Doha, Qatar (May 29 , 2013) - Aspetar Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital is set to participate as a main partner in the upcoming Leaders in Performance (LIP) conference to be held in New York from 4-5 June 2013. The North American edition of this successful UK based prestigious event will be organised for the first time this year at the Bloomberg Tower in the heart of New York City. Top practitioners across major North American leagues including Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Major Baseball League (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL) and many more will be sharing information and expertise as well as extending their networks at the summit. Aspetar’s delegation will be led by Dr Khalifa Al Kuwari, Aspetar’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Hakim Chalabi, Acting Chief Medical Officer and Executive Director of the National Sports Medicine Programme (NSMP), and Ibrahim Aldarwish, Chief Operating Officer. Commenting on the event, Dr Khalifa Al Kuwari said,

“We are excited to be partnering alongside Leaders in Performance for the third year in a row. As one of the most reputable conferences of its kind, we share the same goals in the importance that we place on sharing knowledge and research with our colleagues from around the world. This year, we are bringing together the medical expertise of the five major leagues of sport in North America to discuss Player Safety & the Clinical Science of Concussion”.

Recent on-field events have highlighted the importance of research and continuous conversation about best practices amongst professionals. Aspetar recently participated in the 4th International Conference on Concussion in Sport, held in Zurich where the importance of research and continuous conversation amongst professionals around concussions in the arena was highlighted.

“It is my belief that this conversation will help in future solutions both in concussion prevention and injury management,” Dr Al Kuwari added.

As part of the partnership, Aspetar will host an exclusive panel discussion which will feature presentations and talks from a selection of sports medicine experts including a speaker from Aspetar. Aspetar’s panel discussion, moderated by Dr Willem Meeuwisse, Professor at the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre, is titled: Cutting Edge Sports Medicine: Player Safety, Health and Concussions. It will feature discussions by Dr Ruben Echemendia, of the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer, Dr Rich Ellenbogen, from the National Football League, Dr Gary Green, from Major League Baseball and Dr Jace Provo, of the National Basketball Association. Aspetar’s Head of the Injury & Illness Prevention Program, Professor Roald Bahr, who will share his own experiences during the discussion, said,

“Aspetar’s Injury and Illness Program is focused on many diverse injury issues including concussions in athletes”.

He added, “This event is a great opportunity for those attending to understand how North American professional sporting organizations are working hard to create best practices around this key issue.” During the panel session, Professor Bahr will highlight ASPREV (Injury and Illness Prevention Program), a program that was launched this year by Aspetar with the aim to develop research and education that will guide clinical practices around the world. He will also discuss the internationally relevant issue of Concussion Guidelines.