Community Connection: Sports Medicine Services in Watford City

Expansion of Sports Medicine Services

by Robyn Gust, Sports Medicine Services – Director and Certified Athletic Trainer

McKenzie Health is excited to announce the expansion of its Sports Medicine Services in McKenzie County and surrounding areas.

The mission of McKenzie Health has always been to achieve the highest level of healthcare for our patients and their families. Knowing that sports are an integral part of North Dakota families, McKenzie Health has added medical professionals that are experts in the care of athletes and the physically active population.

Dr. Ravindra Joshi and Dr. Tracy Tomjack to begin development of the Sports Medicine Program. By hiring certified athletic trainers, McKenzie Health has added health care providers whose education is specialized in the evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries. To expand the Sports Medicine Program, I have recently joined the team as the Director of Sports Medicine Services. 

I am no stranger to developing Sports Medicine services. Since 2000, I’ve been managing and expanding Sports Medicine services in the Minot area to schools, club sports programs, hockey programs, semi and professional sports teams, and amateur athletics. I have also worked closely with emergency medical services (EMS) and developed sports emergency planning for organizations including mass casualty plans.

The expansion of McKenzie Health’s Sports Medicine Program will provide professional and timely access to quality healthcare. The plan is for this access to not only be at sporting events, but also to provide an opportunity for patients that may be injured due to sports or a physical activity to have access for immediate evaluation and treatment. Should treatment need further evaluation, the certified athletic trainers will help expedite the continued care to the appropriate specialty.

Besides the dedication to injury care, McKenzie Health Sports Medicine also has plans to develop injury prevention programming, collaborative emergency planning, and concussion education.

Injury Prevention programming may be general or sport specific and designed to combat the most commonly seen injuries in sports in adolescents. These programs can greatly decrease the chances of injuries while having the added benefit of increasing strength, agility, speed and flexibility.

McKenzie Health has always worked closely with emergency services. With the development of the Sports Medicine Program, opportunity exists to fine tune that partnership through collaborative training and education to be able to seamlessly transfer care from on the field to EMS services arriving on scene in emergent situations.

Concussions have always been a part of sports and recognizing, and treating them correctly, is so important for all involved in sports including the student athlete, parent, coach, teacher, or administrator. McKenzie Health Sports Medicine wants to assist the community in learning how to not only recognize when a concussion has occurred, but appropriately manage it. Ensuring that a student athlete returns to the classroom, and their sport, in a safe, timely manner is critical in the appropriate management of concussions.

By developing and expanding the Sports Medicine program, McKenzie Health continues to provide valuable services and a greater opportunity for patients to have access to the healthcare that fits their specific needs. For more information on the Sports Medicine Program, please call the Specialty Clinic at 701-444-8730.