Clinic provides free injury care for students

Students looking for injury treatments or preventive care this academic year can look no further than the free Injury Care Clinic on the Allendale Campus.

Shari Bartz-Smith, Injury Care Clinic director, said the primary services provided include: first aid, injury evaluation, basic treatments and rehabilitation, professional referrals and preventive measures, such as taping, bracing and stretching.

The clinic opened in 2014 after seven years of planning and development. It currently serves the more than 1,900 club sport athletes and more than 4,000 recreational athletes at Grand Valley.

Located in the Athletic Training Laboratory (room 145) in the Fieldhouse, the clinic is currently operating for its fourth semester. Bartz-Smith said in the first three semesters, about 1,600 patients visited the clinic.

“Prior to the clinic opening, the only choice students had was to see a physician, and many times students would report that they went to an emergency room for injuries such as a sprained ankle, which can be very costly,” Bartz-Smith said. “The Injury Care Clinic offers a place for free professional advice for students regarding their injuries and parents can have peace of mind knowing there is someplace their children can go for help.”

The clinic not only serves the student body at Grand Valley, but also faculty and staff. Bartz-Smith added even a few individuals from the surrounding communities have utilized the clinic’s free services.

The Injury Care Clinic is a partnership among the Movement Science Department, Campus Recreation, Student Life and Metro Health Sports Medicine.

During the academic year, the clinic is open from 2-6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesdays.

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/icc.