Spring 2005

St. John’s teams with Springfield Cardinals

The Ozarks’ newest “boys of summer” – the Springfield Cardinals baseball team – have chosen St. John’s as their official sports medicine provider.

St. John’s Sports Medicine team, led by Brian Mahaffey, M.D., will provide the Springfield Cards a wide range of services, including performance enhancement and fitness programs, injury rehabilitation and prevention education, as well as medical and emergency medical service coverage at home games.

Mahaffey, orthopedists Thomas Kelso, M.D. and Richard Seagrave, M.D., will rotate to provide medical coverage of the games.

“We felt St. John’s was one of the best sports medicine providers in the state, especially considering the medical support they give the SMSU teams,” says Matt Gifford, Springfield Cardinals vice president and general manager.

FIRST TO PROVIDE COVERAGE

St. John’s was the first to provide sports medicine coverage in the region with the opening of the Midwest Sports Medicine Center in 1991. Two years later, St. John’s teamed with Southwest Missouri State University in a progressive partnership that still includes on-site medical coverage and injury care at area sporting events, daily medical coverage at practices, games, tournaments and other large events by certified athletic trainers placed in area schools, recreational teams or leagues.

St. John’s has since expanded its sports medicine services to include an official Olympic training facility and program at St. John’s HealthTracks Sports Training Center and expanded injury rehabilitation capabilities at St. John’s Sports Medicine facility, located at Seminole and Fremont. A 20,000-square-foot addition, which will include a Swim-Ex pool, is currently under construction at the facility.

PUTTING EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE TO USE

“Our relationship with the Springfield Cardinals allows St. John’s to put our years of experience and expertise gained from our partnerships with SMSU and area high schools to use in the professional sports arena,” Mahaffey says. “We are excited to bring our passion for injury prevention and rehabilitation to the Springfield Cardinals and are very happy to have the opportunity to work closely with other members of the Cardinals’ medical team, both in Springfield and in St. Louis.”

Mahaffey, a primary care physician with a certificate of added qualifications in sports medicine, has served as the team physician for SMSU athletics for the past seven years. He is also the medical director of St. John’s Sports Medicine, which includes four fitness and rehabilitation facilities and a team of orthopedic surgeons and primary care physicians specializing in sports medicine and non-surgical orthopedic care.

“The players will have access to St. John’s Fitness Centers and St. John’s HealthTracks for workouts and performance enhancement. In the event a player is injured, he’ll do his rehabilitation at St. John’s Sports Medicine center on the main campus,” Mahaffey says. “Our athletic trainers and physicians anticipate mostly upper-extremity injuries and ankle sprains from baseball players.”

St. John’s Sports Medicine Center has 10 certified athletic trainers on staff. St. John’s Clinic – HealthTracks employs three strength trainers, one speed trainer and three certified athletic trainers.

St. John’s will also offer its services to attendees of Cardinals games by providing EMS and paramedic services at the 70 Cardinals games this season.

About St. John’s Sports Medicine

St. John’s – SMS Midwest Sports Medicine
2135 S. Fremont

• Thomas Kelso, MD, PhD
  Team Orthopedist, SMSU
  Team Physician Springfield Cardinals
   
• Brian Mahaffey, MD, MSPH
  Certificate of added qualifications, Primary Care Sports Medicine
  Team Physician, SMSU
  Director, St. John’s Sports Medicine
  Team Physician, Springfield Cardinals
   
• Scott McMurray, MD
  Team Orthopedist, SMSU
   
• Richard Seagrave, MD
  Team Orthopedist, SMSU
  Medical Director, St. John’s – SMS Midwest Sports Medicine
  Team Physician Springfield Cardinals

St. John’s HealthTracks Sports Training Center
4331 S. Fremont

• Michael Goler, MD
  Certificate of added qualifications, Primary Care Sports Medicine
   
• Bernard Griesemer, MD
  Certificate of added qualifications, Primary Care Sports Medicine
  Medical Director, HealthTracks Sports Training Center
  Board Chairman, Greater Springfield Community Olympic Development Committee

St. John’s Fitness Centers
202 E. Walnut Lawn, Springfield;
701 N. Taylor Way, Nixa

• Lance Luria, MD
  Medical Director
   
• Hong Tjoa, MD
  Cardiology Medical Advisor