Neuropsychologist from EDH tapped for concussion panel

A neuropsychologist with Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center has been named to a federal government panel of experts that seeks to improve the health of youths with traumatic brain injury.

Catherine Broomand, PhD, ABPP-CN, is one of 58 members who serve on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Workgroup to Improve Clinical Care of Youth with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

According to the CDC, appropriate diagnosis and management of children and teens with mild TBI, including concussion, can help safeguard the health of young Americans. While clinical guidelines are available for adults with mild TBI, there is no current U.S. guideline to help clinicians care for children and teens with mild TBI.

The panel, which held its first meeting over the summer, will develop clinical diagnosis and management guidelines for acute mild TBI among children and teens that occur both on and off the sports field. Comprised of leading experts in the field of TBI, the workgroup will create a multi-organizationally endorsed guideline within an 18-24 month timeframe, according to the CDC.

Broomand, an El Dorado Hills resident, is an expert in the area of youth concussions. She is the director of Kaiser Permanente’s Roseville-based Youth Sports Concussion Program and president of the Sacramento Valley Concussion Care Consortium.

“It’s an honor to be part of this workgroup comprised of national experts because we’re all trying to improve the health of young athletes, which is a critical issue,” Broomand said. “Through my participation on this panel, I hope to build upon and extend the work I am doing locally within Kaiser Permanente and for the Sacramento Valley Concussion Care Consortium.”

She added: “I want kids to continue to participate in the activities that they love, but in a way that we, as parents, can feel more secure about their safety. We will not prevent concussions from happening, but we can help to ensure a better outcome through proper management.”

Kaiser Permanente is also a partner of the CDC’s Heads Up Northern California concussion-awareness program.