TUCSON, Ariz. (July 24, 2024) – Thanks to a sponsorship from the Tucson Conquistadores, Banner – University Medicine Sports Medicine & Orthopedics will provide no-cost sports physicals and concussion testing for middle and high school student athletes in Southern Arizona. The event will be held on Friday, July 26, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Cole & Jeannie Davis Sports Center indoor practice facility at 640 N. National Championship Drive on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson.
During the event, the Tucson Conquistadores Foundation will present the Banner Health Foundation with a $25,000 check to fund the sports physicals within the community. The check presentation will take place between 2:00-2:30 p.m.
Banner Health has expanded its youth sports medicine services with outreach to underserved communities to offer no-cost physicals through its Game On: Youth Athlete Support Fund.
The Banner – University Medicine Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Concussion team has partnered with the Tucson Unified School District to identify and register nearly 1,000 student athletes to receive the following services during the event:
- Sports Physicals: Preliminary assessments are required across Arizona for middle and high-school students to participate in athletics, yet many parents cannot afford to pay for them.
- ImPACT Testing: The Banner – University Medicine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Specialists take a comprehensive approach to concussion care by providing baseline concussion testing for children and adults to identify neurocognitive, balance, fine motor, and visual integration issues.
WHAT/WHEN: Friday, July 26, 2024, from 1 - 5 p.m. sports physicals and ImPACT Testing;
Check presentation from 2:00- 2:30 p.m. with Banner Health, Tucson Conquistadores Foundation and Banner – University Medicine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine representatives on-site for interviews.
WHERE: Cole & Jeannie Davis Sports Center indoor practice and training facility, 640 N. National Championship Drive, Tucson, AZ 85719.
Best Parking: Media may park in the main lot, outside the center’s entrance.
WHY: Injuries are an inherent part of any youth sports program. However, preventative programs, like those being funded by the Tucson Conquistadores, can decrease injury rates by up to 50%.
Many contact sports, such as football, soccer, hockey, and wrestling, involve a risk of concussion. Nearly one in four American teens has suffered at least one concussion.
The “Game On: Youth Athlete Support Fund” covers the cost of sports physicals and concussion testing for underserved students who would otherwise be unable to pay for these services and safely compete with their fellow students.
WHO: Banner Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Banner Health, and the Tucson Conquistadores Foundation.
VISUALS and INTERVIEWS:
- 20 tents set up on a 100-yard indoor football field to administer physicals and concussion testing to nearly 1,000 student athletes.
- Check presentation with Tucson Conquistadores representatives at 2:00 p.m. within the indoor football field facility.
About Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and South
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and Banner – University Medical Center South are part of Banner – University Medicine, a premier academic medical network. These institutions are academic medical centers for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Included on the two campuses are Diamond Children's Medical Center and many specialty clinics. The two academic medical centers are part of Arizona-based Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/universitytucson or bannerhealth.com/universitysouth.
About Banner Health Foundation
Established in 2001, the Banner Health Foundation engages the community and stewards charitable contributions to advance Banner Health’s nonprofit mission of making health care easier so life can be better. Contributions are invested locally to support patient care programs and services operated by Banner’s many hospitals and health care facilities across Arizona. For more information, please visit www.bannerhealthfoundation.org.
For further information contact us at: [email protected]