Samantha Scarneo-Miller , PhD, ATC

Assistant Professor, MSAT Program Director

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Human Performance - Athletic Training

Classification:

Faculty

• PhD, University of Connecticut, 2017
• MS, University of Connecticut, 2014
• BS, University of New Hampshire, 2011

1. Peckham KJ, DiStefano LJ, Root HJ, Lepley LK, Scarneo SE, Trigsted SM, Post EG, Brooks A, McGuine T, Bell DR. The influence of sport specialization on clinical measures of lower extremity neuromuscular control in high school athletes. Athletic Training and Sports Healthcare. Forthcoming.
2. Grundstein AJ, Scarneo-Miller SE, Adams WM, Casa DJ. From theory to practice: Operationalizing a climate vulnerability for sport organizations framework for heat hazards among US High schools. J Sci Med Sport. 2021 Aug;24(8):718-722. PMID: 33281092
3. Scarneo-Miller SE, Flanagan KW, Belval LN, Register-Mihalik JK, Casa DJ, DiStefano LJ. Adoption of lightning safety best-practices policies in the secondary school setting. J Athl Train. 2021 May 1;56(5):491-498. PMID: 33150373
4. Adams WM, Hosokawa Y, Casa DJ, Périard JD, Racinais S, Wingo JE, Yeargin SW, Scarneo-Miller SE, Kerr ZY, Belval LN, Alosa D, Csillan D, LaBella C, Walker L. Roundtable on preseason heat safety in secondary school athletics: Heat acclimatization. J Athl Train. 2021 Apr 1;56(4):352-361. PMID: 33878177
5. Scarneo-Miller SE, Lopez RM, Miller KC, Adams WM, Kerr ZY, Casa DJ. High schools struggle to adopt evidence based practices for the management of exertional heat stroke. J Athl Train. 2021 Feb 24 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 33626130
6. Morrissey MC, Scarneo-Miller SE, Giersch GEW, Jardine JF, Casa DJ. Assessing the validity of aural thermometry for measuring internal temperature in patients with exertional heat stroke. J Athl Train. 2021 Jan 15 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 33449102
7. Adams WM, Scarneo-Miller SE, Vandermark LW, Belval LN, DiStefano LJ, Lee EC, Armstrong LE, Casa DJ. Movement technique and standing balance after graded exercise-induced dehydration. J Athl Train. 2021 Jan 15 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 33449078
8. Adams WM, Scarneo-Miller SE, Stearns RL, Casa DJ. Nontraumatic exertional fatalities in football players, part 1: Letter to the editor. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020 Dec;8(12):2325967120980395. PMID: 33447623
9. McLean DR, Scarneo-Miller SE, Lopez RM. Perceptions of secondary school athletic trainers in the diagnosis of exertional heat stroke. J Athl Train. 2020 Oct 1;55(10):1070-1080. PMID: 32947610
10. Scarneo-Miller SE, Kerr ZY, Adams WM, Belval LN, Casa DJ. Influence of state-level emergency planning policy requirements on secondary school adoption. J Athl Train. 2020 Oct 1;55(10):1062-1069. PMID: 32818958

As athletic participation numbers continue to rise, corresponding catastrophic and even fatal injuries continue to occur in sport. Unfortunately, many high schools are ill prepared to prevent and/or respond to these types of injuries. My colleagues and I have identified that fewer than 10% of high schools have a comprehensive emergency action plan, 3.9% have comprehensive heat acclimatization procedures, 28% have comprehensive environmental monitoring, and the list goes on. My research aims to improve proactive preparation for these emergency situations which includes the development of policies and procedures, emergency action plans and standing orders. Proactive emergency planning improves patient outcomes, allowing for a safer environment for athletes to participate in.

My research career, to date, has focused on evaluating benchmark data regarding the current adoption of sport-safety best practices, such as automated external defibrillator (AED) availability, emergency action planning, and exertional heat illness preparedness and management. My research agenda integrates public health concepts into sports medicine education and research using multiple public health frameworks and models to examine the various facets affecting health and safety policy development and implementation, particularly at the high school level. The long-term goal of this research is to develop tailored strategies for athletic trainers to utilize to improve health and safety policy implementation, thus enhancing athlete safety and promoting lifelong physical activity.

I have received federal, Foundation, and internal funding to support my research agenda. I have also been an invited speaker to many national organization symposiums including the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and American College of Sports Medicine. Additionally, I serve as an expert witness on catastrophic injury legal cases.

Current Research Projects

Policy Development for Response, Education and Planning (PREPare) Program

• ​Written health and safety policies for emergent injuries result in improved patient outcomes and prevent death. Compliance with these life-saving policies allows for deliberate, proactive emergency planning and is a critical first step to implementation of best practices. Despite reduced death rates, most high schools do not have written policies for all necessary components of best practices outlined in position statements. Athletic trainers lack formal in-depth training to evaluate policies, and thus, are ineffective at evaluating these critical documents to improve best-practice adoption. The ultimate goal of the PREPare program is to emphasize the magnitude of positive policy changes when learning from a trusted peer-athletic trainer and can provide a framework for school-level healthcare resource management and healthcare provision for high school athletes.

Legal Study Case Review

• Previous research has focused on the prevalence, incidence, and immediate treatment of sudden death among the athletic population; however, it has not included research on the other factors surrounding catastrophic cardiac events in athletics and the corresponding legal proceedings. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to determine common variables in legal proceedings regarding sudden death in organized sports.
• Collaborators: Dr. Susan Yeargin (University of South Carolina), Dr. Zachary Winkelmann (University of South Carolina), Dr. Kristen Kucera (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research), Dr. Barbara Osborne (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Current Grants and Contracts

• WVU Research and Scholarship Advancement, internal faculty grant, “Policy Development for Response, Education and Planning (PREPare) Program”