The halls of North Fulton Hospital were bustling this past Saturday morning as high school athletes, dancers, and marching band members took advantage of a free sports physical offering.  After five busy hours, approximately 200 students had been seen.

In order to be cleared for participation in certain physically-demanding activities, local high school students are required to be cleared by a physician.  North Fulton Hospital along with Resurgens Orthopaedics hosted this event on Saturday, April 24^th, which gave students the chance to be seen by an orthopedist, an ophthalmologist, a primary care physician, and North Fulton Hospital nurses.

The physicals were set up such that the students would move from station to station without significant delay.  Jeffrey Albert, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Resurgens Orthopaedics, gave some of his time to help with the physicals.  “That was one of the most efficient ways to do high school physicals that I have seen,” he explained.  Once the students checked in they were seen by an orthopedist.  From there they were sent to a separate room where NFH employees and nurses took their height, weight and blood pressure.  The students then proceeded to the ophthalmologist who checked their vision, and then finally to an exam room to see a medical doctor for the final sign off.  “The physicals went very smoothly,” Russell Sabrin, MD, also with Resurgens Orthopaedics, said.  “The parents were very appreciative.”

Several physicians participated in this event, making it the success that it became.  These physicians included:

Opthalmology

• Ajit Nemi, MD

Orthopedics

• Jeffrey Albert, MD
• Herschel Beker, MD
• Dale Lane, MD
• John Mowbray, MD
• Russell Sabrin, MD
• Jason Schneider, MD

 Primary Care

• Michael Lipscomb, MD
• Joseph Dearie, MD
• William St. Amant, MD
• Ed Malcom, MD
• Rolf Meinhold, MD
• Terence Moraczewski, MD

North Fulton Hospital appreciates the work put in by all of these physicians to help ensure that each student received a thorough evaluation.

The feedback the parents provided at the event revealed that this event should be annual.  “As a nurse and a mother of three athletes, I know the importance of these physicals,” said Cindy Hardy, Physician Liaison at North Fulton Hospital and Milton High School parent.  “Like all parents, I want my children to have fun doing what they love, but I want them to stay safe doing it.”

North Fulton Hospital (NFH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 202-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell.  Opened in 1983, NFH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers.  NFH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology.  The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.