Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Free Sports Physical Day a success

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More than 100 students and their families lined up for free sports physicals, provided by more than two dozen volunteers from Cascade Medical and Cascade School District on Aug. 1. The free service saved local families a collective $3,200, and also gave students a chance to talk one-on-one with medical staff about their health.

Icicle River Middle School bustled with activity as students completed a series of eight stations. Volunteers measured vision, height, weight and blood pressure. The exam also included a medical history review, a musculoskeletal exam with a physical therapist, a physical exam by a medical provider and a final review by school nurse Kesha Milne, RN.

One mother said her son often felt nervous in a clinical setting and resisted getting sports physicals every year. He felt right at home at Icicle River Middle School. Moving the exam to his home turf made all the difference, she said.

Several families said they were grateful for the financial break, especially those with multiple student athletes. Sports physicals typically cost $30 per student. The exams are required before the first day of practice, which start this week.

Rehab Services Director Joe Aponik said he enjoyed seeing all the familiar faces after years of coaching youth sports and volunteering for the school athletics program. He introduced two new physical therapists -- Dane Peterson, DPT, and Katie Faw, PT. Dane and Katie both reported that parents and students appreciated the in-depth feedback and recommendations they received from meeting with a PT.

The Family Practice Clinic sent half of their staff, including Clinic Director Kathleen O’Connor, three nurses and four providers -- Dr. Karl Kranz, Dr. Jay Jerome, Dr. Tony Butruille and Lucca Criminale, PA-C. Free Clinic Director Terri Weiss, RN, of Upper Valley MEND also volunteered her skills.

Athletic Director Dominique Coffin designed the event based on a long-standing, similar sports physical day in Hermiston, Ore. Coffin, Milne and a team of Cascade Medical staff began planning last spring.

We plan to build upon this first year by trying a different scheduling method next year. Families spent between 20 minutes to an hour start to finish, and that’s something we’d like to improve. Overall, the event was a resounding success, and we hope it will become a yearly tradition.

Cascade Medical Center is a nonprofit, community-owned, critical access hospital that delivers extraordinary healthcare by taking more time with each patient and their families. Centered around primary care, the medical center also provides physical, occupational and speech therapy, ambulance service, lab and screening services, emergency, acute/inpatient, and inpatient rehabilitation care. 

 

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