CentraCare Health Foundation Grants $440,000 for the Central Minnesota Concussion Collaborative Program
St. Cloud, Minn. - The CentraCare Health Foundation approved $440,000 over two years for the Central Minnesota Concussion Collaborative Program. This project, facilitated by George Morris, MD, medical director of CentraCare Clinic, seeks to improve the recognition, diagnosis and management of concussions, otherwise known as mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), for people of all ages living in Central Minnesota.
A community-wide collaborative already has been established to support this program, and includes local medical providers, educational facilities, athletics, community partners and patient advocates who are committed to improving the standard of care for this population. According to Tracy Arduser, Coordinator for St. Cloud Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation Services, “We are very excited to have received such a generous grant from the CentraCare Health Foundation. With this support we plan to educate the community about concussions, the signs and symptoms, as well as the potential devastating long term consequences of this ‘invisible injury.’ We hope to raise awareness that concussions are not just limited to sports, but occur from car accidents, slips and falls, domestic violence, combat, and more. Our mission is to work as a true community collaborative to provide the best possible care to all patients, regardless of where they receive their medical care and make Central Minnesota a Concussion-Safe Community.”
The Central Minnesota Concussion Collaborative will specifically work to standardize the assessments completed “on the field,” in emergency/urgency settings as well as primary care practices. Screening processes will be developed both in the hospital and clinics to help identify patients who may have otherwise been missed. This project will provide on-call access and support to providers to assist in referrals and care management. Also, the program will establish standardized education to be provided to patients and caregivers following diagnosis to ensure proper medical follow up and management of this potentially debilitating diagnosis.
