New App by Akron Children’s Helps Manage Athlete Injuries

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Supervising injuries is a common element of athletics. Making sure the athlete, at any level, can return in a safe manner is top priority for teams.

With its new Healthy Roster app, Akron Children’s Hospital hopes to improve communication and information about injuries – from the slightest tweaks to the most severe breaks – between the player, parents, coaches and trainers.

The app is available for download on Apple and Android devices.

“Healthy Roster enhances our team approach to helping student-athletes overcome injury and return to the sports they love,” said Dr. Joseph Congeni, director of Akron Children’s sports medicine program, in a statement. “Through the Healthy Roster app, parents and coaches have 24/7 access to an athlete’s initial injury assessment, details on any follow-up care that is needed and updates on when the athlete can safely return to sports.”

Andrew Tommelleo, interim superintendent at Liberty Local Schools, said the parents of players can choose to download the app. The district is one of 25 using Healthy Roster and the decision to add it, Tommelleo said, was made by the school’s athletic trainer.

“That’s part of the educational process that you leave to the coaches and trainers,” Tommelleo said.

The app will be used for the upcoming spring sports season, which begins March 19 with the start of boys and girls lacrosse.

Healthy Roster will also be used at Warren JFK High School. Eagles athletic trainer Stephanie DeMain said it will be an upgrade. In the past, trainers had to document everything in writing and then contact the parents to inform them of their child’s injury.

“It’s just a technology-type way to streamline that service,” DeMain said. “There’s a lot of stuff that you can do with Healthy Roster, so the more that we learn, the more that I like it.”

According to Akron Children’s, the high schools using the app include Akron Public Schools (Buchtel, North, East, Ellet, Firestone and Kenmore-Garfield), Archbishop Hoban, Canfield, Copley, Field, Girard, Highland, Hudson, Liberty, Louisville, Lowellville, Mogadore, Our Lady of the Elms, Rootstown, Springfield, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Struthers, Warren, Warren JFK and Woodridge.

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