With school and kid sports in full swing, the possibility of injury – especially head injuries – can lurk in the back of parents’ minds. But now they can rest more easily thanks to concussion preventative measures happening around Gwinnett, including Gwinnett Medical Center’s annual Sports Medicine & Concussion Care-a-Van which launched Friday, August 24.
Athletes and families in Gwinnett County and the surrounding areas will have access to on-site concussion testing and concussion prevention education during the 2019-2020 sports season.
Launched in the summer of 2017, the mobile concussion care unit is the first of its kind. Equipped with the latest in concussion and sports medicine technology, it travels to sporting events, festivals, parks, childcare centers, and family events to provide baseline concussion testing. This aids in proper diagnosis and treatment in the event of a head injury, thereby reducing the long-term effects of concussion.
The Care-A-Van will also educate families about the signs and symptoms of concussion, prevention measures, when and where to seek treatment when an injury occurs, and how to safely return to school, work, or play after injury.
Care-A-Van staff can also provide basic first aid (Band-Aids or blister care) as well as extensive sports medicine treatment including injury evaluation, physical therapy, and cardiac emergency services.
“We are tremendously proud to sponsor the Care-A-Van,” says Discovery Point president and CEO Cliff Clark. “It is 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 Foundation. I felt it truly represents both my own personal interest in supporting the advancement of medical research and technology and also Discovery Point’s commitment to the health and safety of the children in our community.”
Discovery Point’s contribution helped to expedite the completion of the vehicle’s renovation for launch – just nine months from start to finish.
The 2019 Care-A-Van schedule kicked off at Coolray Field on Friday, August 23, with the Corky Kell Classic — an annual Georgia high school football tradition. The game, however, had to be rescheduled to Friday, September 6, at Milton due to thunderstorms. The remainder of the Care-A-Van’s fall season features additional stops at Gwinnett County high school football games, the Duluth Fall Festival in September, and more.
Here is a list of the Care-A-Van’s current fall schedule:
- August 30: Discovery High School
- September 6: Centennial High School
- September 20: Central Gwinnett High School
- September 27: Duluth Fall Festival
- October 18: Providence Christian Academy
- October 25: Duluth High School
- November 8: Norcross High School
See more of Gwinnett Medical Center’s services on our Guide to Gwinnett!
