Creating growth through best practices and community-based care

A new concussion program as a jumping point for growth

Initially, Premier Health’s use of ImPACT was limited to only a few local schools. The sports medicine team knew that to stay ahead of the curve and continue to provide the most comprehensive concussion care possible, they not only had to stay up to date on the latest treatment best practices, they also had to expand the use of ImPACT in their programs to include all area high schools where they provided athletic training services.

Community involvement as a cornerstone of updated concussion management protocols

After consulting with the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) to gain information on best practices, Premier Health used the most recent concussion consensus statement as a guide to update concussion care protocols. With extensive preparation and an aggressive implementation plan, nearly 40 school districts and their respective athletic trainers and team physicians worked to put the new concussion protocols into action. The resulting high-quality concussion care management, backed by ImPACT Applications' proven tools, research, and training, was now available to all athletes in the area, no matter which Premier Health facility provided their care.

“Our vice president of sports medicine services made sure all our stakeholders, from the physicians, to the athletic trainers, to the school partners, were in agreement about where we were going and why we needed our entire system to be on the same page.”

Shad Bernard, MA, AT
Central Region Manager Sports Medicine

High quality concussion care

Premier Health’s sports medicine leadership team had a vision to create system-wide concussion care protocols. When the time came to move forward and select the tools and training, the team chose ImPACT Applications.

After communicating the new protocols and training, all the high school team physicians were on board. They completed the Credentialed ImPACT Consultant (CIC) program, which allowed the entire health system to speak the same language when it came to concussion care and reading ImPACT clinical reports. Premier Health also purchased training for their athletic trainers, physical therapists, and occupational therapists.

A large quantity of ImPACT baseline tests was purchased to conduct group baseline testing for all sports medicine school partners. The goal was to provide the same high level of concussion care to all athletes in these schools, to build trust in the community, and to ensure equal access to needed care for anyone who experienced a concussion.

A bank of ImPACT post-injury tests was also purchased for post-concussion care in the physicians’ offices.

Initial investments that paid off

Premier Health spent significant time and resources to revise their concussion management program and to ensure that the right team and tools were in place for a successful concussion program.

Get step-by-step instructions on how Premier Health set up their revised concussion management program to get consistently reimbursed and increase patient volume.

“I have a lot of confidence and faith in our concussion care team. If we have a patient 50 miles away and we have a physician there, I am certain that the same protocols are being followed.”

Gary Blake, FACHE
VP, Service Integration, Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

Continuing to care for the community

This large investment in the community by Premier Health has led to increased awareness of concussions in the area and to the health system’s recognition as a leader in concussion care.

In addition to seeing a steady stream of patients from their partner schools, they’re able to work on more outreach projects to continue building their program. One program they’re working on now is baseline testing for all firefighters and police officers in the area.

Because they started their concussion program with a focus on helping the community, Premier Health has developed a plan for growth. They continue to educate the public about concussions, ensuring that everyone knows they will receive high-quality concussion care at all Premier Health facilities.