healthspin
North Oaks Offers Physicals to Livingston Parish Student-Athletes
[ Satsuma , La .] — This year , the North Oaks Health System team offered 323 student-athletes from 12 Livingston Parish junior and high schools and 938 students from Tangipahoa Parish free physical examinations .
Across two days on April 29 and May 20 , 42 doctors and nurse practitioners , along with approximately 150 athletic trainers and employees , volunteered for the events at hospital facilities .
Springfield High School ( SHS ) athletic director and head football coach Ryan Serpas , who accompanies his students to Physical Day each year , called the event “ a great service to offer to our students .” He said , “ I ’ m really thankful to North Oaks for setting this up .”
Serpas and about 30 SHS student-athletes arrived at 7:15 a . m . at the Livingston Parish Medical Complex , received their physicals and were back on the bus headed for home by 7:50 a . m .
“ They ( the North Oaks volunteers ) were ready for us as soon as we pulled up ,” he commented . “ It ’ s so organized and efficient .”
April Debetaz , a busy mother of three Walker High School student-athletes , agreed with Serpas , noting that she appreciates the free services offered promptly and efficiently on a Saturday morning .
“ I ’ ve been coming for seven years , and each year it gets easier ,” Debetaz observed . “ We love it because we ’ re in and out .”
She added that she and her children arrived at 8:20 a . m . and were finished by 8:45 a . m . Her daughter , Katelyn , is a senior basketball player . Her sons , Mason and Caleb , are sophomores . Mason runs track , and Caleb is a baseball player .
Also at the Livingston Physical Day , about 50 parents and coaches received stroke risk assessments from Dr . Joseph Heneghan of North Oaks Primary Care Clinic-Walker while Drs . Rebecca Soine and Frank Henchy of North Oaks Dermatology Associates provided more than 30 free skin cancer screenings .
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By Melanie Lanaux Zaffuto
Athletic trainer Jeremy Kulbeth gives Westside Junior High School ’ s Jesse Lopez an orthopedic check . Lopez is on the cross-country and track and field teams .
Respiratory therapist Emily Bertrand takes the pulse of Lance Nina Carmela Asis , a Walker High School color guard member and tennis player .