Sports Medicine Trains with Ambulance Corps.

Athletic trainers and team physicians review sports-related emergency scenarios with local paramedics

If an emergency should occur during an athletics event at Colgate, the sports medicine department wants to be as prepared as possible.

On Feb. 20, the University's athletic trainers and team physicians met with members of the Southern Madison County Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SOMAC) at Sanford Field House to rehearse various emergency scenarios.

They covered drills that involved different medical emergencies in different sports — a spinal injury in football, a cardiac patient in basketball, a respiratory issue in basketball, a fractured leg in soccer, and caring for a hockey player at risk of losing too much blood.

Steve Chouinard, Colgate's senior associate athletics director for health and performance, said sports-related emergencies that require advanced medical support happen rarely. But he wants to ensure Colgate's staff is in the best position to respond should something occur.

"Thankfully it doesn't happen often," he said. "But you need to be as prepared as possible so you could give that person the best care."

Colgate's sports medicine staff had worked with SOMAC in previous years before the sessions were suspended during the COVID pandemic.

This year, the department decided to resume the training. Chouinard said he hopes to arrange a few more sessions in 2023. His goal is for the two sides to meet four times a year.

"It's something we have done in the past, but we're going to crank up a bit more," he said.

sports medicine somac — Leslie Cowen, Colgate's director of sports medicine, practices applying a vacuum split to stabilize a limb.

Chouinard also hopes to set up sessions at different athletic facilities on campus and with the staff of each athletic team.

Leslie Cowen, Colgate's director of sports medicine, said the SOMAC training was an opportunity to review emergency situations and learn about new updates or changes in state policies.

"What really interested me is how various groups handled each situation; we were able to hear of solutions or actions that we did not originally think of," she said. "For us, it is always important that we are constantly learning and developing our skills and what better way to do this than by learning from our peers."

With SOMAC staffers, Cowen practiced how to apply a vacuum splint, which is used to stabilize a limb when a fracture is suspected.

"It was great to review emergency care with our staff and partners at SOMAC," Cowen said.

Chouinard said the collaboration with SOMAC was a success. But for it to remain effective, more drills have to be done.

"We have to keep it up. That's my job to make sure we do," he said.

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