New center poised to heal weekend athletes

PROVO — When Matt Roush thinks of injured sports enthusiasts, he imagines them in a hospital ER, waiting for doctors to finish tending serious injuries.

It may take a while to get into a doctor's examination room if you go in with a twisted ankle from a jarring slide into second base or a jammed wrist from a pick-up game of hoops.

Weekend warriors rejoice.

There's a new place to go for medical care if you've been injured on the playing field.

"Don't send them to the ER — send them here," said Roush, director of the just-opened Utah Valley Sports Medicine Center at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

"We bring the same expertise for college athletes to normal athletes," he said.

The center, which will open April 1, will cater to those injured while playing sports.

Four doctors specializing in sports medicine — including an orthopedic

surgeon — work at the center. The center also uses athletic trainers in lieu of registered nurses when seeing patients.

Roush said the trainers relate to what the patients are feeling because, as veterans of sporting fields, they likely have experienced similar injuries.

Roush previously worked as the head team physician at Ball State University in Indiana.

Most large sporting organizations have in-house doctors who watch over the health of players.

Recreation-team players, however, don't have sports-medicine specialists following them around. "It shouldn't be limited to just Olympic athletes," Roush said.

The center will accept doctor referrals from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Doctors will see walk-in patients from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

The center also has a program for athletes seeking to strengthen muscles. Personal trainers help athletes increase speeds and strength.

One of the tools they use is a treadmill that can reach 35 mph and tilt at a 45 degree angle.

Craig Carter, who heads the training program, said the treadmill can help top athletes increase speed two tenths of a second in a 40-meter sprint.

The center offers personalized training packages. Cost is $400 for 36 one-hour sessions. Normally the program takes six weeks to complete.

Call 357-7129 for more information.

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E-mail: jburke@desnews.com