Football

GAA combines with Bon Secours Health System and UPMC to present Ireland’s first Concussion Symposium

Donegal's Michael Murphy will give the players' perspective at Ireland’s first Concussion Symposium
Donegal's Michael Murphy will give the players' perspective at Ireland’s first Concussion Symposium Donegal's Michael Murphy will give the players' perspective at Ireland’s first Concussion Symposium

Bon Secours Health System and UPMC, the leader in Concussion worldwide, have come together with the GAA to present Ireland’s first Concussion Symposium which will take place at Croke Park on Saturday October 8, 2016.

Leading concussion experts from UPMC in the United States, Bon Secours Health System in Ireland and sporting figures from the GAA will join together for a ground breaking symposium which will share nationally for the first time the best practices, protocols and treatment of concussion today.

The event, which was launched in July, will feature a panel discussion involving some of the GAA’s leading players and their own experiences of concussion. One of the players who will be involved as part of the panel, Tipperary’s Seamus Callanan, was on hand in Croke Park this morning to help publicise the event.

A limited number of spaces are still available for those wishing to attend. The morning session is aimed at medical professionals and those involved in academic research while the afternoon session will allow coaches, players and administrators to benefit from the wisdom of those involved in ground breaking research and treatment in this field. Those wishing to attend can register their interest by email to gillian@investnet.ie or call 01 7008508.

Speaking previously at the launch of the event in July of this year, Mr Bill Maher CEO of Bon Secours Health System said – “Ireland has a very proud sporting history and we take sport very seriously at all ages and in all communities. The awareness, identification and treatment of Concussion is very important and I am very proud to be working in conjunction with UPMC who are international leaders in this area and also the GAA who are showing considerable leadership in the identification and treatment of Concussion.

Our planned Concussion Symposium on 8 October, 2016 brings together experts in their field from across Ireland and the United States and I think it will be a landmark day for Concussion in Ireland – one that we all can look back on and be proud of our association with. I am really looking forward to the event as part of the Bon Secours continuous development of services and support to the community we serve to ensure we continue to deliver Advanced Medicine Exceptional Care”.

The UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program is a global leader in testing, treating, and researching sports-related concussions. With over 17,000 patient visits each year, more than 30 staff members treat high school, college, and professional athletes from across the United States. UPMC’s program is a leading source for concussion research, with nearly 200 peer-reviewed concussion research studies. Centres throughout the United States have adopted the UPMC program's standard of concussion care.

Any level of a concussion can be a serious medical issue that requires prompt care by a health professional trained in managing concussions. To avoid repeat injury, it is crucial to manage concussions until complete recovery. The UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program uses an individualised treatment plan based on the patient’s specific needs and goals for recovery.

President of UPMC International, Charles Bogosta, attended the launch in July while Dr.Micky Collins will be one of the expert speakers on the day. “No two concussions are exactly the same. We use a multidisciplinary team approach to help the brain recover and allow the patient to return to their sport, classroom, or other activities,” said Micky Collins Ph.D., executive director, UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program. “We have made tremendous progress in the diagnosis, management and rehabilitation of this injury.”

“We are pleased to work with Bon Secours Health System to bring UPMC’s world-renowned expertise in concussion treatments to the people of Ireland,” said Charles Bogosta, President of UPMC International, which also operates a cancer centre in Ireland. “This partnership embodies our goal of bringing the best possible health care to patients close to home, wherever that may be.”

The GAA, which has been at the forefront of concussion awareness and education in sport in Ireland, is delighted to be associated with this event which will feature some of the world's leading experts on concussion diagnosis and treatment. The Association's Medical Scientific and Welfare Committee will be represented at the 5th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport later this year and this symposium will be an important opportunity for discussion in advance of the Berlin event. All current Senior Inter-County Gaelic Football and Hurling Team Doctors have been invited to the morning symposium which will be CPD accredited.

Further information on concussion, including the GAA's Concussion Management Guidelines and Concussion E-learning course are available on the GAA website. http://learning.gaa.ie/Concussion

Further information on the symposium can be found at https://bonsecours.investnet.ie/