DOCTORS PULL PLUB ON GROUP PHYSICALS

An Associated Press story published Wednesday by the Southeast Missourian reported seven high school football players died last year from heart-related causes.

While none of those deaths occurred in Southeast Missouri, Cape Girardeau doctors are hoping to avoid such a tragedy by ending the mass physical examination program for area high schools which started four years ago.

Despite already setting dates to perform the physicals, local physicians decided late last month to discontinue the program, citing in a letter from Orthopaedic Associates administrator Gerald Nicholson: "The brief nature of athletic exams" did not allow the time "to provide a complete physical."

When reached at his office Thursday, Nicholson said the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, as well as the Academy of Family Physicians recently came out with recommendations for reviewing the practice of athletic physicals.

"What we were doing was very standard practice," Nicholson said. "You give (the athlete) a quick exam and basic check and they're OK.

"But there have been a few young athletes that had heart attacks in other parts of the country and that got both the academies concerned that maybe (the brief physical) wasn't such a good idea."

Dr. David Elliott, CEO of Regional Primary Care in Cape Girardeau, echoed his colleague's sentiment.

Said Elliott: "Some of the medical people were concerned that the depth of the physical was not as extensive as it probably should have been."

Over the past three years, area schools would set a date to have all of their athletes medically screened for the upcoming school year. The discounted rate of $10 for each physical was then donated back to the schools.

While the group physicals were a convenience for the schools, the exams were sometimes rushed and certainly not as thorough as the physicians would have liked.

"It was great for the schools and we were happy to provide the service, but ultimately the concern has to be for the kids," Nicholson said. "I don't think anyone wants even one 14-year-old to go out for football and collapse on the field. While the risk is certainly minimal, it's still there and that's what we're concerned about."

Area athletic directors, while disappointed the program won't continue, certainly understand the position of the doctors.

"It's kind of a catch-22," said Jackson athletic director Kevin Bohnert. "We lose an invaluable service, but at the same time I would hate to have a kid get cleared to play, then all of sudden have a heart murmur ... I don't blame (the doctors) at all."

Neither does Cape Central AD Terry Kitchen, but he is concerned that some of his student-athletes will have a problem paying for the full cost of a $60-$70 physical.

"Lets tell it like it is: We've got some athletes that don't have the income to go in and get a high-priced physical," Kitchen said. "So we're going to have to try to figure out some way we can get our athletes, that do not have enough money, taken care of."

According to Elliott, a discount might be offered for those athletes that would struggle with the full cost.

"I haven't even talked about that, but I don't think that would be a problem," Elliott said. "Most of (the physicals) are discounted anyway because they are paid for by the parent's insurance and we take a hit on that anyway."

Elliott's primary concern right now is making sure the athletes make arrangements as soon as possible to get their individual physical exams. He's concerned that several appointments will me made as fall practices begin in August, causing another crush of examinations.

"They have to have a physical before practice starts," said Elliott. "We want the kids to get a real physical, but not wait until the last minute to do it."

In order to participate in high school athletics, every high school student needs to pass a doctor's physical examination, which last for one full year.

"The only choice we have is for the kids to go out on their own," Bohnert said. "I'll get word to our coaches and they'll just have get this out through word of mouth."