Jackson Hospital & Clinic - Sports Medicine Physicals

Overview

In cooperation with the Alabama Orthopaedic Specialists and Rehab Associates, the hospital offers free sports physicals to student athletes throughout Montgomery. Children receive a comprehensive sports physical including screenings for height and weight; heart and lungs; vision, blood pressure, flexibility; and an examination by a physician. Approximately 2,000 male and female student athletes have the opportunity to participate in inter-scholastic sports during the school year, and all are eligible for the free physical. This free community service project helps thousands of parents, 25 schools, and hundreds of coaches ensure that students are healthy enough to participate in athletic programs when school starts in the fall.

Impact

Some 1,760 student athletes were given a free physical in 2012. Ninety to 100 individuals (general and specialty physicians, nurses, athletic trainers, and non-clinical individuals) volunteer their time and expertise to provide this health care service each year. A massive screening and health examination is scheduled at one central location on a Saturday in May at the end of the school year.

Challenges/success factors

The hospital's sports medicine director coordinates this program with the schools and recruits the volunteers. Specialists and general practitioners volunteer for the program. It takes time to convince the large number of physicians, nurses and others needed to give up a Saturday, but once they volunteer they tend to come back year after year.

One location is the site of all exams that take place on one day, with schools and their teams assigned a specific time. Stations are set up to accommodate male and female students in separate areas. The routine takes approximately 25-30 minutes per student. If something suspicious is detected during the exam, students may be referred to an onsite specialist. This is a big help to parents, especially those that may have more than one student participating in sports. All of their kids may be taken care of at the same time and location, thus saving both time and money. And it helps the coaches ensure that their athletes are eligible to participate in activities at the start of the school year or, in the case of football, at the start of practice.

The state Athletic Association requires each student that participates in sports to have a physician certificate on file in the school office. The form includes the student's personal and health information, as well as the parent's permission to treat the student in case of an injury. The schools assist in getting these forms, and non-clinical volunteers ensure that this material is updated at the time of the screening and physical.

Future direction/sustainability

The hospital has been providing sports physicals to local schools for many years and expects to continue to do so. Initially, they provided this service at the schools. However, as the number of schools in the area increased, it became necessary to consolidate the screening and physical exams in one location. In addition to providing the annual physicals, the hospital also assists in providing athletic trainers and emergency treatment stations at most athletic events throughout the school year.

Advice to others

It is a massive undertaking to have all of the equipment and volunteers on hand to accomplish more than 1,500 examinations in one long day. Make sure that you have the cooperation of and volunteers from the hospital staff, school administrators, coaches, and the professional community.

Contact: Charles Lee
Sports Medicine Director
Telephone: 334-293-8966
E-mail: Charles.lee@jackson.org