CLEARWATER, Fla. (June 22, 2009) — The new USF-Morton Plant Mease Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship will start its first fellow next month after recently receiving full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Fellows are doctors who are receiving specialized graduate medical education in a subspecialty. They already have completed medical school and graduate training, or residency, in a primary specialty.

“We’re delighted to be able to train more doctors for careers in sports medicine,” said Dr. Eric Coris, director of the University of South Florida’s Sports Medicine Division, co-director of the fellowship, and associate professor of family medicine. “With a population that is aging but also more active, there’s an incredible need for more physicians who can care for people with athletic injuries and help them stay healthy and active.”

The fellowship program will be based at the Turley Family Health Center in Clearwater. The health center, operated by Morton Plant Mease, provides comprehensive health care services to a diverse group of patients without regard to a patient’s ability to pay.

“The program will offer the fellows the opportunity to learn in various training environments,” said Dr. Sean Bryan, co-director of the fellowship and a USF affiliate associate professor of family medicine.

“This is a best of both worlds situation,” Dr. Bryan said. “Imagine having the resources of a strong community health system and a major academic health center at your disposal.”
Fellows will receive training from USF primary care sports medicine faculty as well as from USF and community orthopedic surgeons, cardiologists, other specialists and allied health professionals, Dr. Bryan said.

“We understand that to provide the best care for athletes, you need a multi-disciplinary team approach,” he said.

As part of their training, the fellows will help support community sports events and activities, including the St. Anthony’s Triathlon and the Morton Plant Mease Triathlon. They’ll also help care for students in USF Athletics, under the supervision of USF faculty members.

“We’re fortunate to have access to a wide range of athletes in high school, Division I college, professional baseball, football and multiple triathlons. This will provide significant depth to our training,” Dr. Bryan said.

Core faculty members for the fellowship will include: Dr. Bryan; Dr. Coris; Dr. Ted Farrar, associate director of the fellowship; and Dr. Michelle Pescasio, assistant director of the fellowship.

The USF College of Medicine created the USF Sports Medicine Institute, which is dedicated to caring for athletes of all ages and skill levels, as well as people who are physically active at home and at work. The institute’s providers offer diagnosis and treatment of all athletic injuries, as well as expert pre-sports participation exams.

Nationally recognized for health care excellence, Morton Plant Mease Health Care is dedicated to providing community owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. Morton Plant Mease Health Care is comprised of the following hospitals – Morton Plant, Clearwater; Mease Dunedin, Dunedin; Mease Countryside, Safety Harbor and Morton Plant North Bay, New Port Richey.

About USF Health
USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and public health; the schools of biomedical sciences as well as physical therapy & rehabilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With more than $360 million in research grants and contracts last year, USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

About Morton Plant Mease
Nationally recognized for health care excellence, Morton Plant Mease Health Care is dedicated to providing community owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. Morton Plant Mease Health Care is comprised of the following hospitals – Morton Plant, Clearwater; Mease Dunedin, Dunedin; Mease Countryside, Safety Harbor and Morton Plant North Bay, New Port Richey.