Kent State University Athletics partners with University Hospitals

project take 2 from Brad Hamilton on Vimeo.

 

University Hospitals (UH) and Kent State University Athletics have entered a formal partnership as of February 2017. UH is officially Kent State’s Preferred Healthcare Provider for athletes.

 

“It’s the same group of physicians that work with the Cleveland Browns,” said KSU Associate Athletics’ Director of Sports Medicine, Sports Performance, and Student-Athlete Well-Being, Trent Stratton. “We have knowledgeable physicians that are involved in professional sports that are involved in Kent State Athletics. I think that’s encouraging and also important to continue to point out to create some enthusiasm around the physicians.”

 

UH, according to its website, is “one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems, providing high-quality, patient-centered medical care at locations throughout Northeast Ohio.” They are now responsible for providing medical care for over 400 student-athletes at Kent.

 

KSU Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen expressed excitement about the new partnership, explaining that student-athlete wellness is a priority, and this partnership could lead to more athletes coming to Kent State.

 

“Anytime that you can tie yourself with another big brand I think it helps you in recruiting,” said Nielsen. “The guts behind all this is how to provide our student-athletes with the best possible care, both preventative and then rehab care if something does happen. I think the thing that sold us the most is the quality of physicians that they have and the people that they work with, from orthopedic surgeons to general practitioners. We have access to a lot of specialists in Cleveland, so if we have a hand injury or foot injury or shoulders we have specialists that we can send our student-athletes to.”

 

Daniel Pippen, a junior at Kent State, is on scholarship for basketball. When he sprained his knee last year, Pippen was sent to UH. He described his experience with the doctors as pleasant overall.

 

“They put me in a boot, they sent me to get X-rays to see what was really going on with my foot, that’s when they saw I had a really bad sprain and I started rehab and treatment,” said Pippen. “I’m on scholarship so everything was paid for. The doctors did what they had to do so we didn’t have to communicate too much. We have certain physicians and trainers in place that I trust with my injuries.”

 

Nielsen explained that the three-year agreement between KSU and UH has been mutually beneficial and that the transition has been great.

 

According to Stratton, KSU is still partnered with Crystal Clinic for orthopedic referrals but will be delegating other cases to UH.

 

The partnership between KSU and UH has also benefited the athletic trainers at Kent including Drew Fillis.

 

“It’s really nice to have our doctors pretty much on call,” said Fillis. “I have some of our doctors’ cell phone numbers and we can just call them anytime we need. We have a really good connection to set up any MRIs any X-rays, anything that we might need from University hospitals, it makes our job easier.”

 

In a statement for a UH press release, James Voos, MD, Division Chief of Sports Medicine at UH Medical Center, said that the hospital is “proud to support Kent State’s mission to provide athletes with the safest environment possible to participate in sports at the highest level.”