American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Apr 01, 2014

AMSSM/NCAA Joint Pre-Conference to Address Best Policies and Care of the College Athlete
By AMSSM member David Feig, MD

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Brian Hainline, MD, chief medical officer for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), will be presenting “AMSSM/NCAA: Care of the College Athlete - Essentials for the Team Physician” alongside members of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) including Jonathan Drezner, MD, Lisa Barkley, MD, Cindy J. Chang, MD, John P. DiFiori, MD, Jonathan A. Drezner, MD and Kimberly G. Harmon, MD during a pre-conference lecture at the 2014 AMSSM Annual Meeting.

“This pre-conference is both a demand issue and an evolution of a great working relationship between AMSSM and the NCAA,” said Dr. Hainline. “AMSSM is hugely relevant to college team physicians and to helping advance best practices and policies in intercollegiate athletics. I see the NCAA as working side-by-side with AMSSM members to advance the cause of promoting and developing safety, excellence and wellness for all intercollegiate student-athletes.” With so many AMSSM conference lectures devoted to the care of the college athlete, he added that a close working relationship is essential to help jointly shape important policies and best practices going forward.

Dr. Drezner, coarse chair, has been instrumental in the development of electrocardiographic (ECG) interpretation in athletes known more commonly as the Seattle Criteria, and the expanded use of ECG to improve the cardiovascular care of athletes. “This workshop is part of a growing partnership between the NCAA and AMSSM to promote the health and safety of athletes,” Dr. Drezner said.

“Discussion about essentials for the team physician stemmed from the two-year multicenter NCAA ECG screening trial for which I am the principal investigator. After data showed the risk of sudden cardiac death in NCAA athletes was substantially higher than previously thought, the ECG study was the next step.”

A meeting between Dr. Drezner, Dr. Hainline and David Klossner, former director of NCAA Sports Science Institute, led to a broader discussion of the medical issues of the college athlete and the need for further education.

This course is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.

Held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, the meeting runs from Saturday, April 5 through Wednesday, April 9. Registration is required for admittance. Media interested in being credentialed for the 2014 AMSSM Annual Meeting or to schedule interviews with course faculty, contact Jessica Torres-Sosa, AMSSM Communications Manager, at [email protected]. Media guidelines: http://www.amssm.org/Content/pdf%20files/MediaRoom_Guidelines.pdf

About the AMSSM Annual Meeting: More than 1,400 sports medicine physicians from the United States and abroad come together to address advances and challenges in sports medicine through lectures and research. Learn more at https://www.amssm.org/ConferencesDetails.php?IDconf=58&Past=.

About the AMSSM: AMSSM is a multi-disciplinary organization of 2,500 sports medicine physicians dedicated to education, research, advocacy and the care of athletes of all ages. The majority of AMSSM members are primary care physicians with fellowship training and added qualification in sports medicine who then combine their practice of sports medicine with their primary specialty. AMSSM includes members who specialize solely in non-surgical sports medicine and serve as team physicians at the youth level, NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS and NHL, as well as with Olympic teams. By nature of their training and experience, sports medicine physicians are ideally suited to provide comprehensive medical care for athletes, sports teams or active individuals who are simply looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. www.amssm.org.

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