Representatives from Kaiser Permanente, Marin Athletic Foundation, Marin County Office of Education, Marin County School Nurses, Marin County Health and Human Services, Marin General Hospital, Novato Community Hospital, Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery and Certified Athletic Trainers in the schools have formed a coalition to coordinate county-wide protocols for educating, reporting and treating concussions among Marin’s student athletes.

 

Named "ConcussionSmart  Marin," the group is working to educate the community about concussions; inform physicians, coaches, athletic trainers and clinicians about the latest research pertaining to youth concussions; in order to treat and manage youth concussions in a standard manner according to current best practice.

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The coalition will also help physicians and schools comply with recent legislation that features ‘return to play’ and ‘return to learn’ requirements set forth by the State of California

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Children and teens are more likely to sustain a concussion and take longer to recover than adults. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head that affects the way a brain typically works. Concussions are common injuries in young athletes.  The Center for Disease Control estimates that each year over 3 million individuals will sustain a sport or recreation-related head injury. Most concussions occur without loss of consciousness, but proper treatment is essential to prevent further injury or complications.