When it comes to athletics, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and McNeese State University have had an important partnership for more than 30 years, beginning with the formation of an athletic training program, and augmented through the years by Memorial’s Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Program, and the LSUHSC Family Medicine Residency Program and Family Practice Clinic at Memorial.
Considered by many to be the sports medicine leader in southwest Louisiana, David Drez, Jr., MD, a board certified orthopedic surgeon on staff with Memorial Hospital, began actively recruiting athletic trainers for McNeese in 1975.
“But sports medicine is more than the prevention and management of injuries,” said Dr. Drez, “Sports Medicine also deals with illnesses and diseases that might affect athletes’ health and physical performance, as well as their longevity as athletes. And the health professionals with Memorial’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Program bring a diversity of skills that also includes exercise physiology, physical therapy, primary care, sports psychology, and nutrition.”
Those health professionals include a dedicated team of physicians, nurses, athletic trainers, and physical, occupational and exercise therapists, who manage both the wellness and treatment aspects of this program, and orthopedic specialists Scott Hofer, MD, Nathan Cohen, MD and Dennis Walker, MD, and rehabilitation expert Tim Miller, MD, who are on staff at Memorial.
To complement the orthopedic aspect, faculty members and residents with the Louisiana State University Health Services Center-New Orleans Family Medicine Residency Program at Memorial were recruited to provide additional support. Dr. Bryan Barootes, a faculty member with the LSUHSC Family Medicine Residency Program, serves as a team physician for women’s athletics and coordinates pre-participation physicals for southwest Louisiana high school athletes; and third year residents, Dr. Jason Egloff and Dr. Brian Harrell, serve as associate team physicians for women’s athletics. Faculty members, Alan LeBato, MD, and Jay Soileau, MD, and their residents conduct the semi-annual sports physicals for approximately 800 high school athletes, and the LSUHSC Family Practice Clinic provides comprehensive care for McNeese athletes—in addition to staffing the university infirmary.
“Just as Memorial Hospital has grown and rededicated itself to serving the needs of southwest Louisiana, it has been a natural progression for us to grow our orthopedic and sports medicine program with state-of-the-art diagnostics and innovative treatment and rehabilitation techniques,” said Dr. Drez. “The announcement of Memorial as the Official Healthcare & Sports Medicine Provider for McNeese Athletics is just another facet of our partnership to provide superior sports medicine for the athletes of southwest Louisiana.”
As part of the Memorial and McNeese Athletic partnership, Memorial’s logo will be added to all athletic training shirts and equipment, and Memorial will have a presence at sponsored men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, women’s soccer, volleyball and football games.
In addition, the hospital will become an integral part of the education of McNeese athletes through regular health seminars.