Sports Health: Caring for All Levels of Athletes

When we think about athletes, our minds may automatically take us to someone playing on a professional sports team. But you don’t have to look far for examples of active individuals who are working on their golf swing, training for a marathon or triathlon, or constantly on the go in physically demanding jobs, like many of our staff here.

Redefining how we think about “athletes” creates an opportunity for NYU Langone Health to provide better access to the specialized healthcare these individuals may need.

That’s where Sports Health comes in—NYU Langone’s approach to treating the whole athlete and providing seamless access to a multidisciplinary team for personalized treatment, injury prevention, and performance enhancement.

In the past, athletes and active individuals would contact NYU Langone Health through multiple entry points depending on their symptoms or sports interests. “We needed a more cohesive way for patients to contact us and to demonstrate the capabilities of our specialties, and how they support each other—from orthopedic surgery, rehab, cardiology, pulmonology, nutrition, and many other clinical areas,” said Thomas Graham, MD, co-director of Sports Health and director of Strategic Planning and Innovation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

Now patients can call one phone number, 844-888-8301, or visit nyulangone.org/sportshealth. “By giving patients one access point, we can help triage their call to the best appropriate medical professional for care,” said Laith Jazrawi, MD, co-director of Sports Health and chief of the division of Sports Medicine.

When a patient calls the new number, an NYU Langone nurse responds and asks questions about their symptoms and background to guide them to the best treatment. “This makes it easier for us to serve the patient, setting them up with an appointment within 24 to 48 hours with the specialist best suited to their needs based on their condition and background,” added Dr. Jazrawi. 

In addition to treatment and injury prevention, Sports Health is also designed to treat the whole athlete,   providing access to wellness and nutrition information, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement support. 

“By understanding the pain points and priorities of our patients, we can customize their treatment and performance plans, and better help them to achieve their athletic goals,” said Dr. Graham.