Community sports-medicine deal

Franciscan Physician Network Sports Medicine Specialists and Putnam County Hospital said on April 1 they are expanding sports-medicine care in Putnam County so athletes can be seen locally. (giant.fm) The partners said the deal will cover injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and performance services for athletes and other active patients in the county. Becker’s reported the services also include concussion care, orthopedic evaluation, therapy coordination and sideline support for school and recreational sports. (beckersspine.com) Franciscan already lists a sports-medicine clinic in Greencastle at 1111 Calbert Way inside the Putnam County YMCA, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The clinic says it offers pre-participation physicals, injury evaluation, concussion testing, sports nutrition, athletic training, physical therapy and surgical services. (franciscanhealth.org) Sports medicine is the part of health care that handles sprains, concussions, overuse injuries and return-to-play decisions for athletes. Putting those visits in Greencastle can cut out trips to larger regional centers for an initial evaluation. (franciscanhealth.org) The collaboration builds on an earlier local tie-up. Putnam County Hospital said in July 2022 that it and Franciscan Sports Medicine had partnered with Greencastle Community School Corporation and Cloverdale Community Schools to provide athletic trainers and sports-medicine support for student athletes. (pchosp.org) Putnam County Hospital announced a broader Franciscan sports-medicine collaboration on September 26, 2025, saying services at the new YMCA would include on-site medical support, injury assessment and rehabilitation, performance training and diagnostic technology. Hospital chief executive Dennis Weatherford said then that the work would be based at the new YMCA location. (pchosp.org) That YMCA is also a recent piece of the county’s health-and-fitness footprint. The YMCA of the Wabash Valley says the Putnam County YMCA opened in March 2025 and was built in partnership with the YMCA of the Wabash Valley and Putnam County Hospital. (ymcaswv.org) Franciscan’s local clinic page lists three physicians taking patients there, including sports-medicine doctors Andrew L. Hills and Kathleen A. Naylor, along with family and sports-medicine physician Blake E. Averill. For athletes in Putnam County, the arrangement now runs through one local site that combines hospital backing, school relationships and a YMCA address. (franciscanhealth.org)