For the 13th consecutive year, Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS) is offering the free Sports Screening Program to local youth.  Licking County student-athletes entering grades 7 through 12, and students from C-TEC’s Criminal Justice, Fire and Physical Therapy programs are eligible to attend.  

As part of the LMHS Sports Screening Program, electrocardiograms (EKGs) and echocardiograms are provided at no cost to students entering grades 7, 9 and 11.  The painless EKG displays the heart’s electrical impulses and the echocardiogram screens the functioning of the heart’s valves and muscles.  These screening tests can identify heart conditions that place the athlete at risk for a sudden cardiac death even when there are no symptoms.  

Another key component of the LMHS Sports Screening Program is the ImPACT (Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) baseline concussion test, which also is available to student-athletes entering grades 7, 9 and 11 who participate in a contact sport and do not have testing available at their school.  ImPACT is a computerized evaluation system that assesses the brain’s cognitive functions, such as memory, attention span and reaction times, to establish a cognitive baseline.  If a concussion is suspected following an acute head injury, an athlete should be examined by a primary care or emergency room physician.  The ImPACT test is re-administered within 24 to 72 hours after the injury and the new, post-injury results are compared to the baseline computer test.  The difference in the two scores, along with serial examinations, help physicians determine the amount of time that the athlete will need in order to make a safe, full recovery.  

LMHS also offers free pre-participation physical examinations to student-athletes in grades 7 through 12, which the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) requires annually of all student-athletes.  The pre-participation screening will be completed by LMHS medical personnel.  Students who have had a checkup with a primary care physician within the past year may submit the OHSAA form to the primary care physician’s office to have it signed.  In such cases, eligible students may participate in the heart or concussion screenings without receiving a pre-participation physical exam.  

Screening dates are available beginning in May and participation is limited to the first 80 registrants each night of the program.  Registration is required in advance and may be completed online at www.LMHealth.org/SportsScreenings.  After registering, a packet of forms will be available to print out from the website.  Additionally, any student who requires a sports physical must bring a completed pre-participation evaluation form, which can be the 6-page paper form or a PrivIT Profile from the OHSAA website (www.ohsaa.org), or an equivalent school form.  A parent/custodial guardian must be present at the LMHS Sports Screening Program and have all necessary completed forms available at check-in to ensure their student can participate on their scheduled night.

Please email sportsphysicals@LMHealth.org for more information or with any questions you may have about the LMHS Sports Screening Program.