Fall sports clinics

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO (September 12, 2017) – Autumn in the Mahoning Valley is a prime time for sports. And that means it’s also a season that produces a high volume of sporting injuries. Mercy Health - Youngstown has introduced a new resource to enhance care for athletes, whether they’re high school standouts, collegiate competitors or weekend warriors. The healthcare leader recently opened two seasonal clinics to cater to athletes’ specialized needs.

Data show that to maintain optimal athletic performance, quick diagnosis and treatment of sports-related injuries is critical. The Mercy Health Sports Injury Clinics were created to provide fast, convenient access to specialists for the diagnosis and initial treatment of sports-related injuries. The clinics are a less-costly option than urgent- or emergency-care settings. Locations in both Boardman and Howland are open Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. through Nov. 4.

Because care is delivered by orthopaedic physicians with fellowship training in sports medicine, the clinics were designed to treat all types of orthopaedic and sports injuries. According to the National Institutes of Health, the most common sports-related injuries include strains and sprains, knee injuries, shin splints, fractures and dislocations. Jeffrey Johnston, M.D., medical director of sports medicine for Mercy Health - Youngstown, said he expects to see all of those, and more.

“Like athletes, sports-related injuries are very individualized,” Johnston said. “Prescribing the right treatment plan is important to enable an athlete to return to safe play as quickly as possible. Mercy Health provides comprehensive orthopaedics and sports medicine services and can treat all types of these injuries so we can help athletes get back in the game.”

With locations in both Mahoning and Trumbull counties, Mercy Health’s Sports Injury Clinics provide coverage throughout the Valley. No appointments are necessary to access care, and most insurance plans are accepted. The Mercy Health clinics are the only ones in the Mahoning Valley to be staffed by physicians. Ryan Foertch, ATC, director of orthopaedics and sports medicine from Mercy Health - Youngstown and a certified athletic trainer, said that sets Mercy Health apart from other providers in the region.

“Staffing these clinics with orthopaedic surgeons is unique to our region,” Foertch said. “We saw a real need to provide this service, especially for our young athletes who were injured during a Friday evening game but had to wait until the following week to see a physician. The clinics provide the community with faster access to board-certified specialists, which in turn enables them to get timely diagnosis and treatment, as well as faster access to physical therapy, which is a true benefit to their recovery.”

The locations of the Mercy Health Sports Injury Clinics include:

Boardman Orthopaedics

835 McKay Court, Boardman

(330) 758-4399

Howland Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

1932 Niles Cortland Road NE, Warren

(330) 306-0395

Mercy Health - Youngstown delivers a comprehensive continuum of orthopaedic care that includes the region’s largest group of clinically integrated orthopaedic surgeons; diagnostic imaging; inpatient rehabilitation; outpatient rehabilitation, such as physical therapy (PT); occupational therapy (OT); and home health services including PT/OT. Available subspecialties include general orthopaedics; sports medicine; hand, wrist and elbow; joint replacement (hip, knee and shoulder); orthopaedic trauma/fracture; and physical medicine and rehabilitation. For more information, visit www.mercy.com/y-ortho.

About Mercy Health – Mercy Health - Youngstown is an integrated health system in the Mahoning Valley, which encompasses the Youngstown/Warren metropolitan area – Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio. It is part of Mercy Health, which is headquartered in Cincinnati and is the largest health system in Ohio and one of the largest Catholic health systems in the United States. Mercy Health - Youngstown provides a full spectrum of healthcare services – acute inpatient and trauma, outpatient and ambulatory, rehabilitation, behavioral, emergency and urgent care, primary care physicians in patient-centered medical homes, specialist physician care, home health, home medical equipment, long-term care and hospice care, as well as Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley. Learn more at www.mercy.com/Youngstown.

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