HOUSTON - The Methodist Hospital and the Houston Texans are sponsoring a one-stop shop for youth extracurricular pre-participation physicals at Reliant Stadium on Saturday, May 21.
"All student-athletes are required to have a sports physical before they set foot on the field of play," said Dr. David Lintner, an orthopedic surgeon with The Methodist Center for Sports Medicine and medical director of the event. "This is a great way to be seen by doctors, athletic trainers and other providers who have years of experience in performing physicals."
The student-athletes will not only receive a physical, but if a problem is detected, they will be evaluated by a specialist on site.
"For example, if a heart murmur or something similar is detected, the child will be seen by a cardiologist on site for a consultation and, if necessary, further tests, such as an echocardiogram, will be performed on site," Lintner said. "If further problems are found, we will refer them to another specialist near their homes to determine the appropriate course of treatment. An expert in concussion management will also be present to evaluate any student-athlete with a significant history of concussions."
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 21 at Reliant Stadium by the Amegy Bank entrance. Free parking is available in the Blue Lot and all participants should enter through Gate 9. Physicals are $15. All student-athletes must have University Interscholastic League (UIL) pre-participation forms filled out to receive a physical.
The medical history and consent forms may be downloaded online at www.methodisthealth.com or by phone at 713-790-3333. Forms will also be available on-site at the event and must be filled out by a student-athlete's parent or legal guardian. Physicals are only available for students 12 to 18 years of age.
Follow The Methodist Hospital on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MethodistHosp and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/methodisthospital. You can also log on to www.methodisthealth.com.
