Tampa, FL — The University of South Florida's creation of a interdisciplinary center to raise the standard of care for athletes of all ages got a $3-million boost in this year's state budget.
The latest funding builds upon the $500,000 appropriated last year by the Florida Legislature to begin a statewide Sports Medicine & Athletic Related Trauma (SMART) Institute at USF. The interdisciplinary center promoting the health and safety of athletes through education, research and clinical care will be housed in USF Health's Center for Advanced Healthcare-North, an outpatient facility expected to open on the Tampa campus in 2008.
"SMART will enable Florida to be a leader in optimizing the benefits of physical activity --sports, athletics and exercise ~ through an approach that emphasizes evidence-based prevention and care," said Stephen Klasko, MD, MBA, dean of the USF College of Medicine and vice president for USF Health.
"The Institute's ongoing work will be relevant to anyone who participates in sports or exercise," said SMART Director Larry Lemak, MD, a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon and pioneer in sports medicine who joined the Institute last year. "That includes students playing team sports, weekend warriors, aging baby boomers exercising to keep fit, and professional athletes striving to maintain their competitive peak."
"We have a deep appreciation for the outstanding talent in USF Health, and we're extremely fortunate in athletics to receive the rewards of that talent," said USF Director of Athletics Doug Woolard. "The research, education and clinical care at SMART will provide USF student-athletes with unparalleled sports medicine benefits, improving their lives and assisting them in performing to their full ability."
The Institute will expand its community outreach by providing certified athletic trainers to Hillsborough County high schools and by offering a nationally-recognized sports safety training program called PREPARE to more coaches at all levels of competition, said Eric Coris, MD, assistant professor and director of the USF Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. In addition, Dr. Coris said, the funding will help the Institute strengthen its sports medicine research, including projects focusing on heat illness, female athletes, sudden cardiac death in athletes, pediatric sports injuries, and biomechanics and injury prevention. The Institute will work with the USF College of Public Health to establish the first statewide pediatric sports injury registry.
Over the past year, Dr. Lemak and Dr. Coris have worked with William S. Quillen, PT, PhD, professor and director of the USF School of Physical Therapy, to lay the foundation for the SMART Institute. This year, the Institute will build upon its collaboration between USF Health and staff at the Athletics Department and School of Physical Education, Wellness and Sports Studies.
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