AHN Cuts Ribbon for New Sports Medicine and Performance Pavilion at Erie Sports Center

Wednesday, May 01, 2024

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Erie, Pa. -- Officials from Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Highmark Health today cut the ribbon to a state-of-the-art $6.5 million sports medicine and sports performance training facility at the Erie Sports Center. They were joined by community leaders, elected officials and area coaches and athletes to celebrate the opening of the new AHN Pavilion, located at 8161 Oliver Road in Summit Township, ushering in a new era of advanced clinical care and sports performance training for athletes of all ages across in the northwest Pennsylvania region.

Located adjacent to the Erie Sports Center's domed indoor athletic field, the AHN Pavilion is a 14,000-square-foot facility staffed by AHN's nationally recognized sports medicine team, including orthopedic surgeon Jay Deimel, MD, director of sports medicine at AHN's Saint Vincent Hospital; sports medicine primary care physicians Jeff Kim, DO, Philip St. Julien, DO, and Dominic Vanchieri, DO; and numerous athletic trainers, strength and conditioning specialists and sports physical therapists.

Together, the AHN team will provide a spectrum of services at the location for athletes and active adults, including physician appointments, care management, physical/occupational therapy and sports rehabilitation, concussion management, strength training, conditioning, speed, agility, and recovery services. Onsite X-ray is also available to support rapid assessment of injuries and the development of comprehensive treatment plans that put patients on the right path to recovery.

"AHN has a long history of providing the people of western Pennsylvania with outstanding orthopaedic and sports medicine services - from developing athletes and active adults to Olympic hopefuls and some of the top professionals in the world," said Patrick DeMeo, MD, chair, AHN Orthopedic Institute and medical director of the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club. "We also have a track record of innovation and establishing unique partnerships that further advance our capabilities and the reach of our programs to the people who need them. This new facility and partnership with the Erie Sports Center is another great example of that commitment and the investments our organization makes to promote health and wellness in the communities we serve."

AHN's comprehensive sports performanceprogram at the new Pavilion, led by Frank Velasquez Jr., ATC, CSCS, director of Sports performance for the network and a former Pittsburgh Pirates strength and conditioning coach. Velasquez and his staff provide personalized sports and position specific strength training and conditioning programs for individuals and teams; advanced injury prevention and recovery regimens; and detailed sports science performance assessments.

AHN's athletic trainers, strength and conditioning specialists and physical therapists follow proven, industry-leading protocols supported by advanced training equipment and technologies, including Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmills for pain-free rehabilitation and training; a Biodex isokinetic unit for rehabilitation and testing of the knee and shoulder; a Dynavision Visumotor System designed to enhance reaction times and hand eye coordination; a Vibration Drum and Platform used to assist with warm-up, exercises and cool down during workouts; infrared saunas and Therabody Compression Boots that promote circulation and shorten injury recovery times.

Athletes will also have access to VALD Performance human measurement technologies at the facility for advanced strength testing, strength training and rehabilitation.

"This facility is an enormous asset to athletes who live in the greater Erie region, but it will also serve as a convenient, comprehensive hub for the care of non-athletes with orthopedic injuries as well," said Dr. Deimel, and a former NFL team physician. "It is truly a game changer for this community."

The new AHN Pavilion is the anchor tenant of the multi-sports complex that Erie Sports Center owner Troy Bingham is currently transforming into one of the nation's preeminent destinations for advanced athletic training and competition.

The Erie Sports Center is a 60-acre campus that houses multiple outdoor soccer, football, baseball/softball and lacrosse fields, an indoor FIFA regulation turf soccer dome, a dormitory for athlete housing, and an indoor facility that includes 4 basketball courts and a wrestling center. The campus is also home to the local headquarters of Special Olympics, Erie Prep Academy and the Cadets, and a family fun park with miniature golf, go-carts, sand volleyball courts, a bar restaurant and snack shops.

According to Bingham, more than 100,000 people visit the site each year for entertainment and sports-related activities. The Center hosts more than 45 tournaments a year as well as team camps and academies in virtually every sport and is home to nearly 1000 local athletes who compete as the Erie Sports Center clubs and teams across the region. It has national affiliations with The Cleveland Cavaliers, the National Football League, USA Lacrosse, Major League Baseball, the National Premier Soccer League, the United Women's Soccer League, USA Wrestling, and numerous local and regional athletic organization partnerships. The Erie Sports Center is also home to Spanish La Liga powerhouse Villarreal CF, with a full time residential academy on site that draws players from around the world.

"For years, this facility has been at the center of athletic competition and development in the northwestern Pennsylvania region, and now, with AHN and Highmark Health onsite, we have taken this community asset to an entirely new level," said Bingham. "The addition of a world-class AHN sports medicine and sports performance program on this site, together with other significant planned investments to modernize and improve many of our playing fields and facilities, will dramatically elevate our Center's and this region's national and international profile in the sports world. I am really excited about what this will mean for the development for our various club team athletes, clinics, and camps."

The AHN Pavilion officially opens for patient care and athletic training in the coming weeks.

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