MedEvent911 Helps Student Athletes Stay Healthy
At MedEvent911, our primary goal is to provide you with the highest level of on-site medical staffing possible. Whether we are providing services at the Senior Olympics, Major League Baseball Games, a local cultural event, or a high school football game, our focus is quick and effective medical response in both emergency and non-emergency situations. With that in mind, a recent story in the local newspaper caught our attention. Four high school soccer players were treated at a local hospital for heat exhaustion. The players were visiting from the northern part of our state which experiences cooler temperatures than our "Valley of the Sun." The article mentioned a lack of understanding about that heat, along with a broken air conditioning unit in the players' van, limited shade at the field and the high activity level of the game may have complicated the situation.
Despite these complications, this was a situation that could have been avoided. Having an EMT or a Paramedic at this event could have diverted heat related issues altogether. In the past, the primary focus on student athletes' safety has been on concussions and other traumatic injuries sustained during games. Coupled with this outdated focus are no formal state regulations or policies requiring high schools to employ athletic trainers. As a result, inconsistencies in how sport injuries are handled have increased and athletes have suffered. Advocates argue that having trained medical professionals on hand decreases the risk of long-term consequences from injuries and helps avoid life-threatening injuries. However, state budget cuts have led to an extreme lack of athletic trainers in schools; rural schools, in particular, have been hard hit.
This is where MedEvent911 can offer a cost effective solution. For less than the annual cost of an athletic trainer, we can provide on-site medical treatment for both players and attendees of games. We currently provide Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and Imagine Prep with an EMT on-site for the duration of their athletic activities. In addition to being very economical, having this resource at events may have completely averted the recent issue with the soccer players and helped the school avoid the negative press.
For more information on how MedEvent911 can help at your event.