Gamechangers in Our Community for 20 Years
Hopedale, IL – Celebrating 20 years of service, the Hopedale Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Program at Hopedale Medical Complex (HMC) knows the importance of having a successful game plan in place when working with student-athletes in our local communities. Beginning in 2005, Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) began to establish relationships with athletic programs in our local school communities. The program has continued to grow over the years because the schools, parents and school boards have come to recognize the value and importance of having ATCs at the schools during interscholastic athletic activity. Current school districts Hopedale Medical Complex contracts with include: Deer Creek-Mackinaw, Tremont, Delavan, and Hartsburg-Emden.
Adapting the playbook to the times and needs of the individuals we serve, Hopedale Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine has continued to grow. In 2016, the Hopedale Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Program added an onsite orthopedic surgeon. Currently, Dr. Edward Kolb is part of the Sports Medicine Program and is also our primary board certified orthopedic surgeon for those having orthopedic needs in our community. Beginning in 2025, HMC opened a Recovery Room for athletes and patients. HMC’s Recovery Room is designed for highly active individuals to recover from the demands of exercise and sport. Providing Normatec Compression Units along with Hivamat Deep Tissue Oscillation Therapy, the Recovery Room provides a place for athletes to recharge and recover. As needs change, Hopedale Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine adapts.
Kicking off the new school year, Hopedale Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine will again be offering the Student Athlete of the Month program for athletes in the school districts we contract with. This program culminates in May by choosing the Student Athlete of the Year which is awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
“For us, it’s about making an impact in the communities and sports programs that we serve. We want to be an example of what rural Sports Medicine should look like, by not only the services we provide, but the community relationships that we build,” shares Hopedale Medical Complex’s COO, Emily Whitson MS, LAT, ATC, CAH-CBS. “It’s about serving our athletes, their families, and our communities.”