Blog

Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine Expert Offers Five Tips for Parents on Preventing Their Children’s Sports Injuries

Newswise — NEW YORK (April 28, 2011) — With spring here and summer on the way, children are back on the field and ready to score one for the team. Unfortunately, this also means more opportunities for injury, from simple twisted ankles to serious concussions.

Approximately 2 million high school athletes are injured every year, with 500,000 needing doctor’s visits and 30,000 needing hospitalization. Sports are a major cause of traumatic brain injury, with 21 percent of these injuries happening as a result of sports or other recreational activities.

There are several easy steps parents can take to prevent sports-related injuries, says Dr. William N. Levine, an orthopedic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, head team physician for Columbia University, and vice chairman of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Levine was recently nominated for a three-year term as chair of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention (STOP) campaign sports injuries steering committee. Dr. Levine says, “The goals of this campaign are to bring awareness of overuse injuries in youth athletes to coaches, parents, and to the kids themselves. I am looking forward to chairing this national campaign.

“While some sports, like football and baseball, see more injuries than, for example, basketball and softball, there is always risk for injury,” says Dr. Levine. “The best way to prevent an injury is to listen to your child and get involved in their sports activities. And, when they get injured, make sure they get the medical attention they need.”

The following are Dr. Levine’s five tips for parents on how they can prevent, identify and help their children recover from sports injuries:

1. Easing In. When children start their sports after a break they should increase their exertion gradually. Encourage them to take it easy at first. And remind them that every time they exercise, they should take time to warm up and stretch.

2. Proper Equipment. Having the necessary and proper-fitting equipment is crucial, especially for high-impact sports like football and baseball. Make sure your children wear their protective gear not just on game day. An estimated 62 percent of sports injuries happen during practice.

3. Training and Technique. Whether they’re a pitcher or shortstop or left fielder, using proper technique, and having the necessary fitness level, are essential to preventing injury. This means having the right coach and getting the necessary practice.

4. Warning Signs. Not all injuries are obvious. Some come on slowly after weeks or months of repetitive stress. Signs of injury include limping, poor sleep, shortness of breath, headaches and joint/muscle stiffness. Another warning sign is when children suddenly start complaining about their sports. Make sure to ask them what the problem is, says Dr. Levine, and make an appointment with a sports medicine specialist if their symptoms persist.
5. Getting Better. When children are recovering from an injury, make sure they take the time to heal — no matter how eager they are to get back in the game. Remind them that a full recovery is better for their team and their own future prospects. In addition, there are long-term health consequences of untreated injury, including arthritis.

For more information, the STOP website — stopsportsinjuries.org — offers specific advice for 21 sports and recreational activities, from baseball to wrestling. In addition, patients may call (866) NYP-NEWS.

Dr. William N. Levine
Dr. William N. Levine specializes in shoulder and elbow surgery, sports medicine, and arthroscopy of all joints, and arthroscopic and reconstructive knee surgery. He is a former tennis professional and high school state champion. He received his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and received fellowship training at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and the University of Maryland. He completed his residency training at New England Medical Center/Tufts University Medical School and an internship at Beth Israel Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, located in New York City, offers the best available care in every area of pediatrics — including the most complex neonatal and critical care, and all areas of pediatric subspecialties — in a family-friendly and technologically advanced setting. Building a reputation for more than a century as one of the nation’s premier children’s hospitals, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital is affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and is Manhattan’s only hospital dedicated solely to the care of children and one of the largest providers of children’s health services in the tri-state area with a long-standing commitment to its community. It is also a major international referral center, meeting the special needs of children from infancy through adolescence worldwide. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.

May 3 (Westlaw Journals) –  New York workers’ compensation laws bar claims brought by the families of two flight attendants killed in the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Buffalo, flight operator Colgan Air says.

In a motion and memorandum filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, Colgan Air contends that the state’s workers’ compensation statutes prohibit the claims brought against it on behalf of the flight attendants.

The litigation stems from the February 2009 crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 operated by Colgan.  The Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 plane was en route from Newark, N.J., to Buffalo.

As the aircraft approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport in icy conditions, the flight crew lost control of the plane.  The resulting crash killed everyone on board.

The lawsuits, which focus on the aircraft’s allegedly ineffective deicing equipment, allege Continental and Colgan negligently and recklessly operated and monitored the flight and allowed it to fly in hazardous weather.

Neil J. Prisco Jr. filed a wrongful-death action over the death of his wife, Donna, and Salvatore Poidomani filed a separate action over the death of his sister Matilda Quintero.

Both plaintiffs allege Colgan Air was negligent, careless, reckless and engaged in willful and wanton conduct.

Seeking dismissal, Colgan Air notes that neither complaint alleges the airline acted with intent to cause the flight attendants’ deaths.

The applicable workers’ compensation laws bar employees from pursuing claims against their employer unless the injury arose from an intentional wrong, the airline argues.

“A plaintiff can establish that a defendant committed an intentional wrong only by showing that the defendant either had an ‘actual intent’ or ‘subjective desire’ to injure,” the defendant says.

Because the plaintiffs make no such allegation, Colgan Air says it should be dismissed from the suits.

In re Air Crash Near Clarence Center, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2009, No. 1:09-mc-02085, memo and motion to dismissfiled (W.D.N.Y. Apr. 8, 2011).

NEW YORK—A state appellate court has upheld the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board’s authority to assess financially healthy group self-insured trusts to pay for the liabilities of defaulted groups.

Last week’s decision by the 3rd Judicial Department of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division in William Held Jr. vs. State of New York Workers’ Compensation Board stemmed from a 2008 lawsuit filed by self-insured group trusts, the ruling states.

They challenged the constitutionality of annual assessments imposed on them by the board.

Among other arguments, the plaintiffs contended that a workers comp law authorizing the board to assess all private self-insured employers when it is determined that an insolvent, self-insured employer may not meet its claims obligations does not apply to them. They argued the law does not apply to them because, as groups, they are not employers.

They also argued that the assessments amounted to an “unconstitutional taking.”

While a trial court agreed with the group trusts last year, the state appellate court disagreed. “There is no dispute that plaintiffs are self-insurers,” the appellate court ruled.

“The amounts of the assessments may have been unanticipated, but it cannot be said that their economic effect on plaintiffs rises to the level of a taking,” the court ruled. “While plaintiffs may be deprived of substantial amounts of money to pay the assessments, their liability is not made in a vacuum and directly depends on their proportional role in the self-insurance program and the workers compensation system.”

New York’s group self-insured trusts have faced a financial crisis since 2006. Since then, several have closed voluntarily while others became insolvent.

Utilization Review Software for Workers’ Compensation Will Integrate Reed Group’s MDGuidelines With New York Treatment Guidelines & ACOEM portion of California MTUS Guidelines

DecisionUR (DUR) announced today that its web-based workers’ compensation utilization review software will now include the New York Treatment Guidelines as well as the ACOEM portion of the California MTUS treatment guidelines.

DecisionUR will integrate Reed Group’s MDGuidelines With New York Treatment Guidelines, which contains both proprietary licensed content from ACOEM (American College of Environmental and Occupational Medicine) as well as Reed Group’s proprietary data crosswalks that allow navigation of the New York Guidelines by CPT (medical procedure) and ICD (diagnostic) codes. DUR also will incorporate the ACOEM content of the California MTUS.

Reed Group’s MDGuidelines navigation software is used by the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board and is the only product on the market that is licensed to distribute the ACOEM portion of the New York Treatment Guidelines.

DecisionUR’s software “pre-scrubs” workers’ compensation claims to ensure they qualify with medical treatment guidelines. By automating the application of specific, proven medical protocols, DUR is a highly effective cost-containment tool, offering users flexible pricing by transaction or licensing.

“Integrating MDGuidelines With New York Treatment Guidelines makes DecisionUR the must-have utilization product for anyone working in the New York workers’ comp industry,” says DecisionUR Medical Director Lester Sacks, MD. “Reed Group’s MDGuidelines makes it easy to navigate the New York Treatment Guidelines and ACOEM content for MTUS. We’re very pleased to offer the power of their content and search tools to our customers.”

“DecisionUR is an essential tool for the cost-effective adoption of state guidelines,” says Jon Seymour, MD, president, guidelines, for Reed Group. “We’re excited to offer integration of MDGuidelines with DUR’s excellent software and, thereby, make adoption of state treatment guidelines easier for all workers’ comp stakeholders.”

DecisionUR’s software is used by payors, providers, third-party administrators (TPAs) independent review organizations (IRAs), utilization review organizations (URAs) and other stakeholders throughout the workers’ compensation industry.

For more information, please visit http://www.DecisionUR.com.

About DecisionUR
DecisionUR is a web-based utilization review platform with API connections and is HIPAA compliant. The software’s flexibility allows connectivity with billling review companies and is robust for managing the automated review process built around ICD diagnostic coding and CPT procedural coding. The software allows individual client protocols and jurisdictional compliance. More information at http://www.decisionUR.com.

About Reed Group®
Reed Group® is the world’s most trusted source of return-to-work information, helping companies improve employee absence outcomes. Reed Group’s data, tools, customized solutions, and case management services help reduce absence incidence and duration, and get employees back to normal, healthy lives and full productivity. Reed Group is headquartered in Westminster, Colorado. More information at http://www.reedgroup.com and http://www.mdguidelines.com.

(AP) – 2 days ago

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has dismissed a former TV news staffer’s pioneering lawsuit over bedbug bites she got at her New York City office.

Jane Clark’s lawyer said Friday she planned to appeal the ruling.

Clark says bedbug bites at work forced her to leave her Fox News job in 2008. The company’s exterminators found that the bugs were coming from another former employee’s infested apartment.

Clark sued the building’s landlord, among others, though not Fox.

A judge ruled last week that Fox News “took extraordinary measures” to fight the bugs, and building owners and managers couldn’t have done more.

The landlord’s lawyer and a spokeswoman for Fox parent News Corp. didn’t immediately return calls Friday seeking comment.

The judge said the case apparently marked the first time a worker sued an employer’s landlord over bedbugs.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.