NCAA Student Athlete Mental Health Week, Hilinski's Hope, and Concussion Care Advances

I'm proud of UT. Five years ago they were one of the first schools "in" and on Saturday night, with H3H stickers on their helmets, they dispatched the Florida gators. Tennessee is called the Volunteers for a reason. Just ask Texas about the Alamo and Hilinski's Hope too.

Mark and Kym Hilinski began this crusade with ten teams participating. Especially then, talking mental health carried a stigma, a weakness, especially amongst athletes who are supposed to be our super heroes. But last week 250+ colleges and universities joined them. Someone had to lead the charge to break down the walls stigma built. . . Meet the Hilinski's.

I hurt for Mark & Kym last week. It is the time of year when college football pauses, wears H3H stickers on their helmets, and together raise 3 fingers in the air.? You see, Tyler wore #3.

ESPN, an ESPY, Sports Illustrated, and media across the country tell the story. Tyler played quarterback at WSU under coach Mike Leach. Then on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, a sweet kid who was deeply loved took his life and it shook the college football world to its core.

His autopsy at Mayo Clinic confirmed that he suffered with CTE, a brain disease created by blows to your head. Evidently, Tyler's brain began to lie to him and told him it was time to go. Since then the story has repeated itself in high schools, colleges, and in the pros across the country. Each time, tragic to a family.

My friends and family know I just hate Good Friday. I feel like I should be on a mountaintop alone with my sadness and wait. . . Friday's only good because Sunday's coming.

Mark and Kym are different. They publicly live their lives ripping off the most painful scab ever created to bring awareness to a crisis that is hard for others to see. Its even hard me for to watch from a safe distance.

How did this happen? Tyler had the same concussion protocols and concussion care that every one else did who played contact sports.

Everyone responds differently to brain injuries and studies show that concussions often go undiagnosed. The athlete returns to practice, play, exams, and a social life with a brain that is still hurting inside. It is scary but potential to slip into a cascade of falling grades, crumbling social networks, depression, or worse exist. . .

But somehow the brain, our body's most sensitive organ, is the only body part where the injury does not follow the same medical treatment pattern set for the rest of our body.

• You break your arm? - Kids see the team doctor, an orthopedist.
• You tear your ACL? - Kids see the team doctor, an orthopedist or sports medicine.
• Have a cardiac event? (Like my son did.) - Kids see a cardiologist.
• Break a tooth? - Kids see a dentist.
• Experience a vision problem? - Kids see an optometrist.
• Have a brain injury? - Kids see the team doctors? WT. . . ?

Team doctors and their team provide GREAT value! They are the vital triage unit. When my son had a cardiac event on a football field, having someone there was important beyond words. But, went to the ER and then to a CARDIOLOGIST, because it was his HEART.

A concussion a brain injury! Can we please stop calling it a head injury as it hides the truth! The human head is 22 connected bones designed to protect your brain and NPG believes the Brain deserves the same attention a Heart, torn ACL, or a broken Tooth does! And the answer of, "We have always done it this way." no longer works.

NPG provides brain specialist, neurosurgeons and neurologist, neuro specialty technologies, and an affordable, accessible, clinic for the athlete and families in the Knoxville, TN. But we did not come this far, just to go this far. We will expand.

However, unexpected barriers as real as the one stigmas that hide mental health issues had built stand in the way. The existing "business" of concussion care had moats, drawbridges, and guards at the gate to protect it from uninvited guests. Most AT's at schools are paid by the team doctors and the concussions are funneled to the groups, not brain specialist.

• 100% of the time the school principals and athletic directors are excited about NPG when they learn about us and are forwarded to team doctors.
• 100% of the time, silence. The gatekeepers keep the drawbridge up and information never reaches the parents, the decision makers. (Feels a lot like the media.)
• 100% of the time parents want NPG to care for their child when they learn of us. Pardon the pun but it's a "no brainer". Unlike concussions, the medical and financial logic is easy to see.
• We have cared for cheerleaders, club soccer, lacrosse players, etc whose families searched for help. That said, at that time, it cost families more than it had to.

NPG's comprehensive concussion program? For $35.00 a year NPG provides:

• $25,000 concussion insurance by Mutual of Omaha that covers all expenses for a year. ($0 deductible, $0 copay, and zero out of network) Parents can use it anywhere they want and it is not exclusive to NPG.
• Baseline screening, at-home resources, and telemedicine
• Quick access to the NPG Concussion ClinicAccess to brain specialists, therapists, and care network.
• Access to some of the most cutting edge patient care technologies in the world today
• Yes, I said $35.00 a year. (About one co-pay)
• NPG's brain specialist at every step of the way - Priceless

*** Athletes can choose to have a non-invasive baseline EEG for just $300.00, about 1/2 the cost of the national average. In our opinion, a baseline EEG is the Gold Standard for brain injuries and the insurance pays for the post concussion tests for comparison. That said, the offer above is a major advancement in concussion care. Contact me with any questions.

-m