It won’t be long before Friday night lights shine at the Citrus Bowl at Vero Beach High School and Pirate Stadium at St. Edward’s School on the island. Each time players take the field in either stadium, there will be a second team in attendance – the doctors from Pro Sports medicine who show up at every game to administer aid if an injury occurs.
Dr. Peter Wernicki, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, heads up the team of skilled sports medicine practitioners. He’s joined by colleagues Dr. Ron Robinson, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon; Dr. Marcus Malone, board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician; and Worthington Keville, board-certified physician assistant.
“I’ve been the team physician for St. Edward’s High School for 30 years and Vero Beach High School for about 15 years,” Dr. Wernicki said. “The rest of our team came on board as they joined our practice. All four of us will be on the sidelines, and if both teams are playing on the same night, we’ll split up – two per game. We were all sports players in our youth and recognize the importance of team sports for character building as well as athleticism. We saw a need in the community and have the ability to fulfill it.”
The physicians offer their services for free, not only on the field but for follow-up visits if necessary. Some of the student-athletes are not insured or underinsured, but that does not stop the doctors from providing treatment. Their goal is to take care of the kids and get them off to college safely.
Generally speaking, if a player gets hurt on the field, the first line of assessment comes from the team trainer. Frequently it’s a cramp or something that can be handled right on the field.
If more help is needed and the trainer feels he can safely get the injured player to the sidelines, he will do that. If he can’t, he’ll waive the doctors over.
“I deal with a lot of kids with concussion protocols, which is a really big thing right now,” Dr. Malone explained. “It’s my job to access the player for a brain injury to make sure he is qualified to get back on the field. If someone gets hit on the field, I have them do simple math, simple recall and simple coordination skills. If they have symptomatic headaches or blurry vision, they have to sit out. I will reassess them 10 to 20 minutes after the injury and if they are still symptomatic, I pull them out of the game.
“It’s not like the old days when you were hit and hurt, and you go back in. We know more and we proceed with caution. The coaches leave the call to us whether the athlete can play or not.”
Dr. Wernicki and Dr. Robinson assess injured knees, ankles, shoulders, necks and any other part of the body that’s hurt. Sometimes they administer aid on the field before the player even gets up. They’ve relocated shoulders and elbows on the spot because that is usually the easiest time to do it.
“We also help players from other schools if they don’t have a team doctor,” Dr. Robinson said. “If we are on the sidelines and a player from the opposing team gets hurt, they’ll call us out. We’re here to help all the kids, not just our own.”
Wernicki said he and his colleagues took care of the L.A. Dodgers when they were in town for spring training, as well as a couple minor league teams that trained in Vero. Since then, they often treat players training at Historic Dodgertown.
“For a few months a year we’ll have 300-pound football players waiting in the office with little old ladies here for arthritis,” Dr. Wernicki said. “It keeps things interesting.”
Before the start of school, the Pro Sports team sets up in the high school gym where they offer free physicals for any school athlete.
“It’s all about the kids,” Dr. Robinson explained. “We donate our time and expertise because we want to make sure they can get a physical even if they aren’t financially able to pay. Our reward is seeing the kids thrive. I’ve seen a lot of kids become interested in medicine through their injuries and the process of going through recovery. If they show an interest, we’ll invite them to shadow us.”
“It’s also about building relationships with the kids,” Dr. Malone continued. “We like the camaraderie with the kids and want them to be comfortable talking to us and willing to come to us if there is a problem. We strive to be mentors and role models as well as doctors.”
“The bottom line is that we want them to play, but we want them to play safe,” Dr. Wernicki added. “The kids are great. They are genuine and polite. The coaches put a lot of effort into making kids not just good athletes but good citizens. We try to do the same things. Sports oftentimes helps them get to college.”
During regular office hours the Pro Sports doctors provide a full array of orthopaedic services, including diagnostic imaging and testing, physical therapy, injection therapy, regenerative medicine and surgical procedures. They try to see someone with an injury the same day, oftentimes avoiding a visit to the emergency room.
Pro Sports is located at 1355 37th St., Vero Beach. Call 772-978-7808 or visit www.prosportsandeliterehab.com to learn more about the services offered or to schedule an appointment.