The University of North Florida Athletic Department established a joint venture partnership with Ascension St. Vincent’s, Brooks Rehabilitation and Southeast Orthopedic Specialists that includes financial, marketing and service elements.
The five-year agreement began Nov. 1 and provides UNF student-athletes access to medical care in preseason, in-season and postseason.
“This holistic coverage includes every aspect of our student-athletes health and welfare from physicals to medical testing, injury evaluations, corrective surgeries, injury rehabilitation as well as advisement in areas like nutrition and mental health. This is a winning combination on multiple levels,” said UNF Director of Athletics Lee Moon in a news release.
Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, established in 2001, is a regional provider of musculoskeletal care including orthopedic surgery, spine care, physiatry, pain management, chiropractic, podiatry and physical therapy.
The release said Jacksonville-based Brooks Rehabilitation is a comprehensive source for physical rehabilitation services.
Brooks operates one of the nation’s largest inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the U.S. with 160 beds, one of the region’s largest home health care agencies, more than 40 outpatient therapy clinics, a Center for Inpatient Rehabilitation in partnership with Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, the Brooks Rehabilitation Medical Group, two skilled nursing facilities, assisted living and memory care.
In addition, Brooks operates the Clinical Research Center, which specializes in research for stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury to advance the science of rehabilitation.
Ascension is a faith-based health care organization.
It operates more than 2,600 sites of care, including 146 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities in 19 states and the District of Columbia. It provides services including clinical and network services, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, risk management, and contracting through its group purchasing organization.