Brain Awareness Week (or how to avoid Zombification from a concussion)

This week, be aware of your brain. Your delicious, delicious brain. Not only are they great for feeding your zombies, the gooey center in all of our skulls are extremely important! Here's our own Dr. Ratner weighing in on why concussion baseline screenings are so important:

It is amazing that we are generally so unaware of the organ that does the most for us. Here at Impact we value your brain! Well, most of your brain, anyway. One of the best things you can do as a teenager who is involved with sports is to get a baseline concussion screening. We do not charge for this test. It involves playing a computer game for about 25 minutes. There are no needles, no radiation, or tubes to be stuffed into your nose.  If you ever sustain a head injury or concussion, we repeat the test post-injury and the results help us to determine when it is safe to return to normal activity.

We know so much more about this subject than we did ten years ago. I compare it to seat belts. There was a time when seat belts were not used, but at some point we learned that without a doubt they save lives. It was not easy to convince some people, but now the majority of Americans believe it and wear seat belts. It won’t be long before the same type of paradigm shift occurs when it comes to concussion awareness and management.

So come on by either location, any day between 8AM-8PM for your baseline concussion screening BEFORE you get hurt. That way if you should have a head injury, we can make sure you're back to normal before  you run off into another potential head-bashing opportunity.

Concussions

by Dr. Evan Ratner M.D.

The topic of concussions in athletes has really been in the spotlight recently. There have been multiple stories on the local and national news, newspapers, and the most recent cover of Sports Illustrated.

From the NFL to the NCAA  to the UIL recognition of this all to common injury has come to the forefront of our awareness.  We have successfully managed  athletes who have sustained concussions over the past several months.

Some athletes have been cleared to return to play earlier than expected, and some have required a longer recuperation period.  By recognizing and properly managing concussion syndromes we hope to prevent the long term effects of repetitive, cumulative head injuries.

Impact Urgent Care has become a leader in neurocognitive testing for concussion management in San Antonio.

Although football may be the most widely recognized high risk sport, there are other high risk sports including soccer, cheerleading, lacrosse, basketball, baseball and bicycling. The optimal management includes obtaining a baseline study on any athlete at risk for head injury. If an injury occurs than those baseline results can be compared to a post - injury test to optimize the management of that injury.        

 The baseline study takes about 30 minutes and costs  no more than 10 dollars. A small investment of time and money can really make a difference when it comes to caring for concussions.

Gina

Gina is a fantastic LVN who works mainly at our Woodlake location. She’s smart, bubbly and a great nurse. When her three teenage children are grown and gone, her ambition is to become an RN and travel the world nursing.

How did you get started in medicine?

When I was little, we had family friends who my mom took me to when I needed to see a doctor. I remember being a little girl and being allowed to run around the office and see what everyone did. Later, I was working at the registration desk at University Hospital and I was intrigued by everything the doctors and nurses were doing.

What was your first impression of IUC?

It looked very high tech and very up to date. Everybody was very friendly and family oriented. There were lots of smiles and people welcoming me.

How is IUC different from other places you’re worked?

I came from working at the county urgent care clinic, where we saw a more diverse group of people. IUC is different because although we don’t turn people away, it’s a private practice and so there’s a less diverse patient base; it’s just the way private practice is. I’ve worked at private urgent care centers before and it’s like that at every one.

Has anything surprised you about working at IUC?

The family orientation that everyone has here. At the bigger places, you don’t really have the chance to get together. Here, it’s a small private practice, and everyone works together to get everything done.

What do you wish other people knew about being a nurse?

I think that sometimes people fail to see everything nurses do. A lot of people think the doctors are the most important because they diagnose, but what they don’t see is the nurse is the person behind the doctor who gathers the information and tells the doctor what’s going on. The nurse sees the patient first and gets the information for the doctor, then the doctor puts it all together and the nurse implements the doctor’s orders. People tend to miss everything the nurses do.

What are some of your strongest beliefs about being a nurse?

The patient always comes first, no matter what. A lot of nurses tend to judge even though we’re not supposed to. Regardless of your personal beliefs, you have to put them aside to help the patient. The patient is always right, even if you personally don’t agree with them.

What do people usually ask you when they find out you’re a nurse?

“Wow, I didn’t know that! Have you ever encountered....?” Then I start to get calls: “I feel like this; what do you think?”

What would you tell someone who’s thinking about becoming a nurse?

It’s tough. There are a lot of politics involved and you have to be a strong person and ready to encounter different situations. You have to be able to put your personal beliefs aside to treat the patient correctly regardless of who they are and what they believe. You’re not always going to agree with the patient’s beliefs but that’s not your call. You’re there to heal their body.

How do you think IUC will change over the next few years?

I think it’ll become bigger. Over time, as more and more people find out about us, more and more keep coming because they’re satisfied with their treatment. I’m actually anxious to see us get bigger. I think we’ll be able to keep our family orientation because Dr. and Mrs. Ratner are so family oriented they’ll work hard to keep it that way; to make sure we’re still a family and we all stick together.

How would your coworkers describe you?

I think they’d say I’m caring, hardworking and a little crazy!

Have you learned anything new working at IUC?

Working as close to each other as we do there will always be disagreements and bickering but in the end we all stick together and treat the patients. Whatever our issues are with each other we put that aside and focus on the patients.

What do you think of our core values of Honesty, Respect, Teamwork, Integrity and Service?

I think our core values are very important. I see them every day; all our employees embody our core values.

What might we be surprised to find out about you?

When I come to work I’m outgoing but I keep quieter than I am outside of work. It’s work; you can’t come here and be all crazy and wild. Outside of work I can get a little crazy. I love to have fun, laugh, have a good time. Other than that I pretty much keep everything on my sleeve.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about IUC?

I’m really glad I have the chance to work with Impact. I think Dr. and Mrs. Ratner and all the staff are wonderful; their work ethics are beautiful because they care about each other and all the patients.