Corpus Christi, TX, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Toyota presented Driscoll with a $525,000 check on Thursday to improve access to concussion care in local schools.
The grant will create Driscoll’s Heads Up: Concussion Care for Kids Program at London ISD. The new concussion care program is made possible by a grant from Toyota’s Way Forward Fund, an initiative to support people impacted by significant injuries, starting with a focus on children recovering from traumatic brain injury.
The funds were delivered at a check presentation conference in Robstown at Mike Shaw Toyota where Driscoll and Toyota leadership praised the investment and its direct impact on kids.
“My career started off as a pediatric anesthesiologist and then intensive care physician. So, I’ve seen a lot over my forty-year career,” said Driscoll Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Mary Dale Peterson, “… the saddest things I did see in our ICUs and ORs were preventable injury and illness. Today is a celebration because we’re doing something about it. Amen.”
“As a mobility company, our goal is a society where no one is held back from reaching opportunity and fulfilling their potential,” said Sandra Phillips, senior vice president, Enterprise Integrity, Toyota Motor North America. “Just as dealers are connectors in their communities, the Way Forward Fund is a connector, bringing together in the field of TBI—medical, technological, academic and societal. We know no one person has all the answers, but working together we can make a difference.”
Through the grant, the sports medicine program at Driscoll will:
- Support a Sports Medicine Trainer specializing in concussion management to work within
London ISD
- Invest in advanced technology to better conduct concussion assessments and treatments
- Provide essential concussion education and training to coaches, nurses, students, and parents
The Concussion Care program is expected to impact 300 student-athletes at London ISD, along with their parents, the coaches, nurses, student athletic trainers, and teachers.
Following its initial success, phase two of the program will expand to other school districts, further increasing access to care for students across the community. As part of the program, specialized training will empower school staff and families to make informed decisions about an athlete’s health, ensuring that student safety remains the top priority both on and off the field.
A portion of the grant will also be allocated to the purchase of advanced technology, including two new devices designed to conduct thorough concussion assessments and aid in return-to-play decisions. These cutting-edge tools will ensure that medical evaluations are accurate and timely, allowing athletes to safely resume their sports with confidence.
“I’ve learned so much from this, and how so many kids get hurt and nobody knows they got a concussion,” said Mike Shaw of Mike Shaw Toyota.
Video of the event can be found at this link.
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About Driscoll: Driscoll is the premier healthcare provider for kids in South Texas. We are a nonprofit healthcare system that has served communities in the Lone Star State since 1953. Today, Driscoll is the fastest-growing healthcare system in the region, offering care at the region’s only two freestanding designated children’s hospitals: Driscoll Children’s Hospital Corpus Christi and Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley, and at specialty centers and clinics across South Texas. Our non-profit community-based health plan, Driscoll Health Plan, offers Texas families access to local physicians and other lifesaving benefits.
About Toyota: Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 30 electrified options. For more information, visit www.Toyotanewsroom.com.
About Toyota’s Way Forward Fund: Toyota’s Way Forward Fund is a new initiative to support people impacted by significant injuries, starting with a focus on children recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). By investing in and partnering with the TBI care community, the Way Forward Fund will address gaps in TBI funding for children, support health equity and strengthen the recovery journey for kids, families and caregivers. For more information, visit www.toyotawayforward.org.