Emergency Care in Sport Conference Targets Athlete Safety, Preparation
Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles Rams, and National Football League Convene National Experts as Orthopedic Surgeon Clarence Shields, MD, Receives Inaugural Honor
When emergencies happen in sports, experts agree that the difference between life and death often comes down to seconds—and preparation.
Preparation was at the center of the 2026 Emergency Care in Sport (ECS) Conference in Woodland Hills, where nearly 200 sports medicine professionals, athletic trainers and healthcare leaders gathered for a two-day immersive training focused on emergency response.
Hosted by the Los Angeles Rams, the National Football League (NFL), and Cedars-Sinai, the conference combined expert-led instruction with hands-on, scenario-based training designed to prepare clinicians and athletic staff to respond to critical situations on the field.
“Sport is unpredictable, and when emergencies happen, there’s no time to hesitate,” said Casey Batten, MD, co-director of Nonoperative Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, head team physician for the Rams, and chief medical officer for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “This training is about building muscle memory so that when something goes wrong, teams can respond immediately, confidently and in a coordinated way.”
The conference featured a multidisciplinary lineup of national leaders in sports medicine and emergency care, including Reggie Scott, senior vice president of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Rams; Allen Sills, MD, chief medical officer for the National Football League; and Ron Courson, associate athletic director for Sports Medicine at the University of Georgia.
Through panel discussions and interactive demonstrations, speakers and session leaders emphasized the importance of Emergency Action Plans, proper medical oversight, access to essential equipment, and involving trained sports medicine experts at all levels of sport—from youth leagues to professional teams.
A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the inaugural Dr. Greg Elkins Memorial High School Team Doctor of the Year Award, recognizing exceptional dedication to the care and safety of student-athletes.
The award honors the legacy of Greg Elkins, MD, a nationally prominent and widely respected sports medicine physician known for his decades of service to high school athletes and his leadership in shaping national sports medicine policy.
Elkins Award recipient Clarence Shields, MD, a Cedars-Sinai orthopedic surgeon, was honored for his pioneering work in expanding access to care for underserved student-athletes in Los Angeles.
A Los Angeles native, Shields graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine, completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, and fulfilled his fellowship training in sports medicine at the then–Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Institute. He later served as president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and as a longtime team physician for the Los Angeles Rams.
In 1994, Shields founded Team HEAL—Helping Enrich Athletes’ Lives—a program that provides athletic training services and healthcare resources to high schools in underserved communities. Today, the program serves more than a dozen schools and 2,800 student-athletes annually and has helped more than 30,000 young athletes since its inception.
“Dr. Shields’ leadership reminds us that sports medicine is about more than treating injuries—it is about protecting futures,” Batten said. “By founding Team HEAL, Dr. Shields expanded access to care for underserved communities and connected local high schools with volunteer physicians who have made a lasting difference in the lives of student-athletes.”
Read more from Stories and Insights: How to Prevent Sports Injuries in Young Athletes