Jul 28, 2017Working with the Pros
In some circles, making it to the pros is considered the pinnacle of the athletic training profession. But even those who have reached this high level always have to keep learning. It is for this reason that the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City recently held its inaugural HSS Professional Sports Medicine Conference on July 14, 2017.
According to a press release from PR Newswire, the conference featured physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers who work with NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS, UFC, NCAA, and Olympic teams. The event focused on helping professionals engage in proper performance evaluation and create injury management plans to help athletes stay healthy and return to play safely.
“We established this conference because of [HSS’s] unique position of leading the medical care of seven professional teams in the tristate area,” said HSS Chief of the Sports Medicine Service Bryan Kelly, MD. “It was a great opportunity to gather together top clinicians in one room to share best practices, research, network, and create a collaborative environment.”
The day began with explanations of the roles different medical teams serve with professional sports organizations. Attendees then participated in dialogues focusing on complicated case studies that necessitated quick decision-making. The case studies included injuries to the hip, knee, shoulder, and head.
“I was looking forward to connecting with other professionals in this elite group of medical teams from the tristate area,” said Jim Ramsay, MS, CAT(C), Head Athletic Trainer of the New York Rangers. “It was incredibly useful to compare notes and really learn from the body of knowledge represented here today.”
In the afternoon, conversations became more interactive, and the focus shifted toward treating and rehabilitating both professional and collegiate athletes. Each session centered on a specific type of injury, including those to the hip, knee cartilage and ligaments, shoulder, elbow, head, foot and ankle, hand and wrist, and spine.
During this second half of the conference, attendees expanded their knowledge in both surgical and non-surgical care of athletic injuries, as well as rehabilitation techniques and return-to-play strategies. For many, this was the first time they had engaged in such shared conversation.
“I’ve never heard of or participated in a conference that brought together medical staff from different teams to share information, protocols, and experiences with the common goal of better patient care across multiple sports,” said Peter Asnis, MD, Head Team Physician and Medical Director of the Boston Bruins, Head Team Orthopedist for the Boston Red Sox, and Team Physician for the New England Patriots.
