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Community Corner

Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus Offers Free Cardiac and Concussion Screenings through Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes

The Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes will provide free cardiac and concussion baseline screenings to young athletes on Sunday, August 24, 2014 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, located at 600 River Avenue in Lakewood.

Available to the first 130 young athletes who sign up, the cardiac screening is open to those 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 and older. 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. This program furthers Barnabas Health’s longstanding commitment to the health and well-being of children and young adults.

Screenings are free of charge and a parent or guardian is asked to be present. Registration is required. To register and schedule an appointment time, parents/guardians are asked to email teamlink@barnabashealth.org.

For more information about the Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes, visit www.barnabashealth.org/morahan or call 973.322.7913.

About Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus:
Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus is an acute-care community hospital located in Lakewood, Ocean County. A Barnabas Health facility, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus merged with Monmouth Medical Center, a teaching hospital located in Long Branch, Monmouth County, in 2014. The hospitals are dedicated to improving the health and well being of the communities they proudly serve through expanded access to specialty outpatient services that focus on preventive medicine and healthy living. The partnership has also expanded patients’ access to geriatric and pediatric emergency services, as well as outpatient neurology, oncology and geriatric services. Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus is in the process of converting to all private rooms, which will make it the only provider in the region with all private rooms for overnight stays.

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