Making the Right Play: Holland Hospital Offers New Sports Injury Care Finder for National Back to School Month

HOLLAND, Mich., Aug. 24, 2023 — As students head back to the classroom this month, many student athletes also are gearing up for fall sports during National Back to School Month. Holland Hospital (HH) understands that sometimes when athletes give their all on the field or court, injury is unavoidable. Parents, guardians or coaches can make the right play by using a new Sports Injury Care Finder to help their athlete find proper treatment with an easy online tool that came as a result of a recent HH Shoreline Orthopaedics Sports Medicine collaboration.

With just a few clicks, users are asked a series of questions related to their injury, including a brief symptom identification process, before being given direction to receive the best care for their specific injury.

“The Sports Injury Care Finder simplifies the process for people to get care,” explained Courtney Erickson-Adams, MD, Holland Hospital Sports Medicine – Primary Care. “We wanted treatment to be more accessible by directing patients where to go first to treat their injury.”

According to a study by the CDC, an estimated 2.7 million high school athletes reported injuries due to school sports between 2010 and 2016. That same study found sprains and strains or dislocations accounted for the largest percentage (28.1%) of emergency department visits by sports injury patients aged 5–24 years, followed by other or unspecified injuries (22.6%) and fractures (18.0%).

Dr. Erickson-Adams said those statistics align with what she typically sees here in West Michigan. She said concussions from football and cheerleading are big this time of the year, as are knee injuries and overuse injuries such as strains or sprains. “Following any injury, student-athletes should see their athletic trainer first, if they have one,” she suggests. If that level of care doesn’t exist, the Sports Injury Care Finder is a quick and easy tool that students, coaches, or parents can utilize to figure out the next steps.

The Sports Injury Care Finder isn’t only for student-athletes, adults can also benefit from the easy-to-use tool. She explained that for those who don’t have access to a first-round responder, the resource follows a flow chart to direct them to get the care they need. “We tried to make it as clear as possible for what someone should do in numerous circumstances,” she said.

Launched in spring 2023, Holland Hospital’s Sports Injury Care Finder aims to simplify the process of finding appropriate care during what is often a stressful situation following a sports-related injury.

To learn more visit hollandhospital.org/sportsmed.

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