Dear Parents of University of St. Francis Athletes,

Please read this letter carefully as some information may have changed from last year.

Welcome to a new season at the University of St. Francis. I am pleased to be the Head Athletic Trainer for the University of St. Francis. I have been a Certified and Licensed Athletic Trainer for 20 years including high school, minor league professional basketball and indoor football settings. This will be my sixth year at USF.

Fort Wayne Orthopaedics (FWO) and The Orthopedic Hospital (TOH) supply all the orthopedic medical coverage for the University of St. Francis including athletic trainers, physical therapy and rehabilitation, team physicians with multiple orthopedic sports medicine specialties led by Mathew Hicks MD (USF Team Physician and USF graduate).

If your student athlete has any injuries during the season, they should let me or one of the other Athletic Trainers know as soon as possible so that we can care for the injury and keep an accurate record of all injuries. We will work with the coaches and student athletes towards injury prevention but, if the injury does require further evaluation by an orthopedic physician, we will make a priority appointment for your student athlete at FWO. All physician visits at FWO and all physical therapy, MRI or surgical visitis at TOH are first billed to your insurance company and then the university’s insurance. In some circumstances, a bill for medical services may be forwarded to you from various providers for which you may have some financial responsibilities. If you have any questions regarding medical tests, visits or procedures or your financial responsibilities, please feel free to contact me. The school’s insurance company can also reimburse you for the cost of prescriptions due to an injury at in USF athletics.

The NAIA does not permit USF or any of its other universities, to pay medical expenses related to “illnesses”, “conditions” or injuries which are not sustained as the direct result of an accident in our intercollegiate sports program. All treatments will be performed in one of USF’s training rooms or at TOH’s outpatient physical therapy department as needed at a time that is convenient to your student athlete.

If your student athlete uses an inhaler, please see that he/she turns an inhaler into the training room. In this way we can keep it in the medical kit or training room in the event he/she needs it during a game or practice.

Included on this site, you will find links to two forms. One is a Parent Information Form. Without this information, I will be unable to process your student athlete’s insurance paperwork in the event of an injury and you will be responsible for all bills incurred.  You can download and print this form by clicking on its link to the left. We also require copies of the front and back of the athlete's or parent's/guardian's insurance card to be in their file.  ALL ATHLETES MUST BE COVERED UNDER A PRIMARY INSURANCE POLICY.  IF YOUR SON or DAUGHTER IS NOT COVERED, PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP. 

The second form is the USF Physical Form.  All freshman, transfers, those who were not on a USF team last year and any returning athlete who has a red flag at the checkup will be required to see a physician for a full physical. FWO will provide a free physical for these fall sports athletes on Monday, August 16, 2010 at FWO.  The time for each team to arrive will be announced later by the coach. The physical form can also be downloaded and printed from its link on this website. Please be sure to fill out part I of the physical form and sign it. If you are a returning USF athlete, please also answer the 3 supplementary questions. Forms should be completed before reporting for the physical or checkup. (It will not take as long if these are completed beforehand). If you have already turned in a physical to an academic program at USF for the upcoming year, please see that I receive a copy. A Second physical will be held after school starts for all winter and spring sports sometime in September. You can contact me regarding the exact date of the second physical. If your student athlete is unable to report for either physical, the physical form should be completed by your family physician. Please return this to me so that it can be added to your student athlete’s file.

In order to expedite the approval, by the insurance companies, for the athlete to see a doctor in the event of an injury, Mark Pope, our Athletic Director, has stated that athletes, with a few exceptions, will not be allowed to practice, receive equipment or a locker until they have turned in a completed physical and a completed and signed Parent Information Sheet.

All paperwork should be received by the USF Athletic Training Department by August 1, 2010.

On this site is also an informational brochure regarding Staph and MRSA infections.  Please read this brochure and share it with your student athlete.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Please contact me if you have any questions. I hope your student athlete has a healthy and successful season.

Warmest regards,

Tony Gambill MS, ATC, LAT, CSCS
Head Athletic Trainer
Office: (260) 399-7700 x6208 
Fax: (260) 399-8164
E-mail: tgambill@sf.edu