Local Concussion Expert Receives National Recognition for Making the Playing Field Safer for Kids
Gerard Gioia, PhD, of Children’s National Medical Center, receives Children’s Miracle Achievement Award
Washington, DC (Vocus) November 17, 2010
Children's Miracle Network, a charity that raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals across North America, honored concussion expert Gerard Gioia, PhD, as one of three caregivers of the year at its annual Celebration event Nov. 13 in Orlando, Fla. Dr. Gioia is a pediatric neuropsychologist and chief of the division of pediatric neuropsychology at Children’s National Medical Center, the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital for the metropolitan Washington, D. C., area.
NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young and Pam King Sams, executive vice president for development at Children’s National, presented Dr. Gioia with the award. Young then visited Dr. Gioia and other physicians at Children’s National on Monday, while in town for the Monday Night Football broadcast, to learn more about Dr. Gioia’s Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery and Education (SCORE) program..
“I am both honored and humbled to receive this award from the Children’s Miracle Network,” Dr. Gioia said. “It is critical that we all work together to better understand and treat brain injuries in our youth.”
Dr. Gioia’s mission is to improve the way concussions in youth are treated and help change the mindset among young athletes, parents, coaches, teachers, and physicians to define when it is safe to return to the field – and the classroom.
Roger Packer, MD, senior vice president of the Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine at Children’s National, said, “We are proud to have Dr. Gioia as a member of our Children’s National team. He is a relentless advocate for children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The energy and enthusiasm he brings gives real hope to families of children with TBI.”
Recently recognized for Dr. Gioia’s national and international expertise, Children’s National Medical Center was named the national lead center on mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) by the Sarah Jane Brain Project (SJBP), a national organization focusing on the prevention and treatment of all acquired brain injuries in children, the leading cause of death and disability among children, adolescents, and young adults. Concussions also make up between 80 and 90 percent of all brain injuries in the United States and account for more than 1,000,000 emergency room visits each year.
Contact Stacy Williams, 301-565-8523
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About Children’s National Medical Center
Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, has been serving the nation’s children since 1870. Home to Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is consistently ranked among the top pediatric hospitals by U. S.News & World Report and the Leapfrog Group. With 283 beds, more than 1,330 nurses, 550 physicians, and seven regional outpatient centers, Children’s National is the only exclusive provider of pediatric care in the Washington metropolitan area. Children’s National has been recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet® designated hospital, the highest level of recognition for nursing excellence that a medical center can achieve. For more information, visit http://www. ChildrensNational. org], receive the latest news from the Children's National press room, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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