The Center Foundation sets concussion baseline testing dates

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Center Foundation is pleased to announce three upcoming community concussion baseline testing dates. ImPACT concussion baseline testing will be available for student athletes ages 12 through 18 who have not already received a baseline test in the past two years. 

Group testing will be available on the following dates: 

• Thursday, Nov. 11 – 9:00 a.m. start, with more times added as needed
• Monday, Jan. 17, 2022 – 9:00 a.m. start, with more times added as needed
• Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 – 9:00 a.m. start, with more times added as needed

Baseline tests are held at The Center at 2200 NE Neff Road in Bend. Registration is required by contacting Stuart Schmidt at 541-322-2323. The cost of the baseline test is $15. 

According to the CDC, concussions are second only to auto accidents as the leading cause of childhood injury. It is estimated that 15-20% of high school athletes receive a concussion in any given year, and if an athlete returns to play before the brain is fully healed, the child is at risk of Second Impact Concussion Syndrome. In this condition, the brain swells rapidly with sometimes fatal consequences. As part of the effort to reduce Second Impact Syndrome, The Center Foundation has adopted the ImPACT concussion baseline test. 

It is recommended that student athletes participate in a baseline test every two years. ImPACT concussion baseline testing (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a computerized “snapshot” of how a child’s healthy brain is functioning.

The baselines are not MRIs or scans – they are computerized assessment tests that generally take less than an hour. Baseline results are electronically stored for use in the event that the child suffers a concussion. In that case, he or she will have the baseline results compared to a post-injury test conducted by a medical professional at an appropriate stage in the recovery to assess progress. (Post-concussion tests and assessment are handled through parent or guardian self-pay or insurance as part of medical treatment.)

The Center Foundation is pleased to offer this community service as a means of helping protect young brains. To learn more, visit: CenterFoundation.org/concussion-baseline-testing. 

About The Center Foundation 

The Center Foundation is celebrating 20 years of providing certified athletic trainers to Central Oregon high schools. Its high school sports medicine program serves more than 5,000 students at over 1,400 sporting events each year, managing injuries and concussions and educating young athletes on injury prevention. These services are provided at no cost to students or their families. Foundation programs also deliver brain and spinal cord injury prevention education in grade schools, free multi-sport helmets to children in need, and education seminars and conferences for healthcare professionals. Since 2000, The Center Foundation has been Central Oregon’s only nonprofit solely dedicated to providing sports medicine services as a means to ensure youth are safe, healthy, and protected in an active lifestyle. To learn more, visit www.centerfoundation.org.