What is HELPS?
HELPS stands for Healthy sports Enhancement through Learning, Prevention and Scholarships.
EntireCare Rehab & Sports Medicine’s HELPS program offers high school athletes in the Verde Valley a comprehensive physical evaluation to help prevent injuries. The program makes sports physicals, injury prevention and care management accessible to local high schools students. The goal for HELPS healthcare providers and volunteers is to prevent injuries and enhance performance for all Verde Valley athletes. We want athletes to achieve their personal best.
The vision of the program is to bring together local healthcare experts to offer comprehensive screenings for athletes. EntireCare has formed collaborative partnerships with community healthcare providers and specialists to offer one-day multidisciplinary health checks and physicals to local athletes, ensuring they are in proper health to meet the demands of their individual sports. These healthcare providers include cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, ophthalmologist, physical therapists and respiratory therapists.
Annual HELPS sports physicals event
To keep kids healthy and safe, EntireCare holds an annual event each spring providing extensive sports physicals to student athletes from Camp Verde, Cottonwood and Sedona. The event is open to all incoming freshmen through senior high school athletes.
Parents need to complete a physical consent and history form. Services include educating athletes about injuries and injury prevention. The extensive sports physicals, the first of its kind in the area, incorporate multiple screenings and tests which may include:
- General physical by medical doctors, nurse practitioners or physician assistants.
- Musculoskeletal screening by an orthopedic specialist.
- Vision screening by a board-certified ophthalmologist.
- Cardiac screening by cardiology team members.
- Functional test for existing knee injuries, anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injuries or shoulder injuries by a physical therapist.
- Respiratory screening by respiratory team members.
- Impact neurological, or baseline concussion, screening.
*Tests may vary depending on availability of providers at each event.