Team HEAL
For young athletes growing up in underserved communities, participation in athletics is often the door to a world of possibilities. However, participation in athletics also lends itself to the risk of injury. Team HEAL focuses on the health, well-being, and the future of student-athletes in Los Angeles-area high schools. At the heart of this community health program is its mission of Helping Enrich Athletes’ Lives (HEAL).
Team HEAL in the Community
History of Team HEAL
Founded by Clarence L. Shields Jr., M.D. in 1994, Team HEAL was developed due to the severely diminished statewide budget cuts to school sports programs. Before Team HEAL’s inception, Dr. Shields was the practicing team doctor for the Los Angeles Rams. During this time, Dr. Shields volunteered his services as a team physician to local inner-city high schools as well.
Following the tragic loss of a football player due to heart complications, school coaches consistently approached Dr. Shields, asking him to provide medical care and surgeries for their injured student-athletes. After delivering multiple pro bono medical treatments, Dr. Shields determined that further action was needed to support these underserved individuals.
At that point, Team HEAL was born and began working with high schools to hire Certified Athletic Trainers to oversee the health and well-being of the student-athletes at those schools. Since its founding, Team HEAL has touched the lives of over 30,000 student-athletes and has grown from partnering with its five legacy schools (Banning, Carson, Crenshaw, Dorsey, and Westchester High Schools) and continually expands to reach more schools and make a difference to more student-athletes.
What is an Athletic Trainer?
Certified Athletic Trainers are highly qualified, multi-skilled healthcare professionals trained in the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of medical conditions and emergent, acute, and chronic injuries. Athletic Training is recognized by the American Medical Association, Health Resources Services Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services as an allied healthcare profession.
Team HEAL Services
The Team HEAL Network enhances a school’s ability to provide athletic healthcare services to student-athletes through ongoing support and engagement with school leadership and certified athletic trainers (ATCs). Also designed to foster life skills and prepare them for the future, we engage students in work and college readiness initiatives through mentorship, college scholarships, and career development.
Team HEAL provides grant funding to help schools build or upgrade facilities. Additional assistance procuring equipment, supplies, and other resources for the athletic training room may be provided.
Partner schools hire and fund an Athletic Trainer for their campus.
Beginning in 2008, Team HEAL began awarding annual college scholarships to student-athletes. Recipients of the scholarship can utilize funds to help cover expenses for a two or four- year college program, vocational program, or trade school.
Team HEAL doctors and athletic trainers treat more than 300 sports-related injuries per year—including sprains, strains, concussions, fractures, and overuse injuries such as tendonitis or shin splints.
Trends in student-athlete injuries (concussions, ankle sprains, muscle strains, fractures, dislocations, etc.) are monitored and studied from one school year to the next.
Comprehensive preseason sports physicals offered to student-athletes at select partner schools at no cost to them or their families. More than 6,000 free physicals have been performed since 2003.
Free Orthopedic and Sports Medicine services to all student-athletes from Team HEAL high schools at Saturday Athletic Injury Clinics.
In collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District, Team HEAL is located at the following high schools:
- Bell High School
- Carson High STEAM School
- Crenshaw High School STEMM Magnet
- Esteban E. Torres High School
- Fairfax High School
- John Marshall High School
- Jordan High School
- King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
- Nathaniel Narbonne High School
- Phineas Banning Senior High School
- Susan Miller Dorsey Senior High School
- Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets
Our program supports athletic trainers in the classroom, teaching sports medicine classes, exposing the students to healthcare professions, and increasing their health literacy.
Ongoing partnerships with Team HEAL high schools and Los Angeles Unified School District allow us to achieve the results that enable us to expand our program to other high schools to serve more students in underserved communities.
Team HEAL (BOC AP#: P3684) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to athletic trainers.
Team HEAL hosts a variety of educational opportunities that are open to certified athletic trainers, coaches, school administrators and staff.
See Where We Work
The 6 Community programs at Cedars-Sinai, including Team HEAL, cover a wide range of Los Angeles neighborhoods, serving diverse communities of all ages.