Local concussion expert receives national recognition for making the playing field safer for kids
November 16, 2010
Washington, D.C. – 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
*Photos & Video Available Upon Request*
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 www.ChildrensNational.org, receive the latest news
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