LONG BRANCH – The Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes will be providing free screenings to youth athletes 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 7 at Monmouth Medical Center, 300 Second Ave.
Similar screens were recently offered to students at Red Bank Regional High School.
Available to the first 150 who sign up, the cardiac screening is open to young adults ages 6 to 18. When preliminary testing to identify serious cardiac problems is provided to young athletes, sudden cardiac arrest and tragic deaths may be avoided. Nearly 90 percent of sudden cardiac deaths in young athletes occur during or after athletic activities, and hidden heart conditions are often the cause. Cardiac screening will help to identify players who may require further testing or intervention.
The concussion baseline screening, available to the first 80 who sign up, is for young athletes ages 12 to 18. Having a concussion baseline study (ImPACT) for a young athlete can help identify issues in the future. If an athlete is believed to have suffered a head injury, this screening test may be used to evaluate the severity of the head injury and determine when it is safe to return to play.
The Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes provides education, evaluation and assessment of sports injury and sports-related cardiac and concussion screenings. Barnabas Health serves and cares for more pediatric patients than any other health care organization in New Jersey.
Screenings are free of charge; a parent or guardian is asked to be present.
Registration for the screens is available by having parents or guardians call 1-888-724-7123.
Additional information about the Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes is available by visiting www.barnabashealth.org/morahan or calling 973-322-7913.
