Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program Offers Free Screenings to 2,000 Local Student-Athletes
Jacksonville, Florida, August 1, 2008 -- On Saturday, August 9, 2008, and Saturday, August 16, 2008, nearly 400 volunteers, including 70 volunteer physicians, will provide health screenings for approximately 2,000 local middle school and high school student-athletes in preparation for the school year.
The high school girls will be screened on August 9 and middle school girls on August 16, both at Wolfson Children's Hospital, second floor. The high school boys will be screened on August 9 and middle school boys on August 16, both at Nemours Children's Clinic, ground floor and second floor.
The screenings, which are being held for the 24th year in a row, are hosted by Jacksonville Sports Medicine Programs and its volunteers, which include pediatricians, family practice physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, sports medicine physicians, cardiologists and pulmonologists; pediatric nurses; clinical dietitians athletic trainers; physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists.
Organizations assisting with the effort are sponsors Baptist Health and Wolfson Children's Hospital, Nemours Children's Clinic, Duval County Medical Society, Duval County Public Schools and Brooks Rehabilitation. Others providing screenings include the Lion’s Club, University of Florida Sports Medicine, Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute Rehabilitation, First Choice Physical Therapy, Atlantic Coast Physical Therapy and St. Vincent's Rehabilitation.
Screenings, which were scheduled by the Duval County Public Schools, along with local private schools, in advance, will be conducted at multiple stations. Student-athletes will have their height and weight measured, along with a blood pressure screening, nutritional counseling, a body fat analysis, a basic physical, orthopaedic assessment, and vision screening by the Lion's Club. A pulmonologist will screen kids at risk for asthma and pediatric cardiologists from the University of Florida are available to screen for potential cardiac issues.
All volunteers will receive a complimentary lunch provided by Bono's Pit BAR-B-Q.
Orthopaedic surgeon Stephen Lucie, MD, who serves as president of the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program and has been participating in the local student-athlete screenings since they began in 1984, says: "Our goal at the Jacksonville Sports Medicine Program is to prevent injuries and a preparticipation physical is the first step in this process. These comprehensive physical examinations are sports-oriented and are conducted by physicians and health care professionals who represent a number of specialties and who are interested in the health and well-being of our local student-athletes."
