PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – February 27, 2015 – Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Eastern Regional Medical Center has teamed up with Athlete Health Organization (AHO) to support student athletes in Philadelphia with free physical screening events, “Keeping Student Athletes in the Game, for Life.”
In its eleventh year, the AHO free physical screening events will bring together over 300 volunteer doctors, nurses and non-medical staff to provide comprehensive medical screenings including general physicals, orthopedics, pulmonary function tests (PFT), and electrocardiograms (ECG/EKG). Each screening takes approximately 60 – 90 minutes per student.
This year AHO plans to conduct over 1,500 physical screenings during two separate events, one in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 30, at the Liacouras Center located at 1776 North Broad Street, with a second event being held later in the year in Camden, NJ. Both events will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As part of the partnership, CTCA® will provide AHO with a secure new IT system and registry for its events. This new portable IT system will make the registration process easier for student athletes and their families, while making the physical screening process more efficient for volunteer doctors and nurses providing the screenings. The system also provides a secure manner in which to host the de-identified data and use the registry for collaborative population health benefits.
Dr. David Shipon, CEO of AHO explains why these screenings are so important. “The goal through our screening and educational programs is to prevent unnecessary tragedies today and for generations to come.”
Last year, 31 Philadelphia school districts participated in the event and approximately 1,200 student athletes were screened. The AHO screenings found 37 students to be ineligible to play sports and 5 students were found to have heart abnormalities requiring follow-up.
About Athlete Health Organization
The Athlete Health Organization is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization dedicated to protecting underserved student athletes and ensuring they live healthy lives by providing FREE, comprehensive physical screenings at an annual event. To date, volunteer medical professionals have performed over 7,000 FREE comprehensive health screenings, “Keeping Student Athletes in the Game, for Life”.
About Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Inc. (CTCA) is a national network of five hospitals that specialize in the treatment of patients fighting complex or advanced-stage cancer. CTCA offers an integrative approach to cancer treatment that combines surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy with nutritional counseling, naturopathic medicine, mind-body therapy, and spiritual support to enhance quality of life and minimize side effects during treatment. The company serves patients from all 50 states at hospitals located in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa. Known for delivering the Mother Standard® of care and Patient Empowerment Medicine®, CTCA provides patients with comprehensive information about their treatment options so they can participate in their treatment decisions. For more information about CTCA, go to www.cancercenter.com.
