Sports injury satellite clinic opens in Wentworth House

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/pres.jpg” caption=”Thirhse Quigley, Peter George and Colleen Cupido officially open the new satellite clinic for McMasters Sports Injury Clinic and McMaster Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre in Wentworth House. Photo credit: Art Martin”]A satellite clinic for the McMaster Sports Injury Clinic has opened in Wentworth House.

“The creation of the new satellite clinic represents the first phase of our expansion plan,” says Colleen Cupido, clinic manager and physiotherapist. “It will allow us to expand our services to provide quality care to the entire McMaster community in a convenient campus location.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the clinic, located in Rm. 102, on Thursday.

“The satellite clinic will help us nicely bridge the opening of the multi-sports complex, where the sports injury clinic will be held,” said director of Athletics & Recreation Thirhse Quigley, who, along with McMaster President Peter George helped open the satellite clinic. “Over the next two years, the clinic will build a client base that will add to the sports injury clinic when it opens in the new multi-sports complex.”

Over the past five years, the Department of Athletics & Recreation has seen tremendous growth in the area of sport medicine and orthopedic rehabilitation, says Cupido. She adds the clinic has grown from a small athletic therapy room designed to treat varsity athletes to a full service multi-disciplinary clinic that provides the complete management of musculo-skeletal injuries and orthopedic conditions.

“Managing our 'controlled growth' has been challenging, as we have continued to add a number of health care professionals to our staff to meet the ever growing demands of our students and University community.”

She says a lack of adequate space has been the clinic's biggest challenge, making it difficult for them to properly serve patients. As well, many university students and staff have been referred off campus for treatment because of a lack of physical space and resources, she says.

The addition will help the clinic to continue to recruit and retain a highly trained group of physicians and health care professionals, she adds. “This will allow us to offer a multi-disciplinary approach to assessment and treatment of injuries.”

When the University opens its new multi-sports complex and stadium in the fall of 2006, it will mark phase two of the clinic's expansion plan. The two clinics will amalgamate to form a new 4,300-square-foot Sport Medicine Centre. “Our goal is to create a “Centre of Excellence” in Sport Medicine and Orthopedic Rehabilitation,” says Cupido.

“Further physical expansion and development in sport medicine will ultimately allow for our true vision it be realized,” she says. “This will help us achieve international distinction in clinical care, education and research in the field of sport medicine and orthopedic rehabilitation.”