Discovery Point Blog

August 20, 2019

Gwinnett Medical Center’s Concussion Care-A-Van Kicks Off 2019-2020 Sports Season

Starting this Friday, athletes and families in Gwinnett County and the surrounding areas will once again have the benefit of on-site concussion testing and concussion prevention education, thanks to the Gwinnett Medical Center’s Sports Medicine and Concussion Care-A-Van.

Discovery Point Child Development Centers, a major sponsor of this service from the start, will continue its support for the 2019-2020 sports seasons to help meet an important need in the community.

Launched in summer of 2017, the state-of-the-art mobile concussion care unit is the first of its kind. Equipped with the latest in concussion and sports medicine technology, it travels to sporting events, festivals, parks, child care centers and family events to provide baseline concussion testing. This aids in proper diagnosis and treatment in the event of a head injury, thereby reducing the long-term effects of concussion.

The Care-A-Van will also educate families about the signs and symptoms of concussion, prevention measures, when and where to seek treatment when an injury occurs, and how to safely return to school, work, or play after injury.

Care-A-Van staff can also provide basic first aid (band-aids or blister care) as well as extensive sports medicine treatment including injury evaluation, physical therapy, and cardiac emergency services.

Originally a mobile mammography center, the RV-sized vehicle was retrofitted to house 10-12 concussion baseline testing stations with laptop computers in a controlled environment that meets baseline testing standards. The tests are designed for athletes ages 12 – 59, but the Care-A-Van is also equipped with trained staff and iPads for pediatric baseline testing for younger athletes, ages 5 – 11. The rear portion of the Care-A-Van features a specially designed treatment room for examinations by a licensed athletic trainer on staff.

“We are tremendously proud to sponsor the Care-A-Van,” says Discovery Point president and CEO, Cliff Clark. “It is such a rare and unique project that I wanted to make this a public partnership and truly a joint effort between Discovery Point Franchising and the Gwinnett Medical Foundation. I felt it truly represents both my own personal interest in supporting the advancement of medical research and technology, and also Discovery Point’s commitment to the health and safety of the children in our community.”

Discovery Point’s contribution helped to expedite the completion of the vehicle’s renovation for launch – just nine months from start to finish.

The 2019 Care-A-Van schedule kicks off at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, GA on Friday, August 23^rd with the Cork Kell Classic — an annual Georgia high school football tradition. The remainder of the Care-A-Van’s fall season features additional stops at Gwinnett County high school football games, the Duluth Fall Festival in September, and more. There are also some exclusive events planned for Discovery Point center visits in the near future, as well.

Here is a list of the Care-A-Van’s current fall schedule:

08/23/2019: Corky Kell Classic, Coolray Field