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SLSD Partners with Mercy Health for School-Based Health Center

Posted on: January 6, 2019
Mercy Health

Mercy Health has a long history of partnering with area schools to help students, teachers and staff be well. Today, Mercy Health announces that it has partnered with the Southwest Local School District to promote the health and wellness of the school’s student athletes and to create and staff a school-based health center within a Southwest Local School District building.


“Southwest Local School District prides itself on providing academic and social growth for all students, every day,” said Michael Kramer, Mercy Health – West Market President and CEO. “Mercy Health knows that easy access to quality care helps make that growth possible for students, faculty and staff.”

“Southwest Local School District is pleased to enter into this partnership, which benefits our staff and all students, not just our athletes,” said John Hamstra, Superintendent, Southwest Local School District. “We all know that there’s a strong correlation between good health and people’s ability to achieve. Our partnership with Mercy Health ensures that our students have access to great care on and off the field.”

 

In addition to caring for student athletes, Mercy Health will open its sixth school-based health center within a Southwest Local School District building within the next three years as the district completes a significant building project. The new center joins Mercy Health’s school-based health centers located at Little Miami School District’s Intermediate School, Sayler Park School, Mt. Washington School, Silverton Paideia Academy and Pleasant Hill Academy. Available services will include primary care, prescriptions, immunizations, counseling and mental health evaluations and more. Additional details will be forthcoming.

 

Mercy Health will also provide two certified athletic trainers to serve as the primary athletic trainers for Southwest Local School District. Mercy Health Physician and sports medicine specialist John Zisko, MD will serve as the district’s team physician. The athletic trainer will work under the advice and counsel of the team physician.


The athletic trainer provides a comprehensive array of services to promote and ensure the safety of Southwest Local School District’s student athletes, including:

  •         Managing and overseeing the athletic training room
  •         Advising the school on the supplies and training equipment needed for the athletic training program
  •         Assisting faculty and athletic coaching staff in the design and implementation of a student athletic training program and continuing education program and other related health and wellness programs as needed by the school, including providing speakers to address relevant topics for career days, etc.
  •         Providing strength, conditioning and flexibility training suggestions and programs to the coaching staff through the advice of a certified strength and conditioning specialist and with the consent of the Team Physician
  •         Monitoring athletic injuries and developing injury prevention training and programs with the advice and consent of the team physician
  •         Coordinating and providing injury follow-up and evaluation with the physicians of Mercy Health
  •         Providing and arranging all coverage for a wide array of sports, including soccer, volleyball and basketball games, tournaments, events and practices, throughout the school year
  •         Providing all pre-season sports physicals
  •         Providing priority appointments for injured athletes
  •         Providing Saturday walk-in clinics through the Fall sports season
  •         Providing Sportsmetrics(tm), an ACL injury prevention program

 

In addition, the physician will provide direct orthopedic care for athletic injuries and injury prevention training for the athletes. The partnership gives Southwest Local School District athletes preferred access to treatment, diagnostic equipment such as x-rays or CAT scans and physical therapy options.