Sports Medicine Policies & Procedures
The Sports medicine department is organized to provide high quality medical care to all student-athletes within intercollegiate athletic program. The health and well-being of the student-athlete is our primary goal by means of prevention, recognition, management, and rehabilitation of injuries that result from physical activity.
Sports Medicine Facility
The Sports Medicine Department is located in the northwest corner of Calihan Hall. Staff availability and limitations may vary dependant upon athletic team practice, competition, travel and the personal schedules of the sports medicine staff. We ask that all student-athletes/coaches respect the hours of operation and communicate any special needs to best accommodate their team/class schedule.
School Hours Summer Schedule
M – F: 8:30 am to 5:00pm M –: 9:00am to 4:30pm Sat – Sun:Practice/Game/Appt. Only Sat – Sun: Appt. Only
Phone: 313-993-1740
Fax: 313-993-1741
Sports Medicine Facility Rules
• Respect all sports medicine staff for the hard work and dedication they do to help you succeed as a student-athlete.
• The Sports Medicine Department is not an excuse to be late for class, practice, meeting, etc. Remember lack of planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency.
• Athletes must shower prior to treatment.
• Proper attired should be worn to accommodate injury evaluations, treatment, and rehabilitation. Remember this is a co-ed facility, dress appropriately.
• Please leave bags, equipment, etc. in your assigned locker. Avoid any unnecessary clutter.
• No loitering, horseplay, improper language or any other unnecessary confusion.
• All athletes requiring an injury evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation must check in with a staff member for proper documentation. Please ask when you need assistance and be patient until we are able to assist you. • There will be no self-treatment. The sports medicine staff will apply all
modalities, taping, bandaging, etc. ALWAYS ASK FOR HELP.
• All athletes receiving treatment/rehab are required to report for morning treatment, all rehab will be completed in the morning. Always follow through with treatment until dismissed by your athletic trainer.
• Do not take any equipment or supplies from the Sports Medicine department without prior approval of a staff member. Any equipment issued to an athlete must be returned upon completion of its usage. Any equipment not returned may be billed to the student-athletes account. (i.e. braces, immobilizers, boots, crutches, etc.)
• Always clean up after yourself: pick up used towels, disinfect tables/equipment after use, tape, dispose of trash, etc. Please respect our area.
Sports Medicine Personnel
The sports medicine staff consists of a Team Physician, the Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer, 2 full-time Assistant Athletic Trainers, 3 Graduate/Intern Assistant Athletic Trainers, and various consultants in the field of Sports Medicine. All athletic teams will be assigned an Athletic Trainer as their primary contact, however all athletic trainers are available to assist the student-athletes. Any appointments for the Team Physician will be made through the athletic training staff, and any referrals to consulting physicians will be made by the Team Physician. The Team Physician supervises the status of all athletes referred to other consulting physicians and has the final authority with regard to all medical disqualification, treatment, rehabilitation and return to participation. Any medical treatment/care not approved by the Sports Medicine Staff is the sole judgment and responsibility of the student-athlete. The student-athlete must produce all documentation of medical services received and will need to present this information to the Team Physician prior to any treatment, rehabilitation, or participation in intercollegiate athletic abilities at the University of Detroit Mercy.
Athletic Participation
It is a requirement by the NCAA and the University of Detroit Mercy's policy that all student-athletes have a physical or medical appraisal performed annually. All incoming freshmen and transfer student-athletes are REQUIRED to have a physical examination by the Team Physician or a member of his medical staff prior to any athletic participation in any intercollegiate sport. Freshman, transfer
student-athletes, and new cheerleaders who do not attend their assigned physical date and time may be financially responsible to obtain a physical from our Team Physician at his medical office. Returning student-athletes will be REQUIRED to have a medical appraisal performed by a member of the sports medicine staff prior to athletic participation in intercollegiate sports. The student-athlete must present a valid insurance card prior to or at the annual physical/health appraisal.
The Team Physician supervises the status of all athletes referred to other consulting physicians and has the final authority with regard to all medical disqualification, treatment, rehabilitation and return to participation. Any medical treatment/care not approved by the Sports Medicine staff is the sole judgment and responsibility of the student-athlete. The student-athlete must produce all documentation of medical services received and will need to present this information to the Team Physician prior to any treatment, rehabilitation, or participation in intercollegiate athletic activities at the University of Detroit Mercy. The Team Physician will determine whether to permit a handicapped student-athlete to participate in intercollegiate student-athletes. The Team Physician will also determine whether a student-athlete is allowed to participate in team practice or athletic competitions after an illness or athletic injury. In the absence of the Team Physician, the athletic trainer will make all such medical decisions.
Athletic Try-Out
Any students who want to try-out for Fencing, Cheerleading, or any other varsity sport must sign the Walk-On athletic candidate agreement form, as well as obtain written authorization from a PHYSICIAN stating that the potential walk-on student athlete is cleared to participate in intercollegiate athletics without any restrictions or limitations.
Physicals performed by a nurse practitioner or any other medical provider are NOT ACCEPTABLE. If the candidate is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must co-sign the agreement before he/she is allowed to do any physical activity. Proof of medical insurance is required prior to the try-out. Once the walk-on student-athlete passes the tryout, he/she must obtain a physical from our Team Physician or one of his medical associates.
Athletic Participation and Risk of Injury
Participation in collegiate sports requires an acceptance of risk of injury. Student-athletes rightfully assume that those who are responsible for the conduct of the sport they participate in have taken reasonable precautions to minimize the risk of significant athletic injury. Periodic analysis of injury patterns continuously leads to refinements and changes in the rules and/or other safety guidelines. However, while often necessary, implementing safety via the rule book and equipment standards alone from organizations such as the NCAA is seldom effective. To rely on officials to enforce compliance within the rulebook is not enough. Relying on warning labels to produce behavioral compliance with the safety guidelines is also inadequate. Compliance means respect on all parties allowed (athlete, coach, athletic trainer, physician, athletic director) for the intent and purpose of rules and guidelines.
Student-athletes should understand and adhere to the rules and standards that govern their individual sports. Coaches should properly explain to the student-athlete the risks of injury and the rules and practices that they should employ to minimize the student-athlete’s risk of significant injury when engaging in sports participation. Whenever possible, the athletic trainers and team physician on staff are responsible for the prevention of athletic injuries and the medical care of those athletic injuries which do occur.
The athletic program is responsible for providing the safest possible environment. Consequently, the student-athlete and the athletic program have a mutual need for an informed awareness of the risks being accepted and for sharing the responsibility for minimizing those risks.
The NCAA and UDM have adopted the following policy for all sports: Aggressive treatment of open wounds or skin lesions should be followed. In particular, whenever a student-athlete suffers a laceration or wound where oozing or bleeding occurs, the team practice or athletic competition should be stopped at the earliest possible time. The student-athlete should leave the field of play and be given appropriate medical treatment. The student-athlete should not return to the game or practice without approval of medical personnel.
NCAA and the UDM Athletic Accident Insurance Policies
The NCAA rules state that the Athletic Department is responsible for medical services administered to student-athletes who are injured in team practices or athletic competitions which fall under the coach’s supervision. The word “injury” only applies to those problems that are caused by athletic participation only during this period of time. When Athletic injuries do occur, we attempt to provide our student-athletes with the best possible medical care and treatment. Medical bills are incurred when a student-athlete is treated locally, during athletic competitions away from campus, or by a medical vendor in his/her own local home area. The removal of tonsils or appendix by surgical procedure is examples of medical problems for which the Athletic Department cannot be responsible. According to NCAA Rules and Regulations, participation in athletics will not cause medical conditions such as these. As a result, UDM cannot be responsible for their treatment.
Under NCAA rules, the Athletic Department also cannot be responsible for medical services or fees incurred during the time a student-athlete is out of competitive season. The athletic trainers, however, always will be available for medical consultation and treatment during the off-season. Therefore, our secondary athletic accident insurance policy does not cover the following situations and/or circumstances:
• Athletic Injuries or Illnesses that are pre-existing in nature • Chronic or Overuse Injuries
• Medical Illnesses such as Mononucleosis, Strep Throat, Influenza, etc. • Athletic Injuries that are not directly related to UDM intercollegiate sports
participation
• Athletic Injuries that are not directly reported to the UDM Sports Medicine Staff in a timely manner
• Second medical opinions not authorized by the UDM Director of Sports Medicine
UDM strongly recommends that each student-athlete remain on their parent or guardian’s health insurance or purchase an insurance plan to cover some of the above medical conditions. UDM student health insurance carries a policy that will cover accident and sickness, as well as a small portion of athletic related injuries. This insurance is also coordinated with the secondary athletic insurance policy. Once again, UDM provides secondary athletic accident insurance coverage for each student-athlete for accidents while participating in official UDM sporting athletic events or practices. As a result, it is the Athletic Department’s policy that student-athletes should not seek out medical assistance from other physicians or medical providers outside the University’s physician staff without the consent and authorization from the Team Physician or Director of Sports Medicine. To do so
will constitute his or her personal acceptance of complete financial responsibility for any fees or services rendered.
Secondary Medical Insurance Policy
The NCAA does not permit the University of Detroit Mercy to provide coverage or pay bills incurred for expenses related to illness or conditions which are not sustained as a direct result of an accident in the intercollegiate athletic program. As a result, our secondary athletic accident insurance policy does not cover the following situations and/or circumstances.
• Pre-existing Athletic injuries or illnesses. • Chronic or Overuse injuries.
• Medical illness such as Mononucleosis, Strep Throat, Influenza, etc.
• Athletic injuries that are not directly related to intercollegiate sport participation.
• Athletic injuries not directly reported to the Sports Medicine Staff in a timely manner.
• Second opinions by a medical professional that are not authorized by the Director of Sports Medicine.
UDM strongly recommends that each student-athlete remain on their parent or guardian’s health insurance or purchase an insurance plan to cover some of the above medical conditions. UDM student health insurance carries a policy that will cover accident and sickness, as well as a small portion of athletic related injuries. This insurance is also coordinated with the secondary athletic insurance policy. Athletic injuries do occur while participating in intercollegiate athletics. The University of Detroit Mercy will attempt to provide the student-athlete with the best medical care should this injury occur during a NCAA official practice or athletic competition.
It is the policy of the University of Detroit Mercy that no student-athlete of any athletic team may seek medical assistance from any source outside the University's physician staff without consent and authorization from the Team Physician or the Director of Sports Medicine. The student-athlete that chooses to seek a second opinion without the consent will be financially responsible for any bills incurred to the Sports Medicine staff and they will not be cleared for treatment, rehabilitation or return to participation until cleared by our team physician.
Any athletic injury that is not directly reported to the sports medicine staff will also constitute the student-athlete's personal acceptance of complete financial and medical responsibility for any fees or services rendered.
Claim Procedure
The University of Detroit Mercy has a secondary athletic accident insurance athletic policy. This policy provides secondary medical coverage for injuries you may incur while participating in an intercollegiate sport. Please note that the NCAA does not allow coverage for injuries or illnesses that are pre-existing in nature. Please understand that most universities operate under the same rules or regulations.
In the event that a student-athlete sustains an injury which is eligible for secondary coverage under the University of Detroit Mercy athletic insurance policy, the following steps must occur:
1. Submit the medical bills incurred to the student-athlete’s family or employer group insurance or plan first. They will do one of two things:
a. Honor the claim and pay a portion or all of the medical bills incurred, or b. Not honor the claim and send you a denial letter.
2. If there is a balance after the family or employer group insurance or plan has contributed towards the claim, send the claim sheet from the insurance company, a copy of the itemized bills incurred, and the insurance company's explanation of benefits statement to the Director of Sports Medicine.
If there is a letter of denial from the family or employer group insurance or plan administrator, please have the letter of denial and a copy of the bills incurred send to the Director of Sports Medicine at the University's Athletic Department. If no coverage is available, a letter from their employer with verification will be necessary.
Lastly, please note that if your primary insurance coverage is through an HMO or PPO, you must see a physician within your network or follow proper procedures required by your plan in order for your insurance and the university’s insurance to satisfactorily complete its portion of the claim. Failure to follow the proper procedures may nullify benefits.
Also, Canadian as well as International student-athletes may have to, in certain circumstances, return to Canada or back to their native country to receive care for their injuries due to the Canadian Health Care plan or International Health Care plan.
Medical Confidentiality and Disclosure of Health Information
It is the UDM Athletic Department’s Policy to allow the Sports Medicine Staff and its designated agents to inform and disclose the health and medical information of our student-athlete’s to Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s), UDM Coaches & Administrative Staff, and the University Athletic Department’s Secondary Athletic Accident Insurance Company so that proper help, support, and advice can be given to the injured student-athlete.
Student-Athlete Exit Medical Appraisals
Student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility or who will no longer be a participant in UDM Athletics will be REQUIRED to have an exit medical appraisal performed by the UDM Sports Medicine staff within TWO weeks following the completion of his or her final season of intercollegiate athletics. Failure to complete the exit physical will automatically waive University of Detroit Mercy from any medical or financial liability.
