Aug 30, 2018Spread the Word
The Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society, (PATS), recently completed a four year grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, (DOH), for concussion education, management, and care. The grant allowed PATS to provide concussion management and care education to physicians, physician assistants, school nurses and coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports throughout the Commonwealth.
PATS formed a DOH Grant Committee consisting of Yvette Ingram, Greg Janik, Roxanna Larsen, Dave Marchetti, John Moyer, Linda Mazzoli and Guy Sanchioli to focus solely on completing the yearly initiatives made possible from over $400,000.00 of funding throughout the four year life of the DOH Grant. The committee utilized a multifaceted approach to convey the importance of concussion management and care education.
PATS in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Medical Society, (PaMED), and Sports Safety International, (SSI), developed an online concussion education program for physicians, physician assistants and school nurses. The clinical content of the course was peer-reviewed and approved by representatives from the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, Pennsylvania Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania College of Emergency Physicians, Pennsylvania Neurological Society, Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society, and the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society. Continuing Medical Education units, (CME’s) were provided for physicians and physician assistants as well as continuing education units for school nurses. Throughout the four year grant, the online education program was utilized by 354 physicians, 113 physician assistants and 143 school nurses. PATS also collaborated with SSI to educate 136 athletic trainers as ConcussionWise Instructors. Once trained, these athletic trainers provided 91 “live” ConcussionWise presentations to 2220 youth sports coaches, parents and athletes in the Commonwealth over four years.
PATS launched a major marketing campaign to promote our concussion management and care education initiative throughout the Commonwealth. PATS in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Cable Network, (PCN), was able to produce four 30 minute concussion education videos that were broadcast on the PCN Sunday Fusion program during August and September of each year of the grant. PCN is viewed in more than 3.3 million homes throughout Pennsylvania. PATS also utilized PCN to broadcast concussion education public service announcements during Pennsylvania High School State Championship programming. Combined, the programming was viewed by 40 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and Great Britain.
Another facet of the marketing campaign was utilizing iHeart Radio to air Public Service Announcements, (PSA’s), promoting our concussion education opportunities from March through May on a yearly basis. A total of 3552 PSA’s were broadcast in eleven markets throughout the Commonwealth resulting in an average of 1,120,000 impressions annually.
To advertise our concussion education programming in as many outlets as possible, PATS utilized a digital marketing group to design our advertisements. PATS launched a billboard campaign utilizing our advertisement design on numerous billboards in the northwest, southwest and northeast regions of the Commonwealth that were displayed during March and April on a yearly basis. Our advertisement design was also utilized to produce 4′ X10′ banners that were distributed to our NATA Safe Sport School Award winners to be displayed in their indoor and outdoor athletic facilities. Finally, PATS utilized our advertisement design for the PA Medical Societies’ Spring Physicians Magazine as well as in high school state championship programs produced annually by the PIAA and the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League, (WPIAL).
“Having the opportunity to participate in a four year grant program allowed PATS to demonstrate the role of the athletic trainer as a highly skilled healthcare provider especially when it comes to the proper management and care of concussions” stated John Moyer, PATS DOH Committee Chair.
A lot of time and hard work went into making this educational initiative successful and a special thanks goes out to all athletic trainers in the Commonwealth who participated in the projects. PATS is looking forward to other opportunities to collaborate with the PA DOH in the near future.
The above content is a press release from the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society.
