By Craig Morgan, thesundevils.com Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. – Like any parents, those whose children are student-athletes on the fields and courts at Arizona State University want the best possible medical care for their kids, and making that happen just got a lot easier.
Dr. Anikar Chhabra, Chief Orthopedic Consultant for Sun Devil Athletics, now will also serve as Director of Sports Medicine at Mayo Clinic Arizona, allowing ASU student-athletes to access Mayo's elite team of physicians along with a vast array of cutting-edge medical technologies.
Chhabra’s new role reflects the continual growth in the collaboration between Mayo and ASU. Since 2002, the two institutions have worked closely on a variety of successful efforts, including a joint nursing education program, collaborative research projects and joint faculty appointments.
In September of 2011, Mayo Clinic announced the expansion of their Rochester based Mayo Medical School to Arizona. The new Mayo Medical School is due to open in Arizona 2017. A major feature is that all students will earn a certificate in the Science of Health Care Delivery along with their medical degree, and the option of a specialized master's degree in the Science of Health Care Delivery developing in cooperation with ASU. It is believed this would be the first medical school to offer such a program.
“Just as ASU has shown that higher education has to be delivered differently than it was 50 years ago, Mayo recognizes that future physicians need complementary competencies that reflect the changing world of health care,” said ASU President Michael Crow. “We’re proud to join these two distinguished research and educational institutions.”
There is more in Mayo's plans, Chhabra said.
"Our goal is to build an international sports center that's open to the whole world -- all-encompassing with all disciplines of sports medicine," he said.
The center is still in the planning stage, but Chhabra envisions the center including a performance research wing to study everything from golf swings and running gaits to PRP injections and cutting edge stem-cell research. The center would also house a sports performance enhancement wing for use by athletes trying to prepare for upcoming seasons or events.
"Phoenix is such a hotbed for sports medicine," Chhabra said. "We have so many athletes who live and train here and we have great weather. Our vision is to build something never done before: a one- stop shop for sports medicine."
Chhabra has worked with ASU for the past eight years while maintaining a private practice with The Orthopedic Clinic Association (TOCA) until this year. His wife, Lopa Misra Chhabra, is also a physician at Mayo, and an ASU alumna.
In addition to his practice and duties for ASU, Chhabra is the head orthopedic surgeon for Major League Baseball's umpires, he consults with 12 Valley high schools and he is the medical director for all the Valley's college football bowl games: the Fiesta Bowl, the Cactus Bowl and this year's national championship.
When student-athletes and their parents make recruiting trips to ASU, Chhabra is one of the people they routinely meet to inform the parents about the medical care they can expect.
"If they know the world renowned Mayo Clinic will be involved, I think it makes parents feel a little more comfortable," Chhabra said. "With this relationship and the sports medicine center, the possibilities are all over the board when you're discussing access to care and cutting-edge medical science."
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About Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a New American University—a major public educational institution, a premier research center and a leader in innovation. Our vision is described by our three core principles: excellence in scholarship, access to education and impact in our global community. As a New American University, ASU is intellectually vibrant, socially conscious and globally engaged. For more information visit www.asu.edu.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to medical research and education, and providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/.