Congresswoman Beatty Meets with NCAA Chief Medical Officer
Congresswoman Beatty Meets with NCAA Chief Medical Officer
Beatty applauds effort to reduce concussion injuries
COLUMBUS, OH – Yesterday, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Hainline, The Ohio State University’s (OSU) coaching staff, and OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith to discuss new guidelines on player safety issued by the NCAA.
“This is a critical development. Yesterday’s meeting is a clear indication that the state of play of collegiate athletics is changing and that the health of student-athletes is being reevaluated across the board,” said Beatty. “I am glad to see the NCAA starting to address concussion injuries among players. The new focus parallels much of what I have been advocating for in Congress.”
The Health and Safety Update for OSU’s Coaching Staff at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center detailed the ongoing work of the NCAA on student-athlete “health and well-being.” On July 8, 2014, the NCAA and the College Athletic Trainers’ Society released three inter-association guidelines that address: 1) independent medical care for college student-athletes; 2) diagnosis and management of sports-related concussions; 3) and year-round football practice contact. These guidelines were introduced in advance of the preseason football activities so that teams would have an opportunity to evaluate the recommendations and adjust protocols accordingly.
In January 2014, Rep. Beatty introduced the Concussion Awareness and Education Act, H.R. 3954, to highlight the need for nationwide attention on this issue. H.R. 3954 would require the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense to conduct systemic research and formulate recommendations to address key components on the treatment, surveillance and prevention of concussion injuries. She is also the lead Democrat on the National Collegiate Athletics Accountability Act, H.R. 2903, that would require annual baseline concussion testing of certain collegiate athletes in addition to providing student aid assurances to student athletes who become injured and unable to play. To educate Members of Congress and their staffs, Rep. Beatty and Rep. Dent (PA-15) on November 20, 2013, held a bi-partisan Congressional briefing on the effects of concussion injuries on student athletes which featured prominent doctors and researchers, from the National Institutes of Health, world-renowned facilities, as well as Member of Congress who were former student athletes.
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