Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children Offers Comprehensive Pre-Concussion Test

BOULDER, CO, March 10, 2011 (Press-News.org) HealthONE's Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children announced today its continuing use of state-of-the-art treatment and tools by offering ImPACTTM baseline testing. The computerized test creates a baseline pre-season evaluation for brain functions such as memory skills, motor skills and reaction time. If the child sustains a concussion, the results can be used to measure the individual's progress back to normal.

The test is being administered by the Rocky Mountain Youth Sports Medicine Institute Center for Concussion. To make the testing more accessible to student athletes and their parents, it will be offered on upcoming Saturdays at Arapahoe Community College campus in Parker.

"The latest research has shown that concussion is much more complex than we once believed," said Brooke Pengel, MD, medical director for the Rocky Mountain Youth Sports Medicine Institute. "Concussion management requires prompt evaluation and assessment to avoid returning athletes to play too soon, where they may sustain another concussion that could put them at risk for serious, long-term brain injury."

ImPACT testing is open to all students between the ages of 11 and 18 years of age. Pengel especially recommends ImPACT baseline testing for those children who participate in sports -- either recreationally or with a school -- that are at a risk for blows to the head, either through contact or falls. This can include football, soccer, basketball, hockey and most snow sports.

"ImPACT baseline testing, while not essential to concussion management, does offer one more piece of data when deciding when and how to return an athlete to play," said Karen McAvoy, PsyD, Director for the Center for Concussion at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. "Baseline testing provides a snapshot of the brain prior to sustaining the concussion and subsequent post-concussion testing then helps to direct the safest course of recovery."

The awareness about the risks of concussion, a serious brain injury, is beginning to grow among parents and coaches of youth players, thanks in part to attention by the Denver Broncos and proposed state legislation. The "Jake Snakenberg Youth Concussion Act," recently passed by the Colorado Senate and scheduled to be taken up by the Colorado House today, will require youth coaches to take precautions when players appear to sustain head injuries and to get medical consent before players are cleared to return after concussion.

ImPACT baseline testing takes approximately one hour. During the testing session, a parent or guardian will attend an informative educational session to understand how this test is used in context of a comprehensive concussion management approach.

When: March 12 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
April 9 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m.
May 14 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m.

Where: Arapahoe Community College - Parker Campus
15653 Brookstone Drive
Parker, Colo. 80134

Cost: $25

To register: www.youthsportsmed.com or call (720) 979-0852


About Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children
Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children (RMHC) is a regional resource for specialty pediatric care founded in 1977 by private practice pediatric specialists at HealthONE's Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver. Today, RMHC provides trusted care from within six HealthONE facilities throughout the Denver metro area and in specialty pediatric outreach centers in Douglas County, Colo., Broomfield, Colo., and Casper, Wyo. It is the trusted choice of pediatric and pre-natal care for Denver families. The Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children campus at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center is home to the region's largest and busiest neonatal intensive care. It is the only center in the region that offers both high-risk pregnancy care and neonatology on one campus — keeping mothers and babies together in the same hospital for optimal care. Patients are cared for by only board-certified or board-eligible physicians to provide the highest level of care.
http://www.rockymountainhospitalforchildren.com
About HealthONE
HCA-HealthONE LLC is the largest healthcare system in the metro Denver area with 8,500 employees and 3,000 affiliated physicians. Named Colorado's "Best Company for Working Families -- large business category," in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the health system was created in 1995 as a 50/50 joint venture between non-profit The Colorado Health Foundation (formerly HealthONE Alliance), Colorado's 2nd-largest charitable foundation, and various affiliates of HCA.

HealthONE includes: The Medical Center of Aurora and Centennial Medical Plaza; North Suburban Medical Center; Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children; Rose Medical Center; Sky Ridge Medical Center; Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital; Swedish Medical Center and Swedish Southwest ER; 11 ambulatory surgical centers; more than 30 occupational medicine/rehabilitation, Broncos Sports Medicine, specialty, and outpatient diagnostic imaging clinics; and AIRLIFE, which provides critical care air and ground transportation for a seven-state region.

http://www.HealthONEcares.com