management trained physicians, neuropsychologists and physical therapists. |