(Photo | Courtesy of The Center Foundation)
The Center Foundation announces Community Concussion Baseline testing. ImPACT Concussion Baseline testing is available for children ages 12 through 18 who have not already received the baseline in the past two years. Group testing will be available on:
- Monday, December 19 — 9am start with more times added as needed
- Monday, January 16th — 9am start with more times added as needed
- Monday February 20th — 9am start with more times added as needed
Appointments are required.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, concussions are second only to auto accidents as the leading cause of childhood injury. It is estimated that 15-20% of high school athletes receive a concussion in any given year. If an athlete returns to play before the brain is fully healed, they are at risk of Second Impact Concussion Syndrome. In this condition, the brain swells rapidly with, sometimes, fatal consequences. As part of the effort to reduce Second Impact Syndrome, The Center Foundation has adopted the ImPACT Concussion Baseline Test.
It is recommended that student athletes have a baseline test every two years. ImPACT Concussion Baseline testing is a computerized “snapshot” of how a child’s healthy brain is functioning. The test takes less than an hour. The baselines are NOT MRIs or scans – they are computerized assessment tests. Baseline results are electronically stored for use in the event the child suffers a concussion. In that case, medical professionals can access baseline results and compare them to post-injury tests conducted at an appropriate stage in the recovery process.
The cost of each baseline test is $20, cash or check made out to The Center Foundation. Registration is required by contacting Stuart Schmidt, Program Manager, at 541-322-2323. Baseline tests are held at The Center at 2200 NE Neff Road in Bend, Oregon.
About The Center Foundation:
The Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has provided certified athletic trainers to Central Oregon high schools for more than 20 years, serving more than 5,000 students at over 1,400 sporting events annually. Our staff manage injuries and concussions and educate young athletes on injury prevention. These services are provided at no cost to students or their families. Foundation programs also deliver brain and spinal cord injury prevention education in grade schools, free multi-sport helmets to children in need and education seminars and conferences for healthcare professionals. Since 2000, The Center Foundation has been Central Oregon’s only nonprofit solely dedicated to providing sports medicine services as a means to ensure youth are safe, healthy, and protected in an active lifestyle.
