Wednesday, June 19, 2024
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Roper St. Francis Healthcare celebrates record number of free physicals for high school athletes
Roper St. Francis Healthcare's sports medicine providers and athletic trainers just wrapped up their 12th year of providing free sports physicals to high school student athletes in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
This spring, the team completed a record number of 1,600 physicals across 14 clinics.
During the clinics, students can see a provider to complete their mandatory physicals and address health issues such as elevated blood pressure, vision problems and heart murmurs. Doctors also identify orthopedic issues that sports trainers can address during sports seasons.
Sports Medicine Clinical Manager Kyle Prothro has been involved in the initiative since joining the healthcare system in 2015. He said the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way providers offer the physicals, but the program continues to grow exponentially each year.
“The providers get a lot out of this initiative,” Prothro said. “They’re able to get into the community where a lot of times the kids don’t have the means to get to an outpatient clinic.”
As a community-minded not-for-profit healthcare system, Roper St. Francis Healthcare is dedicated to serving the needs of our local populations. Through these free clinics, we ensure students receive essential care they might not otherwise receive, connecting them with necessary resources.
Many student athletes share stories that make Prothro and other providers proud to be a part of this initiative, he shared.
“We work with many athletes that have unmanaged or undermanaged hypertension, diabetes or asthma,” Prothro said. “To be able to identify these issues and get them into the right hands so they can receive the ongoing care they need is what makes me the proudest.”
Providers who volunteered their time this spring include Providers who volunteered their time this spring include Dr. Jake Dupree, Dr. David Brazzel, Dr. Lauren Munck, Dr. Chandler Todd, Dr. Stephen Busby, Dr. Valerie Scott, Dr. Brian Cash, Dr. Brett Young, Dr. John Graham, Dr. Robert Sullivan, Dr. Andrew Smith, Dr. Robert Schoderbek, Dr. William Caroll, and athletic trainers Jaclyn Morley, Kenny Snider, Alex Sisofo, Laurel Pollock, Danielle Greenman, DJ Church, Kerry Kiley, Makayla Anderson, Josh Cohick, Amanda Moon, Samantha Tavares, Najee Washington, Heather Bellin, William Morsch, Katie Stovall and Katie Evenson.
Thank you to the physicians and trainers for your dedication to the schools, athletes, parents and communities that enjoy cheering the students on during their sports season!