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Community Corner

Free Concussion Lecture - Wed, Sept 25th

Parents, coaches and athletes of Red Bank Catholic High School are encouraged to attend “Concussions in Youth Sports:  What Every Parent and Coach Needs to Know,” a free program on Wednesday, September 25th, from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Broad Street Auditorium of RBC in Red Bank.  This important program is sponsored by the Athletic Department at RBC, the Concussion Rx Care Program at db Orthopedic Physical Therapy, and the Sports Medicine Center at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.  Experts on concussion evaluation and post-concussion rehabilitation will be featured speakers at the event.  The recently instituted Concussion management Program specifically designed for RBC will be discussed.

          “A concussion is a brain injury and should never be passed off as just a ‘bump on the head,’” says Dr. David Bertone, PT, DPT, OCS, Physical Therapist, Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and President of db Orthopedic Physical Therapy in Lincroft.  “We have been hearing more and more about how concussions are not only sidelining our children for a few weeks, but are also causing severe, long-lasting health effects and potential life-threatening injuries.  That is why we felt it was so important to come together as a community and make sure everyone – parents, coaches and athletes alike – are completely educated about concussion prevention, identification and treatment.”

According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 38 million kids ages 5 to 18 play organized sports in the United States.  Of those children, one in 10 will suffer a sports or recreation-related concussion each year.

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          In addition to Dr. Bertone, another featured speaker for the program will be:  Stephen Rice, M.D., Board Certified Pediatrician & Pediatric Sports Medicine Director at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Sports Medicine Center.  Dr. Rice will discuss the signs and symptoms of a concussion, and the potentially fatal consequences of Second Impact Syndrome. 

Dr. Bertone will explain the concussion recovery and rehabilitation process as well as answers questions about the RBC Concussion Management Program and post-concussion algorithm.  In addition, Dr. Bertone will discuss the often confusing “return to play” methods, and how Comprehensive Concussion Baseline Testing with a balance component is the only way to determine a safe time to return to play following a concussion. 

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Panel Bios

 

Dr. Stephen Rice is a Board Certified Pediatrician and has been the program director of the pediatric sports medicine fellowship at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and director of the Jersey Shore Sports Medicine Center since 1996.  He is also a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.  In 1979, Dr. Rice developed the Athletic Health Care System, a model program for high schools to prevent and manage injuries in interscholastic sports through the US Department of Education.

 

Dr. David Bertone is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, and owner of db Orthopedic Physical Therapy in Lincroft.  He has more than 23 years of experience in the field of orthopedic rehabilitation.  Through the Concussion Rx Program at his practice, Dr. Bertone has treated numerous post concussed patients and offers comprehensive Concussion Baseline Testing with a balance component for area sports programs including the Athletic Department at Brookdale Community College, RBC High School and several area youth sports leagues.  

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