Florida Hospital Announces Sports Medicine Partnership with Local Schools to Provide Injury Prevention and Sports Performance Programs
(PRWEB) August 17, 2015 -- Florida Hospital is launching a sports medicine program with local schools to provide a comprehensive array of sports medicine services for children and adults from injury prevention and sports performance programs to post injury services like outpatient rehab, noninvasive treatments and surgery.
Florida Hospital will provide the schools with free baseline concussion testing and injury prevention education. The Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Foundation recently purchased HeadRehab, a 3D Virtual Reality concussion testing program for the Sports Medicine and Performance Program. While the technology has been used extensively with veterans and in college athletic programs in other states, Florida Hospital is the first to offer it in the Tampa Bay area.
The system tests spatial memory, balance, reaction time, attention and recall, providing physicians with a more accurate picture of neurocognitive function both before and after injury allowing for better concussion care and return to play protocols.
“This is just one example of Florida Hospital’s commitment to improve the health and wellness of the Tampa Bay community. We are proud to partner with local schools as well as the Pasco County School District for athletic training to serve and help keep youth athletes safe, said Mike Schultz, Florida Hospital West Florida Region President and CEO.
Florida Hospital recently partnered with the Pasco County School District to provide full time athletic trainers in all 13 high schools across the country at no cost to the schools. The trainers are on the school campus every day and attend practices as well as home athletic games for a variety of sports.
“We are very excited to partner with a recognized health leader like Florida Hospital,” says Amy Lipovetsky, Athletic Director for the Pasco County School District. “They are really raising the level of care for our student athletes.”
Florida Hospital Sports Medicine & Performance program also provides an athletic trainer for Wharton High School in Hillsborough County, the Academy at the Lakes the Tampa Bay Storm arena football team and will be in the new Florida Hospital Center Ice (multi-sport ice complex opening in Wesley Chapel in 2016).
“Ideally, we want to help these young athletes prevent injuries. But if they do get hurt, our trainers are there to help them connect with the appropriate medical care,” said Dr. Barbara Morris, Director of the Sports Medicine & Performance program.
The Sports Medicine & Performance program also offers a unique sports performance enhancement and injury prevention at its’ Health & Wellness Center in Wesley Chapel. The program identifies and corrects dysfunctional movement that impedes maximum sports performance and increases the risk of acute and overuse injuries. It consists of biomechanical assessment and personalized corrective exercise.
About Florida Hospital West Florida Region
The Florida Hospital West Florida Region is a not-for-profit 1,257-bed hospital system composed of 9 hospitals including Florida Hospital Tampa/Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Florida Hospital at Connerton Long Term Acute Care, Florida Hospital North Pinellas, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Sebring, Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center Lake Placid and Florida Hospital Wauchula. Part of the Adventist Health System, Florida Hospital is a leading health network comprised of 23 hospitals throughout the state. For more information, visit http://www.FloridaHospital.com.
Jennifer McVan, Director of Media Relations, Florida Hospital West Florida Region, http://www.FHTampa.org, +1 (813) 373-9505, [email protected]
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