Healthcare
Medical Group (HMG), a voluntary association of physicians serving Northeast
Arkansas, announced once again is offering free comprehensive physical exams
for high school student athletes in six local school districts in Craighead
County.
Currently,
HMG is the country’s only provider of free physicals that include advanced
health screenings and electrocardiograms (EKG) for high school athletes in
Craighead County. Using an EKG as a screening tool, in conjunction with a
qualitative exam and review of personal and family history, physicians are
better able to detect cardiac abnormalities in young athletes.
“It’s
estimated that more than 100 young athletes die each year in sports-related
incidents, and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association projects that nearly
half of these deaths are attributed to sudden cardiac death,” said Dr.
Roosevelt Gilliam, a electrophysiologist at Cardiology Associates in Jonesboro.
“We
established our innovative event in 2008 to ensure that all student athletes receive
potentially life-saving EKGs to prevent cardiac incidents. Since then, our
group of volunteer doctors has evaluated the health of nearly 5,000 student
athletes. Of those, 30 percent have received diagnoses or medical warnings they
wouldn’t otherwise have received from traditional physicals.”
The athlete
physicals are offered as part of the annual HMG Health & Fitness Expo, a
free, two-day event considered the largest and most comprehensive physician-led
community health initiative in the country. This year’s event is slated for
this weekend, with student athletic physicals scheduled for Sunday.
Each year, HMG physicians
volunteer their time alongside the staff of St. Bernards Medical Center and St.
Bernards Sports Medicine and work directly with coaches and athletic directors
to ensure student athletes take advantage of the free exams. This effort
benefits not only the athletes, but also their families who don’t have to
schedule multiple exams and incur the associated costs, as well as the coaching
staff who are provided valuable information regarding the health of their
athletes.
“This is the most
comprehensive health screening for athletes in the nation and gives us the
security of knowing that our athletes are the most well-taken care of group in
America,” said Randy Coleman, head football coach at Jonesboro High School.
“All communities should adopt this approach – safer athletes provide better
athletes.”
The Pre-Participation Physical
Evaluation for Student Athletes was developed using the collaborative work of
the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics,
American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports
Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and American
Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine. This, coupled with the level of
expertise from more than 100 participating physicians, helps identify any
student conditions that may cause injury, be disabling or even
life-threatening.
During the generally hour and
a half long exam, students begin with height, weight and blood pressure
screenings, followed by eye exams and screenings by HMG’s ear, nose and throat
(ENT) physicians. After undergoing general medical and musculoskeletal exams,
the high school students are given EKGs. Finally, students finish with dental
exams and blood screening checks of glucose, cholesterol and anemia.
In 2011, HMG added a sickle
cell screening to reflect the athletic health guidelines of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), though the NCAA has yet to require EKG
screenings.
“It’s evident that we’re doing
everything possible to dramatically reduce the chance of cardiac incidents for
our athletes,” said Dr. Gilliam. “We challenge communities across the country
to adopt a similar approach to ensure the health and wellness of their student
athletes.”
School times are as follows:
Bay: 11:00 –
11:30 a.m.
Brookland:
11:30 am – noon
Nettleton:
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Valley View:
1:00 – 1:45 p.m.
Westside:
1:45 – 2:30 p.m.
Jonesboro:
2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
The HMG Health & Fitness
Expo is an annual two-day event that focuses on the promotion of better health
in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri. Scheduled in April each year, the
Expo offers the community free health screenings, physician panel discussions,
healthy cooking demonstrations and a kid’s health zone. For more information
about the Expo, visit http://www.hmgexpo.com/.
Healthcare Medical Group (HMG)
is a voluntary association of physicians serving Northeast Arkansas and
Southeast Missouri. The association membership is comprised of more than 190
physicians representing more than 35 specialties. For more information on this
announcement, please call 870-931-DOCS or visit www.hmg.md.