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USC opens Sport and Health Clinic
8 February, 2006
The University is taking its commitment to community health to a new level with the opening of the Centre for Healthy Activities, Sport and Exercise (CHASE), Sport and Health Clinic on its Sippy Downs campus.
The CHASE Sport and Health Clinic will offer unique facilities to the community, amateur and professional athletes, health practitioners, and sporting groups.
CHASE Director, Associate Professor Brendan Burkett, said the Clinic will be open to the public and will provide access to professional sport science and health testing, as well as health advice.
"The Clinic will bring together a range of health and sport science professionals under one roof who are committed to providing the highest level of care and service to clients," Dr Burkett said.
"Our team of health professionals includes; sports doctors and dietitians, a sports psychologist, physiotherapist and sport and exercise scientists who will be available for appointments with individuals and sporting groups to help them plan their training and develop a comprehensive approach to all aspects of sport, health and wellbeing.
"The University will this month become the first university in Australia to be accredited by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). We are receiving this accreditation because of the quality and standards of the testing facilities we have here in our laboratories.
"The Clinic opening means the community can now access this elite testing facility for their own personal health and fitness programs.
Local sporting groups are also set to benefit from increased sport science expertise being made available at the University.
"Local sporting groups already use the testing facilities here and have access to the sport scientists at USC but the Clinic will allow them to further develop their own personalised training programs suited to their individual sports," Dr Burkett said.
"The Clinic team will also offer advice and strategies on injury prevention, injury and illness rehabilitation, dietary planning and ways to develop a 'winning edge' by helping people remain motivated and on course with their programs," he said.
Another important part of Clinic services will be providing local health professionals with access to AIS quality laboratory testing facilities.
"Our sports medicine services will include sport injury assessment and management, exercise advice for people with chronic illness, medically supervised fitness and exercise testing and GPs can also refer their clients for assessment and treatment of exercise-induced asthma here on the Coast, rather than having to travel to Brisbane," Dr Burkett said.
For further information about the CHASE Sport and Health Clinic or to make an appointment with a health professional, contact (07) 5459 4489 or email katkinso@usc.edu.au