UHealth’s Key West Center of Excellence Extends Service to Local High School Athletes
June 4 was not a typical Saturday for Bruce Boros, M.D., associate professor of clinical medicine, David Schreiber, M.D., associate professor of neurology, Arthur Powell, P.A., and Kathy Budd, A.R.N.P., who spent the day evaluating student athletes at Key West Senior High School.
“We have been doing this for the past seven years, but this year we evaluated 184 student athletes at no charge to the parents or to the school and that was a record number,” said Dr. Boros.
Over the years, Dr. Boros and his team have identified four young people at risk of sudden death, all of whom were successfully treated at University of Miami Hospital.
“I had a one-year anniversary with a student who was diagnosed with a dangerous heart problem, and he is doing great,” Dr. Boros recalled. “All of the teens are living full and active lives without restriction.”
In addition to heart problems, the UHealth Cardiovascular and Neurologic Center of Excellence has identified lung, dental, orthopaedic, hearing and vision problems.
After performing a physical exam, an athlete is either cleared or required to resolve health issues identified during the exam before being cleared. This encourages parents to seek medical treatment for their child before the issue becomes serious – an important mission considering most teens ascribe problems to growing pains or hormonal changes, and prefer not to involve their parents.
“Whatever the reason,” said Dr. Boros, “we are here to help them.”
