HeadFirst Concussion Care Hosts Public Awareness Seminars

ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care, a service of Righttime Medical Care, is hosting a series of free informational workshops to raise the level of public knowledge about concussions.

Concussions, also called mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI), occur when there is a bump, blow or jolt to the head or body that results in the brain being jostled inside the skull. Many parents, coaches and athletes, while interested, may know very little about concussions. Moreover, few players either recognize concussion symptoms or remove themselves from play after sustaining a head injury. The outcome can include prolonged recovery times, permanent injury or even death.

HeadFirst's "Concussion Discussion" seminars help educate the public about which symptoms can be identified from the sideline, and help parents understand that the signs of brain trauma may not be present immediately after an injury.

"Every day, HeadFirst sees patients with head injuries from a variety of causes, but people are still unsure about the steps to take during a suspected concussion," said Dr. Robert G. Graw, Jr., M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Righttime Medical Care. "We designed our Concussion Discussions to teach coaches, trainers and parents about the 'red flags' that point to a concussion, in order to help everyone avoid potentially devastating injuries and properly manage them once they occur."

HeadFirst launched the first of its 2014 "Concussion Discussion" series in May in Anne Arundel County. The June 18 seminar in Montgomery County was held at Righttime Medical Care in Silver Spring. The dates and locations for the August and September sessions will be posted in the coming weeks on myHeadFirst.com. Another seminar, hosted in partnership with the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks, will be held at 7pm on July 9 at the Honeygo Regional Park in Perry Hall, Md.

The seminars are led by HeadFirst Concussion Care Program Director Tony Doran, Psy.D., a pediatric neuropsychologist who has extensive experience in treating patients with brain injuries.

HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care provides post-injury medical evaluation for patients of all ages who have suffered mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Trained in the evaluation and management of mTBI, the HeadFirst medical team works with a consortium of specialists to ensure patients receive optimal care. HeadFirst also provides complementary ImPACT baseline testing for sports teams and individuals, and supports trainers and coaches with a community concussion awareness program and sports injury hotline. Righttime Medical Care operates 12 urgent care centers located in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery counties. All Righttime locations are open 365 days a year from 7 a.m. until midnight. For more information, visit myHeadFirst.com and myRighttime.com.

Contact: Ann-Marie Sedor / 443-332-4260 x8130

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SOURCE Righttime Medical Care