Hospital, school partner to support Iowa student athletes

Student athletes in Crawford County, Iowa, are getting support for injuries and help returning to sports, thanks to a partnership between the area’s high school and Crawford County Memorial Hospital’s rehabilitation services.

Physical therapist Kelly Wieman is the critical access hospital’s director of rehabilitation services and the wife of a Denison High School soccer coach. Wieman, whose responsibilities include physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, speech therapy and athletic training, has helped unofficially from the sidelines for several years at the 700-student school. The need for support quickly became apparent: At the first football game she attended, injuries included an ACL tear, a head injury and a shoulder dislocation. 

Increasing concern about athletes’ concussions, sprains and other injuries sparked a conversation between hospital CEO Erin Muck and the county’s school superintendent about a greater role for physical therapy and the need for a full-time athletic trainer. Together, the partners found a way to share the responsibility: The hospital would provide the athletic training coordinator, while the school would supply equipment and space.

Sarah Ahrenholtz, a former Denison student and now an athletic trainer, was hired to not only help students with minor sprains and corrective exercises, but also answer questions about how to prevent injuries and offer a listening ear. 

Wieman noted the partnership makes it easier and less costly for students to get appropriate support as they work toward returning to play. The athletic trainer also helps families understand when to seek care from a provider and how to navigate options such as the emergency department or hospital clinic.