Anlys Olivera, Geraldine Pagnotta, Mara Sproul, Laura Phillips, Nuha Syed, Julia D Drattell, Ma Victoria Castaneda Juanito, Jennifer Fay, Teresa V Denham, Liliana Serrano, Jiangyue Zhao, Catherine A Parkin, Shae Datta, Brian S Im, Dennis Cardone, Brian Hainline, Steven Flanagan, Steven L Galetta, Laura J Balcer, Hector Arciniega
BACKGROUND: Public awareness of concussion has grown significantly over the past 2 decades, driven largely by media coverage of sports-related injuries. This has paralleled a rise in traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related emergency department visits, underscoring the need for specialized concussion care centers. Despite this, most existing programs focus on sports or pediatric populations, leaving critical care gaps.
RECENT FINDINGS: The NYU Langone Concussion Center was established in 2013 to address these gaps by providing interdisciplinary care for both sports-related and non-sports-related concussions. Approximately 60% of cases seen at the center are not sports related. This article outlines the center's inception, operational model, patient demographics, and evolution over the past decade.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Lessons learned from the NYU Langone model offer valuable guidance for developing comprehensive concussion programs that can serve diverse urban populations. Key strategies include cross-specialty collaboration, flexible infrastructure, and systems-level integration to address heterogeneous mechanisms of injury and outcomes.