For student athletes in the Verde Valley, Northern Arizona Healthcare will offer $10 sports physicals at its Camp Verde campus, located at 1298 W. Finnie Flat Road, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. No appointments are necessary and cash or checks will be accepted, and all proceeds from the physicals will be donated to the student’s school to benefit the athletic program, according to a press release. The clinic will be conducted by the NAH Orthopedic and Spine Institute, NAH Primary Care and Entire Care Rehab and Sports Medicine. This is the fifth year that NAH has provided the low-cost screenings. All student-athletes must complete a preseason physical to participate in all sports, so the June event covers fall, winter and spring sports eligibility, according to a press release.
“It is important to offer cost-effective sports physicals to the youth of the Verde Valley to promote participation in sports without the community having any undue financial distress, which ultimately promotes equal opportunity and inclusion, while promoting a healthy community focused on disease prevention,” NAH Orthopedic Service Line Administrator Matt Kramer said. “Northern Arizona Healthcare is committed to serving the community in a holistic manner and assuring equal opportunity for all individuals.”
“If we didn’t offer this low-cost clinic for sports physical exams, families would have to schedule these appointments with a child’s primary care provider in order for their children to be eligible to play sports. Those appointments would potentially cost more, depending on insurance coverage,” Kramer said, and added that such an event would help ensure all children had the potential to exercise regularly to promote health and socialization and develop positive exercise regimens.“ The community and particularly Northern Arizona Healthcare have been instrumental in promoting and supporting athletic programs in the Verde Valley,” Mingus Union High School athletics secretary Christina Montiel said. “These events help level the playing field and allow all students, regard-less of economic background, to have the chance to be part of a team, stay active and develop important life skills through sports,” Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District public relations specialist Tricia Winters said.
According to an NAH press release, the sports physicals will include internal medicine, baseline sway concussion testing and orthopedic clearance. The tests will be performed by internal medicine physicians, orthopedic physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers and physical therapists.
