The WiSH Education Foundation is thrilled to announce that the Hart District Athletic Trainers will now have concussion testing software. The funding came through a generous donation from Boston Scientific.

Coordinator of the athletic training program, a partnership between the Wm. S. Hart School District and Henry Mayo, is TJ DiPrima, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC. According to DiPrima, “This athletic training outreach program provides sports medicine services to six of our local public high schools. We currently employ and provide six full-time certified athletic trainers whose responsibility is the safety and welfare of student-athletes that participate in sports. One of our recurring goals for the program is to provide education regarding concussion recognition and management to ensure that athletes are appropriately removed from participation and properly returned to school and sports activities.”

Lynne Secrest, Vice Chair of WiSH and a senior human resources manager, Neuromodulation, Boston Scientific, says, “We are learning more about the negative impact concussions can have on the health of professional and especially student athletes. If this concussion-testing software can help identify injuries early, that’s one more step towards keeping our students healthy. I am proud of our dedication to support the local community.”

“With this funding we are giving our student athletes more significant support both on and off the field. It was a significant gap that has now been filled,” says Executive Director Amy Daniels. The software ImPACT Neurocognitive Testing, is a computerized neurocognitive assessment tool that helps healthcare providers evaluate and manage suspected concussions. Test results can be compared to baseline scores and normative data as part of a healthcare provider’s assessment of the injury. Baseline tests can provide the athletic trainers with vital knowledge of the student-athletes’ cognitive function before a concussion, such as attention span, working memory, sustained and selective attention, problem solving and reaction time. This can be very useful in helping these students return to the classroom as well as the sports field without lingering symptoms or deficits in cognitive function.

WiSH needs your support – state funding does not meet need.

Please contact Executive Director Amy Daniels at WiSH@hartdistrict.org or 661-799-9474 for sponsorship information.

(L-R) Molly Herrera, Kylie Trammell, Lisa Welker-Finney, Lynne Secrest, Thomas (T.J.) DiPrima, Jake Berkowitz