When Do You Need to Call in a Concussion Specialist?

Once a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion is suspected by a family physician, school nurse, ER doctor, athletic trainer, EMT, or others, it’s imperative to refer the patient for evaluation. We need to quantify the degree of the concussion and possible neurological issues in order to prescribe the proper treatment and to provide proper school, sports, and work accommodations. Rapid diagnosis and prompt treatment are the keys to success with concussion care and management. Concussion centers, like MAC Alliance, staffed by specially-trained physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners use the most current and advanced concussion technologies and protocols.

What Does a Concussion Specialist Do?

Brain injuries create a range of symptoms that vary in intensity and affect multiple areas of brain function, including visual deficits, memory issues, processing speeds, balance deficits, emotional issues, etc. Often, a team of people with a range of expertise are involved in the treatment and management of concussion recovery. Concussion specialists oversee all of this on the patient’s behalf, in conjunction with the primary care physician.

Concussion specialists are medical providers skilled and trained in diagnosing and treating brain injuries from mild to severe. MAC Alliance provides the best care to our patients by using the latest technology and offers primary care, urgent care, school nurses, athletic providers, physical therapists, and other medical providers a partnership so that they can provide head injury patients:

Advanced tools for diagnosing and monitoring brain injuries
Recovery and therapy plans under the direction of a concussion specialist
Telemedicine options for follow-up appointments
A means to offer schools, athletic organizations, and senior living centers baseline testing programs

Will a Concussion Be Easily Diagnosed in the ER?

In the Emergency Room, it is often standard for head injury patients to get a CT scan and the general “follow my finger” test administered by a physician. While CT scans check for brain bleeding, they do not detect concussions. Further, while the follow my finger test is standard, there are several more precise and accurate tests concussion specialists conduct that not only detect but pinpoint the severity of concussions.

At MAC Alliance, we use the latest proven technology to diagnose, treat and monitor concussions and other TBIs. This includes:

The Benefits of Baseline Testing

Concussion specialists also provide proactive care for head injuries by offering baseline brain health screenings. Baseline testing allows providers to have a record of an individual’s healthy brain function when not injured. This is great for athletes and people involved in occupations or activities that increase the likelihood of concussion injuries. If an injury were to occur, baseline test results can be compared to the same person’s post-injury concussion for a more specialized recovery plan. MAC Alliance offers cutting-edge baseline screening technology , including Sway Balance System, ImPACT and Creyos Health testing options.

Why Join the Mid-Atlantic Concussion Alliance Network?

The MAC Alliance is a growing network of highly experienced doctors and medical professionals who expertly deal with concussions, from evaluation to treatment, including support and follow-up care. We utilize the very best non-invasive advanced concussion technology for assessment and baseline testing available in the United States. We have locations in Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Thanks to our robust telemedicine offerings, we are able to expand our geographic reach like never before.

MAC Alliance’s mission is to coalesce top specialists and medical providers in different fields to offer the best concussion care to patients. Being part of the MAC Alliance Network, affiliates are granted access to the latest concussion technologies, and assistance in treatment for head injuries. Our partners include:

Urgent Care and Walk-In Clinics
Physical Therapy Groups
Chiropractors
Athletic Trainers for Schools and Sports Organizations
Eye Care Specialists
Primary Care Offices
School Nurses

Benefits of joining MAC Alliance Network

Joining our network makes multiple state-of-the-art concussion technology affordable because the equipment and screening tests are available through the umbrella of the MAC Alliance Network. Other benefits include:

Being a part of MAC Alliance gives a practice a competitive edge, because it differentiates your facility from all the rest when patients look for experts in concussion care and the latest in diagnosis and treatment. The practice becomes the designated place to go for concussions, due to the ability to quickly access concussion specialists and utilize the latest concussion technology.
We provide support and training for your team so that they can quickly administer the concussion screenings to patients arriving with the possible concussions.
One singular environment for concussion testing, diagnosis, and treatment are significant in saving time for a concussion diagnosis. The longer a concussion goes undiagnosed and treated, the worse the symptoms and recovery are for the patient.

With over 2,000 medical professionals and athletic trainers in our network and growing, joining MAC Alliance can help increase the credibility of practices and clinics. We have become a leading force in concussion knowledge in the Mid-Atlantic region. If interested in joining the MAC Alliance Network contact us for more information.

Benefits for Medical Professionals and Eye Care Professionals

MAC alliance is perfect for medical professionals working in walk-ins, primary care, urgent care, assisted living or schools with limited space, resources, and time needed to dedicate to concussion recovery. MAC Alliance offers a solution. Whether as a referral system or providing access to our concussion tests on-site, MAC Alliance customizes plans with each of our affiliates to meet their needs in diagnosing and caring for their concussion patients.

Visual impairment and ocular motor stability are key indicators in a concussion injury. For eye care professionals, MAC Alliance can provide technology to test and diagnose visual impairments from a brain injury and track improvement by using RightEye technology. Also, every concussion patient diagnosed in our network is given a prescription for a complete eye exam to be sure that there is not retinal injury or prescription change caused by the brain injury.

In addition, since concussion injury is our sole focus, we can also assist in streamlining paperwork and insurance submission with our network affiliates.

Benefits for Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists

Athletic Trainers are first on the scene of on-the-field injuries. Physical Therapists frequently after accidents are the first to discover multiple injuries, including concussions. As often first responders for concussions, trainers and therapists are integral in concussion diagnosis and recovery.

Working with MAC Alliance, we can help create plans with trainers and therapists for athletes to return back to sports safely and as efficiently as possible. Due to MAC Alliance being a medical practice, we can offer prescription treatment options, referrals for vestibular and ocular therapy, as well as doctor’s notes if needed for the recovery.

MAC Brain Health Cart Brings MAC Alliance Experts to You

Monitoring brain health has never been more accessible than with MAC Brain Health Cart. MAC-Cart allows people to take brain monitoring tests to locations outside of concussion clinics, like sports clubs, schools, even the practice or playing field. MAC-Cart contains Sway Balance System, ImPACT, and CBS Health Assessment all on one portable wheeled device. The results of any of these tests can then be sent to one of our MAC Alliance specialists to interpret, and they then can come up with a personalized and comprehensive post-concussion recovery plan. This option can be offered to any group part of the MAC Alliance Network.