Inova to Provide all Loudoun County Public School Athletes with Free Baseline Concussion Tests – First in the Area

Falls Church, VA – Inova is proud to support the Loudoun County community by providing every Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) high school student-athlete with a baseline concussion test for the 2023-24 school year. All 14,000 student-athletes will be given free neurocognitive baseline testing prior to activities. The ultimate goal is improving concussion management for the student-athletes of LCPS.

Baseline concussion testing is designed to assess a student-athlete’s cognitive function through a  pre-season cognitive test on a computer. If a student-athlete sustains a concussion, this “snapshot” of cognitive performance can be compared to that person’s post-injury cognitive test scores, rather than normative data, to better determine improvement and/or deterioration during recovery.

Since 2016, members of the Inova Concussion Program have been at the forefront of research both locally and nationally. The program currently boasts the largest clinical patient research registry in the country. Current research projects are investigating the efficacy of targeted treatments, the use of mobile technology in concussion recovery, and the long-term effects of concussions on youth athletes.  

“This initiative will improve concussion care along the entire patient journey, and help improve outcomes in the long run,” says Melissa Womble, PhD, Co-Director of Inova’s Concussion Program. “We frequently observe, and our research supports, that student-athletes with undetected concussions continue to play, delay clinical care, and are prescribed antiquated management recommendations, ultimately experiencing worse recovery outcomes. The primary goal for Inova in this partnership is to ensure student-athletes get appropriate care and can get back to doing the sport they love as quickly as possible.”

This partnership will allow the Inova Concussion Program to work directly with LCPS to enhance concussion care at every point of the injury. It will be accomplished through improving knowledge, recognition, pre-season care, and post-injury care in our LCPS community.

“We are extremely grateful to Inova for their dedication to our student-athletes,” states Derek Farrey, LCPS Assistant Director of Athletics and Extracurriculars. “Their expertise will help every high school athlete in the LCPS system, including, for the first time, non-contact athletes in sports who are also susceptible to concussions, to obtain baseline concussion testing before their respective seasons.”

The entire community is invited to attend a webinar on concussion aimed at all middle and high school-aged athletes and their families on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Click here for details.

Media Contact: Tracy Connell, tracy.connell@inova.org

About Inova

Inova is Northern Virginia’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider. Our mission is to provide world-class healthcare – every time, every touch – to each person in every community we have the privilege to serve. Inova’s 20,000 team members provide more than 2 million patient visits each year through an integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes. 

Inova’s five hospitals are consistently recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals and Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for excellence in healthcare.

Inova is home to Northern Virginia’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Its hospitals have a total of 1,936 licensed beds. More information about Inova can be found at inova.org.