Team provides free sports physicals to local student athletes

Throughout the summer, team members across the IU Health East Region have been busy providing free sports physicals to local high school student athletes.Led by primary care offices, the team delivered more than 1,100 sports physicals at 10 schools across Delaware, Blackford and Jay counties.

"I am so thankful to the team for providing this fantastic service to our community,” says Angie Koger, IU Health East Region human resources, who volunteered at one of the events. “I loved the experience. It was a win all the way around for our students, schools, community and IU Health."

Free sports physical events are not new to the region, but the program has expanded this year to include a clinic at Blackford High School in Hartford City and another at IU Health Jay for students from Fort Recovery High School in Ohio, located just across the state border.

"It has been wonderful to see team members and providers step up to provide this free service for local students,” says Dan Vanderbilt, IU Health East Region primary care practice operations manager. "This outreach, offered after hours, has made a meaningful impact on families across the region.”

Vanderbilt and the team value the opportunity to bring team members together around a common cause, building both community connections and new relationships within IU Health. They look forward to expanding the program to reach even more students and create additional opportunities for team members to serve the community in 2026.