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Tracy Kloos said it’s tough as a parent to watch your child play a sport knowing there’s a chance she might get hurt. But when that situation actually happened to Kloos’ daughter, Mackenzie, she said she was fortunate to have Meghan Gray there to care for her daughter. Gray is an athletic trainer with Meritus Health, which is contracted by Washington County Public Schools to work with its student athletes and coaches throughout the school year. “Had I not had Meghan there, Mackenzie would have had her season end at that point,” Kloos said. The point guard dislocated her shoulder twice in two separate games playing for the Williamsport High School Wildcats. What is the Meritus Athletic Trainer Program? The Meritus athletic trainers undergo expert training, are certified and licensed allied healthcare professionals onsite to treat the “athletic injury” for the student-athletes. As part of the Meritus team, they offer coordination of care that ensures student athletes get the healthcare they need when they need it. As part of the largest healthcare provider in the region, the trainers give immediate care to students at WCPS high schools, said Amber Shatzer-Moats, the athletic training program supervisor. But don’t let the program’s name fool you. Shatzer-Moats said she has worked with band and theater students, too. “We are responsible for anyone in the school who might need us,” she said. “We provide a lot of education and sharing of information with parents to coordinate care,” Shatzer-Moats said. “But our goal is to get the students back on the field. We are here to support them from injury to recovery, while working with a variety of healthcare providers. We are a team.” The athletic trainers are supported by Meritus Sports Medicine and Geoffrey Sanyi, D.O., and there are plans to expand the program. Meritus Sports Medicine is set to open a new location providing athletic training and rehabilitation at the Valley Mall later this spring. How did the athletic trainer help Mackenzie? The team was facing Brunswick High School at home when Mackenzie was fighting for a jump ball against another player. Her arm got caught in the tangle, Gray said. “I could see it pop out from across the court,” she said. “But she didn’t completely dislocate it. She partially subluxed it; where it came out slightly and popped right back into place.” Play was stopped, and Kloos said Gray took Mackenzie to the training room and checked her range of motion and put her through other tests. Though she was still able to move her arm, Gray and Mackenzie’s coach decided it was best for the senior to sit out the rest of the game. In fact, she didn’t play or practice for nearly a week. And when she did practice, Kloos said Gray was there watching and evaluating her. When Mackenzie was cleared to play again, Gray had a specific plan for playing time and watched Mackenzie while she was on the court. But then came the game at North Hagerstown High School. Mackenzie’s shoulder was hit off a screen and fully dislocated this time. Gray was at that game and took Mackenzie off the court to check her. What followed was two hard weeks of rehabilitation and treatments after school to get her ready to return to play for her team's playoffs. Mackenzie worked with Gray at Williamsport High after classes. Gray put her through a multitude of different range of motion stretching and exercises to return her motion to normal and to build her strength in that shoulder. Kloos sat out several games but slowly began to take part in drills during practices and then warming up with her team for games. "She needs to trust her own body again and know that she can do it, know what it feels like to do the things she requires of her shoulder," Gray said. What mattered most? The goal, Kloos said, was to make sure Mackenzie could play her last regular-season game on Senior Night, again against North Hagerstown High. Mackenzie did play, although it was for only about five minutes and with a well-taped shoulder. And again, Gray was there to keep an eye on her shoulder. With a record of 15-7, the Wildcats made it into the MPSSAA Regional Semi-Finals against Middletown High School. Kloos played a large portion of her final playoff game, but unfortunately, they lost in that round. But Mackenzie was invited to play in the 2024 Roundball Classic’s Girls Shooting Stars Game on March 23. She was the only girls’ player from Williamsport invited. The plan is for Mackenzie to see a specialist to examine her shoulder, now that the season is over. “As a parent, it’s really hard,” Kloos said. “I had all the trust in the world in Meghan in all she had done for Mackenzie. She missed a chunk of games, but she got to play in the ones that mattered to her.” To learn more about Meritus Sports Medicine, visit www.meritushealth.com/SportsMedicine.
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People love to talk about that great meal they’ve eaten or fancy cocktail they’ve tried. But they don’t always want to talk about where that food and drink goes in their bodies – until it’s too late. There are three major gastrointestinal issues that Vamshidhar Vootla, M.D., says he notices in patients: fatty liver disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome. The culprit behind these conditions, often, has to do with the patient’s lifestyle including diet and exercise, said Dr. Vootla, who recently started seeing patients in Hagerstown and Hancock. “Processed foods have a big role in your health in this area,” he said. “I tell patients they need to be careful with the diet they choose.” With fatty liver, the reason it’s so prevalent is because it often goes undiagnosed until it is too late. “We call this a silent disease,” he said. “This is the most common chronic liver condition and it’s generally asymptomatic. People have no clue until it becomes cirrhosis of the liver.” The condition can be hereditary, but can also be caused by poor diet and lack of exercise, as well as consumption of alcohol or by certain viral infections, such as hepatitis C. However in recent years, obesity, diabetes and elevated cholesterol have become the primary reasons for development of fatty liver, Dr. Vootla said. Studies suggest that approximately one-third of the population has gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD and often referred to as reflux, according to the American Gastroenterological Association, Dr. Vootla said. But it’s when the situation becomes chronic that the trouble starts. By chronic, we’re talking over 10 years. The reflux can start to impact the lining of the food pipe and that can lead to esophageal cancer resulting in symptoms like trouble swallowing, weight loss, vomiting and anemia. “Pay attention to the alarm symptoms,” Dr. Vootla said. “Using over-the-counter treatments to manage reflux is so common,” he said, “but there are side effects over the long haul. You should be screened if the problems persist.” Irritable bowel syndrome, commonly known by its initials IBS, is the most common condition that Dr. Vootla sees in his patients. The trouble is that it can’t be self-diagnosed. “It’s a diagnosis of exclusion,” he said. “There is no single test to diagnose it. So you have to rule out other conditions to arrive at this diagnosis.” The time to sound the alarm for doctors is when symptoms worsen or new symptoms crop up, including bleeding, vomiting and weight loss. “It is a chronic condition but can be managed,” he said of the disease. The bottom line for Dr. Vootla is that patients shouldn’t dismiss the warning signs of a potential problem, no matter the condition. Contact your healthcare provider at the first sign of symptoms. “They’re a tell-tale sign that there’s something going on,” he said. To learn more about issues that could impact your GI tract, go to Meritus Hagerstown Gastroenterology online at www.meritushealth.com/gastroenterology.
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HAGERSTOWN, Md. — For one James Buchanan High graduate, matching with the Meritus Family Medicine Residency Program is a chance to practice medicine where she grew up. Ashley Moats, who played volleyball for the Rockets before graduating in 2014, said she and her fiancé are looking forward to moving back to the tristate area after she graduates from Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine in North Carolina this spring. She worked at Meritus Medical Center briefly as part of her training, and knew it was right for her. “I could see myself working there as a resident in training for the next three years, and maybe longer,” she said March 15, known as Match Day for residency programs across the country. Each year, on the heels of graduation, medical students nationwide eagerly await announcement for where they “matched,” meaning where they will spend their next several years in residency. Medical residency programs serve as structured apprenticeships leading to board certification in a particular specialty. A resident is a physician who is enrolled in this apprenticeship or residency and is overseen by board-certified faculty physicians. The highly selective process results in six medical school graduates being matched with the family medicine program at Meritus. “We are honored to be able to help shape the next generation of compassionate family physicians,” said Dr. Brad Miller, Meritus Family Medicine Residency Program. “Our highly skilled faculty physicians and colleagues will oversee the next three years of apprenticeship for these six new graduates. Our faculty work closely with the resident physicians which means that our patients have a unique opportunity to participate in this journey.” In addition to Ashley, the Meritus Family Medicine Residency Program Class of 2027 includes graduates from Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina: • Meghana Annadata, American University of Antigua College of Medicine • Lawrence Barnoski, Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine • Ashika Chaluvadi, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine • Nancy Tran, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine • Thuy Vuong, Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine We invite you to find out more information on the services that Meritus Family Medicine offers for you and your family. Learn more at https://www.meritushealth.com/locations/meritus-family-medicine-robinwood.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. — The president and CEO of Meritus Health and the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine was recently named the chair of the University System of Maryland – Hagerstown (USMH) advisory board. Maulik Joshi, Dr.P.H., is the incoming chair of the Board of Advisors, which provides insight for the school’s student programs, scholarship funds and local community coordination. “I am deeply honored to take on the role of chair of the USMH Board of Advisors and support such a wonderful organization with all our committed and expert Board of Advisors,” Joshi said. Jacob Ashby, executive director of USMH and secretary of the advisory board, said Joshi is a perfect fit for his new role. "USMH and Meritus Health have been partners in the region for many years. I am very excited to have Dr. Joshi step into the role of Chair of our Board of Advisors,” Ashby said. “While serving as chair, I look forward to the opportunity to work with Dr. Joshi to help current students get on their career path and identify additional healthcare programs that could be offered at USMH. Given the expected growth in the industry and workforce shortages, in partnership, Meritus Health and USMH can continue to make a positive impact on the health of our community."
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