More students pre-screened for sports-related concussions During the past year, student-athletes at six Lawrence and area schools took a 30-minute test designed to ensure that if they received a concussion, they wouldn’t return to play before their brains had time to heal. Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the six schools teamed up to offer the free pre-concussion screenings to 1,275 students participating in football, volleyball, soccer, golf, basketball, cross country, cheerleading, swimming and bowling. The screenings were administered by athletic trainers and reviewed by LMH-affiliated physicians, and the screenings provided a baseline for health care providers who might treat symptoms of concussions. The test, which is called Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, or ImPACT, documents an athlete’s brain processing speed, memory and visual motor skills. “The baseline tests are important in that they are an individual perspective,” said Adam Rolf, physical therapist and athletic trainer with LMH Therapy Services. The baselines have a shelf-life of two years before they should be repeated. These LMH-affiliated healthcare providers also received training on post-concussion testing: Daniel Dickerson, MD of Eudora Family Care; and Thomas Marcellino, MD, Joy Murphy, MD, and Karen Evans, DO of Mt. Oread Family Practice. Last school year, 40 patients were treated for concussion symptoms and the trained physicians administered the test again. ImPACT can be repeated several times as the student-athlete recovers, measuring his or her progress. Rolf said it’s important for parents and their —Adam Rolf children to understand the effects of concussions. “We want to be a resource for parents to understand what a concussion is and to help them understand these are the signs and symptoms, and this is what you should do if this occurs,” he said. “I’m really pleased that people understand that we’re not trying to hold a kid back from getting in the game.” These schools participated in ImPACT pre-concussion screenings during the 2012-13 school year: Eudora middle and high schools; Bishop Seabury Academy, Free State and Lawrence high schools; and Veritas Christian School. And the numbers are growing. LMH Therapy Services has created partnerships with club sport teams to provide concussion screenings at an affordable rate, and Tonganoxie school officials will offer screenings this year to 300 to 400 middle and high school students in that district. “We will continue to look at how we can reach out to all of the schools in the Lawrence area,” said Jaye Cole, director of LMH Therapy Services. —Caroline Trowbridge, LMH Associate
“ We want to be a resource for parents. I’m pleased that people understand that we’re not trying to hold a kid back from getting in the game.”
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Mark J. Oertel, MD
A Leavenworth native, Dr. Oertel earned his bachelor’s degree in human biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Kansas. In 2010, he received his medical degree from the KU School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine internship in 2011 and residency in 2013 at KU Medical Center. Dr. Oertel is married and enjoys running, traveling, golf and Jayhawks sports. Reed Medical Group 404 Maine Street | Lawrence, KS 66044 785-842-3635
Cleve R. Pilakowski, DPM
Dr. Pilakowski has joined Lawrence Podiatry Center. He previously worked in Wilmington, N.C., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Pilakowski earned his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Nebraska in 1991 and completed his doctor of podiatric medicine degree at the William M. Scholl School of Podiatry in Chicago in 1996. He completed a surgical podiatric residency at Genesys Medical System in Genesee, Mich., in 1997. He is board certified in podiatry and podiatric surgery. Lawrence Podiatry Center 5100 Bob Billings Parkway, Suite 100 | Lawrence, KS 66049 785-843-1839 www.lawrencepodiatrycenter.com
Emily Riggs, MD
Dr. Riggs grew up in Olathe and completed a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Kansas in 2004. She earned her medical degree from the KU School of Medicine in 2009. She recently finished her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver and is looking forward to being back at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where she worked as a medical clerk while a student at KU. Dr. Riggs enjoys watching movies and KU basketball, as well as yoga, jogging and spending time with her husband and son. Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists 330 Arkansas, Suite 300 | Lawrence, KS 66044 785-832-1424 www.lmh.org/obgyn
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