Nebraska Medical Clinic Treats Weekend Athletes
An Omaha clinic provides an alternative to regular EDs.
OMAHA, Neb. --
An Omaha clinic is trying to get a handle on strains, shoulder sprains and other sports injuries with free Friday night medical treatment.
A sports injury can knock an athlete or weekend warrior flat on their backs. It's what happens after getting back up that can determine whether the injured player gets back in the game.
On Fridays, the Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital turns itself into a free clinic to diagnose the injuries that are part of the game.
Some injuries require immediate medical assistance but sports medicine coordinator Tom Frette said the clinic can help others.
"Sometimes on a Friday night, emergency rooms can be pretty active and sports injuries might get pushed down the triage line a little bit," Frette said.
He said that coming in on Friday can give players, parents and coaches a quick indication of how bad the injury is.
"We've had a lot of good feedback from folks that come in saying it's a nice resource to be able to come in and rest easy," Frette said.
He said the clinic averages up to 12 patients a week, getting treatment for many different types of injuries.
The Sports Injury Clinic is open at the Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. every Friday night through October.
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