Triple Play

From the time that he got hooked on PBS’ NOVA as an eight-year-old, Aaron M. Karlin knew that he wanted to become a doctor. But, by high school, the self-proclaimed “nerd” had transformed into a jock, competing in football, wrestling and baseball at Chicago’s Evanston High School.

Excelling at America’s favorite pastime, he played baseball for four years at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. “I had one good year, where I got academic all-conference,” he modestly admits. “But, I don’t think I ever deluded myself that I was good enough to play pro ball.” 

At Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minn., Karlin pursued pediatrics from the start. “When I graduated, I got an award for the most predictable residency,” he said with a laugh. He followed with a five-year double-boarding residency in pediatrics and physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University College of Medicine/Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. In his second year, he married Mandeville, La. resident Cheri Noto. After residency, he attended the Jersey Shore University in Rutgers for his fellowship in sports medicine.

Upon completion of his extensive medical education, the triple-boarded doc and his wife moved to the North Shore to start practicing at Ochsner Children’s Health Center – Covington on Aug. 15, 2005. Two weeks later, Hurricane Katrina hit. The couple evacuated to Monroe for a couple of nights, then returned home. The next day, Karlin and another pediatrician headed to Ochsner’s main campus in New Orleans to take care of pediatric patients.

When things finally settled down, Karlin returned to Ochsner Children’s Health Center – Covington to practice general pediatrics. Over time, his practice shifted more toward pediatric sports medicine and rehab. “I’m the only pediatric physiatrist – P M and R – in the state,” he said. He sees patients from all over the South – Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama – even Florida.

As a pediatric rehab physician, Karlin treats many patients with neurological problems, such as traumatic brain injury or cerebral palsy. On the sports medicine side, he frequently sees patients with concussions. Currently, he is serving as the section head for pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation and director of the Concussion Management Program.

 Ochsner’s concussion management program is a multi-faceted practice focusing on patients 21 and under. Karlin uses ImPACT, the same computerized neuro-cognitive test that the NFL uses, to assess injured players on the sidelines. The program is now being employed in St. Tammany Parish schools, and will soon be expanding to Jefferson Parish. Although Karlin treats people of all ages, he confesses, “I just choose to see kids because I like them better.”
Recently, Karlin, along with other physicians on the Louisiana Youth Concussion Coalition, promoted the Youth Concussion Act, which was signed by Gov. Bobby Jindal on June 29. The law is designed to protect young athletes from preventable brain injuries, as well as educate adults about the consequences of concussions. “A lot of times, kids are returned by someone who does not have a background in concussion management, because they have a normal CAT scan or are not having headaches anymore,” Karlin observed, “when the reality is that a concussion is so much more than just headaches, and 99 percent of the time a CAT scan is normal. And, the potential consequences of having a child coming back from a concussion too early can be significant, when it comes to long-term consequences or even catastrophic injury.”

Another project spearheaded by Karlin is Adapting and Changing Children’s Environments with Successful Solutions (ACCESS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation which provides funding for auto and home modifications and assistive devices to disabled children. ACCESS’s first fundraiser was Boo Fest, a myriad of custom-decorated Halloween playhouses, pumpkin painting, live music and jambalaya. The successful event drew 3,000 attendees and generated about $18,000. That followed with April’s Sweet Soiree, an evening of wine and desserts, which raised $20,000.

Prior to founding ACCESS, Karlin and his colleagues had developed Kids Konnection, a $400,000 all- abilities playground for children. Located in Mandeville, this fully wheelchair-accessible park allows children with disabilities and able-bodied kids to socialize together. Every few months, Kids Konnection hosts get-togethers for disabled children and their families, which are monitored by Lakeview Regional Medical Center Lakeview’s therapy department.

In his spare time, Karlin enjoys spending time with his own children – son, Atticus, age 3 ½, and daughter, Antoinette, age 2. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than spend time with my kids and my wife,” he admitted. “The balance is the part that needs to be addressed the most.”

Tags:

Bookmark:

Digg

Facebook

Technorati

Newsvine

Google

Related: