Innovative program offered by Wells Fargo Insurance Services and ImPACT protects athletes
The Jesuit Jr. Marauders football program of Sacramento, California has taken steps to further protect its athletes by implementing the Play It Safe Concussion CareSM program. Wells Fargo Insurance Services and ImPACT Applications joined forces to develop this new concussion management treatment that provides concussion medical expense benefits to athletes who sustain a traumatic brain injury. The program also offers education, neurocognitive testing, access to medical professionals who are credentialed ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) consultants, and excess insurance coverage to protect the financial well-being of athletes and their families.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate more than 38 million youths ages 5 – 18 participate in organized youth sports in the United States1. The CDC also cites concussions as one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreation activities, with nearly half a million emergency room visits made each year by youths treated for traumatic brain injury2.
The short and long-term health impact of sports-related concussions is the focus of increasing scrutiny, including recent medical and equipment studies on players both at the professional and youth sports levels.
"The health and safety of our kids is at the core of our program," said Scott Brownholtz, president of Jesuit Junior Marauders. "When we learned about the Play It Safe solution and the opportunities and benefits it offered, it was an obvious fit for our program and values. Wells Fargo's involvement made it possible to offer this benefit to our families and we are excited to be one of the first youth sports teams in California to utilize this solution."
Concussions can occur in any organized or unorganized sport or recreational activity. However, the risk is greatest in athletic environments where collisions are common, including football, hockey, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, and cheerleading. Coaches and staff play an important role in educating athletes and parents on sports related concussions and offering solutions for safe return to play.
"With the Play it Safe Concussion Care solution, the Jesuit Jr. Marauders can now administer a series of pre-season baseline tests to their players and offer an insurance policy that includes access to a concussion care specialist post injury," said John Breckenridge, senior vice president of Wells Fargo Insurance Services. "We are excited to work with the Jesuit Jr. Marauders to help them provide players with access to similar protections and protocols afforded to the NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball."
About Wells Fargo Insurance Services Student Insurance Division
Wells Fargo Insurance Services is the fifth largest insurance brokerage in the world and the largest bank-owned insurance brokerage in the U.S. (Business Insurance, 2009) with more than 200 offices in 37 states. Its 7,000 insurance professionals place more than $16 billion of risk premiums with experience in property, casualty, benefits, international, personal lines, and life products. Insurance products are offered through non-bank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies. Well Fargo Insurance Services' Student Insurance Division has over 20 years of experience in designing student insurance solutions and program administration.
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com and wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. With approximately 275,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in America. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 23 on Fortune's 2011 rankings of America's largest corporations. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy all our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially.
About ImPACT
ImPACT is an independently validated and researched concussion-evaluation system that, over its 15-year history, has become the most widely used and scientifically accepted in the United States. This comprehensive, computerized approach is the standard adopted across the NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, the Indianapolis Racing League, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team, college and high-school athletics with roughly 2 million people tested. ImPACT follows a traditional, responsible, medically-based program involving clinics and hospitals as well as certified athletic trainers, nurses, doctors and other medical professionals trained in concussion evaluation and management -- with ImPACT providing a portion of that training and consultation. It is the leader in neurocognitive testing, which an international panel of sports-medicine experts recently called the "cornerstone" of proper concussion management.
1 CDC 2007-2008 Activity Report
2 Traumatic Brain Injury in the U.S.: Emergency Department Visits – Report by National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Contacts:
Media
Wells Fargo & Company
Katie Ellis,
415-222-3767
