Hoag Orthopedic Institute Donates $40,000 to Irvine Public Schools Foundation

Donation to Benefit Health and Wellness Initiative for Irvine Children and Youth

Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI) recently donated $40,000 to the Irvine Public Schools Foundation’s (IPSF) Health and Wellness Initiative. The donation will contribute to the funding of athletic trainers provided by the Irvine Unified School District and IPSF for the 2014-15 academic year.

The IPSF Health and Wellness Initiative aims to ensure that every child in the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) receives high quality school health services, regardless of their health insurance status or ability to pay. Due to decreased funding sources for trainers and an increase in the health and safety needs of Irvine students, IUSD requested assistance from IPSF to fund program enrichments last year.

“We are confident that this donation will enhance the level of care provided to student athletes in the Irvine Unified School District,” said Dereesa Reid, CEO of HOI. “Our community’s children deserve to receive the most current information available about how to prevent sports-related injuries and to feel confident that if an injury does occur, their athletic trainers will be there to help them.”

The athletic trainers provided will be able to identify risk factors, prevent injuries, provide appropriate medical treatment, and detect and correct health problems directly related to athletic performance, such as concussion risks, during and after regular school hours.

“Athletic trainers play a crucial role in activities such as taping, rehabilitating and educating students on sports-related injuries,” said Dr. David Gazzaniga, sports medicine physician and surgeon at HOI, and team doctor for University High School. “They not only provide immediate, on-site care for students, but give parents peace of mind that their children are safer on the field.”

The IPSF Health and Wellness Initiative was founded in 2005, and exists to create mutually beneficial partnerships with Irvine’s medical community, local businesses and foundations, parents, institutions of higher education, and the City of Irvine, to provide and effective, sustainable community health program for Irvine’s children and youth.

For more information about HOI, visit: http://orthopedichospital.com