Other doctors who volunteered during the two-
hour event in Livingston include: Drs. Brandi Basso,
Gayle Beyl, Tony Dennis, Charles Ducombs, Jherie
Ducombs, Bryan Dudoussat, Carl Gauthier, Stephen
Graham, Julie Larson and Howard Raphael. Nurse
Practitioners Polly Burrall, Michelle Civello, Lexie
Dominguez, April McIntyre and Leslie Wood also
participated.
In Tangipahoa, physicians included Drs. Greg
Allen, Dong Cho, Tony Dennis, Jherie Ducombs,
Mark Haile, Richard Grisoli, Brian Ladner, Julie
Larson, Dottie Lewis, Alyssa Lyon, Nancy Mellin,
Katy Morris, Stacy Newman, Jacques Peltier, Sidney
St. Amant, Robert Smith and Socrates Zapata; as
well as Nurse Practitioners Lexie Dominguez, Lane
Newman, Melissa Varnado and Mike Whittington.
In 1991, North Oaks began sponsoring Physical
Day in Tangipahoa Parish with the goal of helping
students fulfill Louisiana High School Athletic
Association requirements for participation in school
athletic programs.
The free physical screenings offered annually in both
Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes are just one benefit
of enrollment in the North Oaks Sports Medicine
Program. North Oaks Rehabilitation Services Director
Mac Barrient notes that students enrolled in the
program who are injured at school-sponsored athletic
events are eligible to receive preferential treatment and
rehabilitation at North Oaks facilities.
“(Physical Day) is great,” says Hammond High
Magnet School head football coach Steve Jones. “It
saves us a lot of headache having all of our student-
athletes’ physicals done at one location.”
Eric Wells of Hammond, whose son Ethan Wells is
a kicker for the Tornadoes, agrees. “It’s great to be able
to get a free physical for my son. North Oaks Sports
Medicine has an excellent staff and does a great job of
looking the players over.”
Parent and Hammond High Magnet School teacher
Guillermo Tiffer adds, “I definitely love the fact that
our hospital backs up our schools. As a parent, being
here and meeting other parents is a good opportunity
too.”
Other program features include: injury prevention
and athletic ability enhancement education for
athletes and coaches; and athletic trainer coverage at
many school-sponsored sporting events and practices.
Saturday morning clinics are held during football
season with access to an orthopaedist, and a free
athletic training clinic also is offered.
During her basketball career, Katelyn Debetaz has
suffered from knee and Achilles’ heel injuries. The North
Oaks Sports Medicine team has been instrumental in
her recovery, helping with rehabilitation, as well as
supporting her during practice and games, her mother
said.
“If I can’t be there, it’s a comfort to know the North
Oaks trainer is there,” Debetaz explained.
For more information on North Oaks Sports
Medicine and program enrollment criteria, call (985)
230-5248 or visit www.northoaks.org/sportsmedicine.
Jessica Crayton of Albany gets a skin cancer screening from Dr. Frank
Henchy while her daughter, Alyssa, an Albany High School cheerleader,
receives a physical examination.
23