ATLANTA - Each year about 170,000 young athletes go to their local emergency center for a suspected sports- or recreation-related concussion, according to a report released today by the CDC. This is an increase of over 60 percent during the last decade. And every day, health care professionals are challenged with identifying and appropriately managing kids and teens who may be at risk for short- or long-term problems.
To help address this important public health problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched “Heads Up to Clinicians: Addressing Concussion in Sports among Kids and Teens,” a new, free online course for health care professionals, made possible by a grant from the National Football League (NFL) to the CDC Foundation. The course is available at www.cdc.gov/Concussion and www.nflhealthandsafety.com.
“We are pleased to assist the CDC in ensuring that health care providers are properly trained in head injury prevention and treatment,” said NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash. “The ‘Heads Up’ course is an important step in our efforts to support the health and safety of youth athletes.”
The course includes a free continuing education opportunity. At the end of the course, participants can take a brief quiz and obtain a certificate and continuing education credits through the American College of Sports Medicine.
“We are pleased that this public-private partnership between CDC and the NFL will expand knowledge of concussion prevention and treatment for kids and teens. We are grateful to the NFL for generously supporting this initiative,” said Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation.
Learn more at www.cdc.gov/Concussion and www.NFLHealthandSafety.com.
About the CDC Foundation
Established by Congress as an independent, nonprofit organization, the CDC Foundation connects CDC with outside organizations and individuals to build public health programs that make our world healthier and safer. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has provided $300 million to support CDC's work, launched more than 500 programs around the world and built a network of individuals and organizations committed to supporting CDC and public health. Learn more at www.cdcfoundation.org.
About the NFL’s health and safety efforts
The NFL is actively engaged in addressing player health and safety in football and advancing science to help athletes of all ages in all sports. To learn more about the league’s work to promote health and safety at all playing levels, visit www.NFLHealthandSafety.com.
About CDC’s Heads Up initiative
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) created the “Heads Up” national educational initiative for: health care professionals and patients, school professionals, sports coaches, parents, and kids and teens. The focus of CDC’s “Heads Up” initiative is to improve prevention, recognition, and response to traumatic brain injury, including concussion, by getting key information to emergency departments, doctors offices, playing fields, homes, and classrooms and schools nationwide. Visit: www.cdc.gov/Concussion.