GJHS uses concussion management plan in support of Senate Bill 40
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo (KKCO) — Concussions pose a particular risk to children and young adults whose brains are still developing.
Doctors say they may take longer to recover after an injury resulting in a concussion.
One local high school, say’s they’re moving forward with a plan and making sure they’re ready when a new law protecting students from concussions goes into effect next year.
It’s estimated that 136 thousand high school students are diagnosed with a concussion each year, making it a significant concern for young adults.
Grand Junction High School supports senate bill 40, also known as the ‘Jake Snakenberg Youth Concussion Act.
“Which has some specific requirements imposed on high schools through out the state of Colorado to make sure that, we truly are tracking students and student athletes who are concussed, either in practice or competition,” says Grand Junction High School’s principal Jon Bilbo.
Starting January first, GJHS will be following this law, making sure staff and faculty are up to speed in their knowledge of concussions they have come up with their own concussion management plan.
“I think the plan we have right now, meets all the criteria that is set forth in the law and it comes again to fine tuning the things we have that allow us to communicate for excessively with the team members,” says GJHS athletic director, Ned Pollert.
The plan covers basic information, including what to look for, what to do when a student has an injury and how to monitor a student’s progress.
“We have a tracking form that when ever we get a report of a student athlete or a student who is concussed, we automatically put them on our tracking form, if he’s a student athlete then he goes through a specific process that focuses on getting clearance from the doctor to return to school to return to play,” says Bilbo.
6 students were diagnosed with a concussion in the first month of this school year from GJHS, since then, that number has nearly tripled.
Because of that, faculty decided to use the management plan for all students’.
“What we found out, was that we were having student’s that were not student’s athletes and that were coming back into school after being concussed either through automobile accidents, ATV accidents or some type of accident that resulted in them being concussed,” says Bilbo.
The bill requires that all kids between 11 and 18 complete annual concussion recognition education, because this age range is most at risk for sports related concussions.
Parents who want to hear more information about this concussion management plan can go to the traumatic brain injury coalition next Monday, November 14th at the public health department from 1pm to 4pm.