Sports Medicine Advisory Committee

Minutes
August 27, 2001 • 7 p.m.
FHSAA Headquarters
Gainesville, Florida


The SMAC met on Monday, August 27, 2001, at 7 PM in the FHSAA Office, Gainesville. Those in attendance were Dr. Peter Indelicato, Gainesville; Dr. George Caldwell, Fort Lauderdale; Mr. Frank Grimaldi, Jr., Miami; Dr. Michael T. Reilly, St. Petersburg; Dr. Tom Kaminski, Gainesville; and Ms. Mary B. Walker, Jacksonville. Representing the FHSAA were Mr. Leonard Ireland, General Counsel, M. Denarvise Thornton, Associate Director of Athletics and Ronald L. Allen, Associate Commissioner for Athletic Operations. Those not in attendance were Dr. Jeff Matilsky and Mr. David Wilson.

Mr. Ireland addressed recent legislation related to pre-participation medical evaluations of member school prospective student athletes. Mr. Ireland specifically addressed verbiage within the state statutes that provides a place on the FHSAA physical examination form for a practitioner to refer student athletes to another practitioner in lieu of completion of a certain examination procedure. The state statutes call for a place to be provided for the practitioner to whom the student was referred to complete the remaining sections and attest to that portion of the examination. Mr. Ireland also clarified state statute verbiage related to the right of the parent or guardian of a student objecting in writing to the student undergoing a medical evaluation because such evaluation is contrary to his/her religious practices, provided that no person or entity shall be held liable for any injury or other damages suffered by that student.

The Sports Medicine Committee expressed deep concern regarding the contents of the above referenced state legislation document. Five specific areas were identified in the document that are of concern.

1) “The bylaws shall establish requirements for eliciting a student’s medical history and performing the medical evaluation required under this subsection, which shall include minimum standards for the physical capabilities necessary for participation in interscholastic athletic competition as contained in a uniform preparticipation physical evaluation form.” The committee is very concerned with the term, “minimum standards”. The doctors present had no idea what minimum standards are being referred to and indicated they knew of no minimum standards in the medical field in the context presented by the statutes.

2) The document states that the evaluation form shall provide a place for the signature of the practitioner performing the evaluation with the attestation that each examination procedure listed on the form was performed by the practitioner or someone under the direct supervision of the practitioner. This appears to the committee to be conflicting to and a contradiction in regard to the word, “attestation” when one reviews signatures acceptable for administering the examination.

3) The document specifies that the physician referred to by the primary physician will indicate by signature that the abnormality addressed will not place the student “at risk” during such participation. The clause “student at risk” is very discerning to medical doctors on the committee, and in their opinion could prohibit any physician from signing the referral. All students are “at risk” to some degree in all sports in the opinion of the committee.

4) It was recommended that some type of an addendum be devised by the FHSAA for the referring physician to be attached to the basic primary preparticipation physical evaluation form.

5) The statute indicates that all students participating in interscholastic athletic competition or who are candidates for interscholastic athletic teams to satisfactory pass a medical examination each year. The committee is very much interested in pursuing the possibility of providing a complete physical for a student only one time during a high school career and a follow-up “shortened” evaluation the remaining years as is done in many states.

The committee requests that FHSAA personnel, i.e. Allen and Thornton, contact the FHSAA lobbyist, Dr. Juhan Mixon, and ask for input regarding the above referenced statute, specifically, the legislators involved in sponsoring and drafting this document. The Sports Medicine Committee would like to invite Dr. Mixon to the January meeting of the Sports Medicine Committee along with other sponsors of the bill and perhaps implement or suggest amendments for changes to the bill prior to the next legislative session.

In essence, the FHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee feels that, as presently written, the bill presents major problems with the implementation of the FHSAA Preparticipation Physical Examination.

OTHER BUSINESS:

The committee approved a request by Dr. Tom Kaminski to coordinate through the FHSAA a survey of member schools concerning the assessment of lightning safety policies and procedures and also the usage of automated, external defibrillators (AEDs) in Florida high school athletic programs. The committee supports this survey with the understanding the survey will be conducted through the FHSAA and the FHSAA will retain the rights of all information derived for determination of use.

Dr. Michael Reilly of St. Petersburg addressed the committee on the topic of the frequency of pre-evaluation of athletes. Dr. Reilly is a proponent in pursuing the possibilities of reducing the mandate for yearly physical examinations in adolescents.