SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – Shriners Children’s Shreveport is now offering a new specialty, and opened a new facility Thursday, Nov. 14.

Sports medicine is now being offered at the facility, which is located on Samford Avenue. On Thursday, the officials at the health facility also cut the ribbon on a new sports medicine rehabilitation gym that’s designed to help kids with sports-related injuries.

“We are excited to add this new line of service. It’s the first service line that we’ve added in a very long time. So, to be able to officially add sports medicine, it’s a great feeling,” said Jerry Defatta, chairman of the Board of Governors for Shriners.

“When you work with adults, your job is to get them back to work. Well play is work for kids, so we want to do all the things we can do to get those back to playing,” said Damian Duhon, manager of therapy services at Shriners.

This is the third care specialty to be offered at the Shriners. Back in 1922, the facility started offering pediatric orthopedics, and in 2012, they added cleft lip and palate care. This new specialty will feature a team of healthcare professionals, including an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, an athletic trainer, physical therapists, and others.

Shriners looked to add sports medicine to their service after realizing that about 25 percent of kids coming in were dealing with sports injuries, which inspired the hospital to create a space that would best benefit and help young athletes recover.

“Children want to get back to playing their sport. They want to have fun while doing it. A lot of the places in this area are built for more adults,” said Duhon. “Children are not small adults. They respond to injury and heal differently. So, this provides that kind of equipment that we need to accomplish those things.”

Shriners has the only child-specific sports medicine facility in the region.

The new gym features a large indoor space, hitting nets, a basketball hoop, exercise machines, fan bikes, pylo boxes, hurdles, and specialized balance equipment. There’s also a large turf field, which will allow patients to replicate sports motions on a realistic surface. The new facility, along with existing movement analysis and radiology services, will enhance the hospital’s ability to make a difference in children’s lives.

“We are truly thrilled to introduce sports medicine as our newest care specialty at Shriners Children’s Shreveport,” said Susan Bryant, PT, MBA, MHA, clinic director. “We feel that sports medicine represents a natural extension of the care we provide, and that we are uniquely suited to provide the expertise and specialized technology to help children recover from injuries and confidently return to sport. With this new offering, we look forward to building on our strengths to bring care to more children in ways in which we can be most impactful.”

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