Senator Kemp Hannon (R-C, Garden City), chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Health, recently held a roundtable discussion at Hofstra University on the important public health issue of preventing and responding to head injuries high school students sustain during athletic activities.

"Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates an annual average of one in 20 high school athletes will sustain a concussion as a result of involvement in sports," Hannon said. "The purpose of this roundtable is to guide high school policy to prevent and treat students who suffer a head injury during athletic competition and/or required activities.

"Assemblyman Robert Sweeney and I have sponsored legislation that has generated considerable attention from colleagues, the athletic community and the sports medicine community about the definition of concussion, contradicting clinical guidelines that currently exist and the actual practice in New York schools. This roundtable will focus these issues in a comprehensive way to help develop a statewide, uniform practice for high schools."

Introduced by Hannon and Assemblyman Sweeney in March 2003, bill (A.1889/S.2835) better protects children from the risk of concussion and addresses their physical and cognitive needs following a concussion.

As part of the dialogue, selected participants gave an overview of the neurological effects of head injury/concussions and also discussed current New York State school response practices.

Scheduled roundtable participants were Susan Hardman, Bureau of Injury Prevention, NYS Department of Health; Lloyd Mott, NYS Public High School Athletic Association; Elliot Pellman, MD, chair, National Football League Committee on Mild Traumatic Injury; Mark Lovell, Ph.D., ImPACT; Deborah Benson, Ph.D., North Shore Hospital; Charles Wolf, Long Island Head Injury Association; Michael V. Kaplen, Esq., Brain Injury Association of New York State; Richard Ravo, athletic trainer, Lawrence High School; Nancy Kalafus, athletic director, Garden City High School; and Jim Colligan, athletic director, Carle Place High School.

Roundtable participants examined technological innovations that have been introduced in an effort to prevent head injuries; clinical guidelines most effective in protecting high school athletes/students from the dangers associated with head injuries; and how standardized guidelines can be implemented in New York schools.

"Overall, the CDC estimates there are 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries in the United States each year. That is why we have both professional and high school athletic organizations represented here today," Hannon said.

"Today's roundtable discussion is an extension of New York's commitment to the prevention and research of traumatic brain injury. I appreciate the comments, information and recommendations from everyone who participated in this hearing," the senator added.