Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) today unveiled the newest addition to its community outreach and patient care facilities. The Mobile Sports Medicine and Concussion Care-A-Van is the first unit of its kind anywhere in Georgia, if not the first in the United States.
The Care-A-Van includes a concussion education and baseline testing center, as well a full-service athletic training room equipped to provide a full range of care for sports related injuries.
The services offered by GMC’s Sports Medicine & Concussion Care-A-Van include:
- Concussion baseline testing
- Athletic Training Services /First Aid
- Education
- Injury Prevention
- Physical Therapy
- Wellness Programs
- Sports Physicals
The care-a-van will be available to travel out to sports facilities, recreation centers, athletic events, community fairs and expos, schools, daycare centers, summer camps, senior centers, churches, corporate campuses and more. Kristin Crea, GMC’s Director of Sports Medicine says, “Concussions can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone. We want to make sure everyone in our community knows the signs and symptoms and how to best take care of themselves when injury strikes.”
Crea continues, “Concussions are happening at epidemic levels. Since opening GMC’s Concussion Institute in August of 2013, we have treated more than 8,500 concussions. We are constantly seeking ways to expand education, awareness and prevention of this serious health condition. We’ve done a great job over the past few years to educate professional, collegiate and high school athletes, but we still have a long way to go to reach younger athletes and their families and the community at large. This new Care-A-Van allows us to expand our concussion care and sports medicine reach all across Georgia.”
In addition to concussion care, the unit offers certified athletic trainers to serve on the sidelines to provide immediate, onsite treatment for a variety of medical issues, which increases the likelihood of more positive patient outcomes. The Care-A-Van opens up many new possibilities that include better sports medicine, better concussion care and prevention, groundbreaking medical research and more.
The first community partner that signed on to be a major partner in this effort was Discovery Point Franchising, Inc. Cliff Clark, President and CEO of Discovery Point shares, “The advancement of medical research and technology has long been a cause that I support. This year, a very special opportunity presented itself that I felt truly represented both me personally and Discovery Point’s commitment to the health and safety of the children in our community. It was such a rare and unique project that I wanted to make this a public partnership and truly a joint effort between Discovery Point Franchising and the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation.”
Clark continues, “My wife, Diane, and I opened the first Discovery Point Child Development Center in Gwinnett County in 1988 and the first 6 of our centers all opened here. I have been a Gwinnett County resident since 1996. This is a special area and I am proud to call it home. To see the impact the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation has had on this community is truly impressive. I look forward to this new Care-A-Van project serving Gwinnett County and beyond.”
Gwinnett Medical Center’s Sports Medicine and Concussion Care-A-Van will open its doors to the community at the Corky Kell Classic on August 18, 2017 as GHSA launches its 2017 high school football season.
