March 27, 2020 by John Fernandez
Miami Dolphins Team Physicians: A Day in the Life (Video)
With off-season training programs, Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and mini camps, National Football League athletes have to keep their bodies in top physical condition year-round. And that means injuries can occur at any time.
That is why the team at Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, the official sports medicine provider for the Miami Dolphins, doesn’t take time off during the off-season either.
You may only see them on game days if a player gets injured, but the team physicians continue to manage any chronic or acute medical condition that occurs during both the season and the off-season. (Dolphins’ training camp officially gets underway for the new season on Thursday, July 27, with the first scheduled practice, two weeks ahead of Miami’s preseason opener against Atlanta on Aug. 10.)
(Video: The Baptist Health South Florida News Team hears from Gautam Yagnik, M.D., a Miami Dolphins team physician, as he gives a tour of the Dolphins’ training complex. Video by Steve Pipho)
“Our primary responsibility is to coordinate and oversee the medical care for all of the players and coaches in the Miami Dolphins organization,” said Gautam Yagnik, M.D., a team physician. During a recent visit with Dr. Yagnik at the team’s Baptist Health training facility, he gave a behind-the-scenes look at what his work entails during off-season and non-game days.
The training complex is complete with everything you would expect to see at a professional sports facility. The spacious training room, where the team physicians spend most of their time, includes a physician exam room where they see the players, check on injuries and follow up on their treatment.
In addition to seeing the players, team physicians also have access to view any imaging studies that may have been ordered. For advanced imaging studies, such as MRIs, many are performed at Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute’s nearby office located inside Baptist Health Medical Plaza in Davie. The close proximity allows the players ease of access to the team’s physicians.
Dr. Yagnik mentions that the majority of his patients are not professional athletes and they “take comfort in knowing that they’re getting the same, high-quality, care that we give to professional athletes, like the Dolphins.” Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute is also the official sports medicine provider for the Miami HEAT, the Florida Panthers, FIU Golden Panthers, Miami-Dade County Public School Athletics and the Miami Open.
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