News Release Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/26/2015 12:00:00 AM EASTERN
Updated: 10/26/2015 9:25:37 AM EASTERN
For more information, contact John Broom.
ACMC Sports Medicine One team, complete care

Ashtabula County Medical Center is raising the bar when it comes to sports medicine for high school athletes and active adults. Our goal is to enable you to enjoy a lifetime of healthy activity.

ACMC Sports Medicine offers three physicians trained to diagnose and treat sports-related injuries. They see patients full time in Ashtabula County and are joined by four athletic trainers who work with student athletes at four high schools.

“Our Sports Medicine team has the expertise to get an athlete back in the game,” said ACMC President and CEO Michael Habowski. “Our physicians are fellowship-trained in sports medicine and are also trained to treat any orthopaedic injuries. The entire team will also educate and train athletes to prevent injuries and improve performance.”

Meet the team

ACMC Sports Medicine staff includes Cleveland Clinic orthopaedic surgeon Mark Verdun, DO, who serves as the program director. He sees patients full time at The Ashtabula Clinic. He is joined by Jefferson native and family practice physician Nathaniel Franley, MD, who serves as medical director. Dr. Franley sees patients full time at ACMC’s Jefferson Family Health Center. Orthopaedic surgeon Amar Mutnal, MD, serves as surgical director. He was fellowship-trained in sports medicine at Cleveland Clinic and also sees patients full time at The Ashtabula Clinic.

Ashtabula native Lauren (Sposito) Gloekler serves as department director, overseeing athletic training and coordinating with high school administration.

Treating athletes is nothing new for ACMC physicians. Dr. Verdun and John Posch, MD, orthopaedic surgeons, have treated athletes as well as patients suffering from other orthopaedic issues related to knees, hips, shoulders, neck, wrists, joints and ligaments, and more.

ACMC’s Sports Medicine outreach began four years ago when an athletic trainer was placed at Lakeside High School to work with student athletes. Within months, the program expanded to include four athletic trainers working with Conneaut, Edgewood, Lakeside and St. John. ACMC physicians and physician assistants also provided sideline medical coverage for all home football games for these schools.

Today the ACMC Sports Medicine program also includes concussion clinics, weight room training for high school athletes, preventive injury education and muscular-skeletal rehabilitation. ACMC provides the athletic trainers and sideline medical coverage at no charge to the school districts.

“While much of our Sports Medicine program is directed to high school athletes, we are also focused on adults who have sports injuries,” said Dr. Verdun. “When you are hurting, you need a professional to diagnose, treat and provide rehabilitation so you avoid future problems. Our goal is to help your conditioning so you stay in the game and to provide the care you need to get you back in the game—whether that is at work or at play.”