Newswise — July 1, 2014 – Neptune, NJ – The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in conjunction with the Congressional Kids’ Safety Caucus and Safe Kids Worldwide, co-sponsored a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on June 25 entitled Tackling Sports Injuries in Young Athletes: On the Field, In the Emergency Rooms, and in the Home District. The briefing hosted numerous youth safety experts, including Stephen Rice, M.D., Ph.D., director of Sports Medicine and program director, Pediatric Sports Medicine Fellowship, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Dr. Rice is also a member of the AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness.
United States Representative John Runyan (R-NJ) and Grace Meng (D-NY) of the Congressional Kids’ Safety Caucus delivered the opening statements at the briefing, and stressed the importance of youth athletics, and the need to keep kids safe while participating in sports.
The panel, including Dr. Rice, a noted national expert on sports medicine, addressed a wide variety of sports medicine issue. Dr. Rice’s presentation focused on topics such as concussion, overuse injuries, the increasing frequency of ACL tears in youth, heat related illness and sports first aid.
Dr. Rice comments, “It’s important that our lawmakers in Washington DC are focused on the growing field of sports medicine. With more kids involved in competitive sports than ever, and an increase in the amount of sports-related pediatric injuries, these discussions deserve the national recognition they are getting, and I applaud Safe Kids Worldwide, the Congressional Kids' Safety Caucus and the AAP for hosting the Congressional hearing.”
About Jersey Shore University Medical Center:
Jersey Shore University Medical Center, a member of the Meridian Health family, is a not-for-profit teaching hospital and home to K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital – the first children’s hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Jersey Shore is the regional provider of cardiac surgery, a program which has been ranked among the best in the Northeast, and is home to the only trauma center and stroke rescue center in the region. Through the hospital’s clinical research program, and its affiliation with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Jersey Shore serves as an academic center dedicated to advancing medical knowledge, training future physicians and providing the community with access to promising medical breakthroughs. For more information about Jersey Shore University Medical Center call 1-800-DOCTORS, or visit www.JerseyShoreUniversityMedicalCenter.com.
About K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center: K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center is the first and most comprehensive provider of pediatric care in Monmouth and Ocean counties. At the heart of Meridian Pediatric Network, the hospital includes a pediatric emergency department and acute care units supported by over 100 pediatric sub-specialists working together with community pediatricians to deliver the most complete, most coordinated care for kids in our communities. Whether it’s complex surgery or treatment for a chronic condition, the team of physicians, nurses and caregivers at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital treats each child as one of their own in a friendly and convenient setting, close to home. For more information about K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, call 1-800-DOCTORS, or visit www.khovnanianchildrenshospital.com.
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