Physicals/Concussions
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HEADS UP Pittsburgh: Concussion Testing
“
HEADS UP PITTSBURGH”Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, UPMC and CCAC Again Offer
Free Baseline Concussion Testing for Local Youth Hockey Players
The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, UPMC Sports Medicine and the Community
College of Allegheny County again are teaming up to offer free baseline concussion
Last year, in its first year of operation, this one-of-a-kind program
– “HEADS UPPittsburgh
” – provided free baseline concussion tests for more than 2,300 localyoungsters in fewer than 60 days
“
As we enter our second year, the goal of ‘HEADS UP Pittsburgh’ is to enhance thesafety of local youth hockey through concussion education and awareness among
players and their families,
” said Dave Soltesz, president of the Pittsburgh PenguinsFoundation.
“The response in our first year from players, coaches, parents, and familymembers was remarkable, and we believe we can increase our reach by testing and
educating more players and families this year.
”The free testing will be held on Saturdays from May 19 through June 16 at the UPMC
Center for Sports Medicine on the South Side, CCAC and various locations in the
Pittsburgh area. It will be available to youth hockey players from the Pennsylvania
Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) and the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League (PAHL),
as well as others registered locally through USA Hockey programs. Players will be
emailed a reminder to use their USA Hockey Code from their organizations. This will
enable them to pre-register for testing at
www.upmc.com/hockeytesting.While players are being tested, their parents will meet with UPMC Sports Medicine
Concussion Program staff to learn about
“HEADS UP Pittsburgh.”Participants must be at least 10 years old on the date of testing, and must be
concussion-free for 30 days prior to the baseline. The entire process will take about one
hour. Participants will receive a copy of their baseline results through a secure email
system within two weeks of taking the test. Certified athletic trainers from the UPMC
Sports Concussion Program will supervise the testing and educational process.
Players ages 10-12 are advised to get a baseline result every year. Players ages 13 and
older should take one every other year. We strongly recommend registering early for
baseline testing.
