Students and faculty from the UNMC College of Nursing Kearney Division and the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions in Kearney are offering free sports physical exams for current and new athletes who plan to compete in the Special Olympics.
The free event, called West Central MedFest, is open to athletes from the Kearney, Grand Island and Hastings areas who plan to compete in the Special Olympics. The physicals allow athletes to be eligible to compete in the 19 different sports that Special Olympics Nebraska offers year-round.
Competitions are held throughout the state for regional and state events in September and October. In the Kearney area, Central City will host the state equestrian competition on Sept. 10, and Kearney will host a bowling competition at Big Apple Fun Center on Oct. 14.
The physicals will take place Sept. 9 from 8 a.m. to noon in the Health Science Education Complex on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus, 2402 University Drive. The building is equipped with exam rooms used in student education. The complex houses UNMC health science programs.
Students will benefit from the educational and service experience, said Mary Girard, a nursing instructor who facilitates the accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing program at the UNMC College of Nursing Kearney Division.
“This is an opportunity that serves the community while allowing our students to grow their knowledge,” Girard said. “The clients we are hoping to serve may have limited access to care. If any abnormalities or high-risk conditions are identified during the physical, we’ll be able to refer them to a local provider for follow up.”
Twenty-seven students from the UNMC physician assistant, physical therapy and accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing program from Kearney will participate in head-to-toe assessments, which will include vision and hearing screening, vital signs, physical examination and education on several topics such as healthy eating and stretching before activities.
In addition to Girard, students will be joined by physician assistant faculty members, Mia Hyde and Jannelle Reynolds and physical therapy faculty, Tessa Wells and Teresa Cochran.
What a great opportunity for students to work interprofessionally in providing care to these athletes! Thanks to the UNMC faculty in Kearney for pulling all this together.