By Amanda Galloway
special correspondent

In conjunction with the start of the school year, the Bon Secours Richmond Health System plans to launch a sports medicine program to aid in the recovery of injured athletes throughout the Commonwealth.

“Everything is in place.  We have the best and the brightest physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers - plus all of the imaging.  All of the pieces are there and the puzzle comes together as we launch our team in August,” Ivan Schwartz, Director of Sports Medicine said.

The program, which will eventually include St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian, St. Mary’s Hospital in the West End, and Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville, plans to cater towards the mindset of injured athletes, which often differs greatly from that of the general public.

“We want to be a ‘one stop shop,’” Schwartz said.  “We include athletic trainers, primary care physicians, physical therapists, and surgeons all in the program.  We hope to create a ‘continuum of care,’ which includes follow up, but more importantly stresses a team concept.  The greatest benefit to the athlete is communication among the doctors.”

The first tier in Bon Secours’ team approach to sports medicine involves the eight certified athletic trainers that are involved in community athletics, most notably at the high school level.

Randi Kidd, a certified athletic trainer at Colonial Heights High School, explained how trainers serve as a liaison between physicians and athletes.  “We build relationships with the athlete, their families and their coaches and serve as the starting point in their care and recovery,” she said.     

Kidd also stressed the role of athletic trainers in preventing injuries.  “We serve the healthy, the injured, and the in-between.  I have done ACL tear prevention programs at high schools with women’s basketball.  ACL tears are number one among women’s sports – especially basketball,” she explained. 

Dr. Tim Silver, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist with a background in traumatic brain injury, brings experience with professional and Olympic athletes to the primary care aspect of the program. 

“Primary care serves as step two [of the sports medicine program], I guess you could say.  I’ve worked with both youth leagues and professionals in mixed martial arts.  The goals are the same,” Silver said.  He has also worked with Team USA’s judo, wrestling, and track and field teams in both the Olympics and the Paralympics in Turin and Athens.

“I can send [an injured athlete] to an orthopedic surgeon or a physical therapist.  I function as the intermediary, but communication [between doctor and patient] is always key,” Silver explained.

Also stressing communication was Dr. Paul Kiritsis, an orthopedic surgeon and part of the sports medicine team.  “An open channel of communication is the most important thing – between parents, coaches, trainers, and athletes,” he said.  “We, as a team, must treat them completely.  We [the surgeons] take care of the injuries, but primary care takes care of the medical side, be it nutrition, hydration, or prevention of women’s injuries which can involve osteoporosis,” Kiritsis explained.

It is not only the doctors and athletic trainers that express confidence that the program will be a complete success when it kicks off in August.

Ronda Pereira, mother of Midlothian High School student, Mitchell Pereira, has dealt repeatedly with Bon Secours as her son recovers from sports-related injuries.

“It is absolutely wonderful when your child is hurting and you can find people so compassionate,” she said, speaking of the staff at St. Francis.  “It could have been a lot worse” when Mitchell hurt his shoulder playing football, “but a trainer was on the sideline and took care of him immediately.  Then, in the ER, they worked with him and calmed him down,” Pereira explained. 

The positive experience the Pereiras received with St. Francis continued after Mitchell’s surgeries to correct his injuries.  “Even this morning, I called at ten, and here I am, in the hospital at two,” Pereira said.  Mitchell’s shoulder was being reevaluated after a new injury.

St. Francis will serve as the flagship for the sports medicine program, Schwartz explained.  Once it is fully established there in August, it will expand to St. Mary’s and Memorial Regional. 

“This program is not just about an exam room,” Schwartz said, “the real sports medicine is getting out in the community.  There is nothing more valuable than forging a lasting relationship with athletes, their families and coaches. The mission of our team is to get those athletes to return to play quickly and responsibly.”