Savannah State Athletics

Medical Forms	Insurance Policy	Visiting Team Info
Facility	Team Physicians & Consultants	Staff

Savannah State University Sports Medicine

It is the mission of the Savannah State University Sports Medicine Staff to provide comprehensive, advanced health care to student athletes through the use of progressive technologies and best practice techniques to reduce the risk of injury and provide a safe return to competition. In addition, the Sports Medicine staff shall comply with all NATA and NCAA recommendations and guidelines regarding the prevention, education, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.

Since the late 1980’s, St. Joseph’s/Candler Sports Medicine and Savannah State University Athletics have developed and maintained a strong partnership in the healthcare of the student athlete by focusing on the wellness, safety, prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.

Because of the growing emphasis on healthcare for the athlete and the vastness of this task, St. Joseph’s/Candler, with great University support, has gradually expanded its level of service to the Athletic Department over the years going from home football game coverage and short bi-weekly practice visits to evaluate new injuries to the full scale on-campus sports medicine department that it is today where full-time nationally certified and state licensed athletic trainers provide a myriad of healthcare services including:

Health Care Administration
Risk Management & Injury Prevention
Pathology of Injury & Illness
Assessment & Evaluation
Acute Care of Injury & Illness
Pharmacology
Therapeutic Modalities

Therapeutic Exercise
General Medical Conditions & Disabilities
Nutritional Aspects of Injury & Illness
Psychosocial Intervention & Referral
Professional Development & Responsibilities

St. Joseph’s/Candler is very proud to be a part of the excitement of Savannah State Athletics and looks forward to continuing its service to Tiger student athletes for many years to come.

Medical Forms & Information

All student-athletes are required to have completed, signed physical paperwork and insurance information on file with the Athletic Training staff prior to any sports participation for Savannah State University Athletics. If you are under 18 years of age you must have parental and/or guardian consent with signature to participate.

Click on appropriate link below to print out PDF file:

New Student-Athletes and Transfers:

Print out and complete all the New Athlete Medical Forms located on this website and have the pre-participation exam performed by your family physician prior to your arrival on campus and bring the paperwork to the athletic training staff in person. This will insure you’re able to participate as quickly as possible upon arrival to campus.

Print out and complete all the New Athlete Medical Forms located on this website and bring them to the athletic training staff upon arrival on campus and receive your comprehensive physical exam on the available date(s) assigned for your sport.

All Returning Student-Athletes:

You must complete the year-end medical questionnaire provided by the athletic training staff at the end of the spring semester. Once completed and signed, the athletic training staff will evaluate your form and arrange any necessary medical appointments and/or referrals prior to you leaving for the summer.

Upon returning and before you participate, it is mandatory that you complete the Returning Athlete Medical Forms and submit them to the athletic training staff. Under no circumstance should you participate without having the paperwork completed.

Insurance Policy

The Savannah State University Athletic Department utilizes a secondary athletic medical insurance policy. Any intercollegiate student-athlete who sustains an athletic-related injury or illness will have medical claims filed with their parents/guardians private health insurance as the primary insurance provider.

Once the primary insurance benefits are exhausted, the student athlete must obtain an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) form from their insurance company and deliver it to the athletic training staff. The athletic departments’ secondary insurance will be responsible for those remaining expenses not covered by the primary insurance company. At no time shall the student athlete be responsible for costs associated with a school-related injury so long as it was reported to the athletic training staff for proper management.

Additionally, the secondary insurance will only be filed when the student-athlete reports the injury to one of the SSU athletic trainers, is evaluated by the athletic trainer, and is referred by the athletic trainer. Any other circumstances under which injuries may occur will be regarded as non-athletic in nature and are not the responsibility of Savannah State University Athletic Department, nor is it legal for the athletic department to assume such responsibility. Medical appointments will be arranged for the student-athletes by the SSU Athletic Training Staff.

The Savannah State University Athletic Department will not be financially responsible for payment of unauthorized appointments.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has established guidelines for athletic medical expenses, identifying what is permissible and non-permissible for the institution to pay.

Savannah State University Athletic Department may finance the following
ATHLETIC MEDICAL EXPENSES:

-Secondary Health Insurance Policy
-Death & dismemberment insurance for intercollegiate athletics competition and practice
-Counseling expenses related to eating behavior problems, body image issues, etc.
-Special individual expenses resulting from a permanent disability that precludes further athletic participation
-Expenses for medical treatment as a result of an athletically related injury beyond the athletes’ primary insurance coverage.
-Medication and physical therapy utilized by a student-athlete during the academic year to enable them to participate in intercollegiate athletics

Savannah State University Athletic Department may not finance the following
NON-ATHLETIC MEDICAL EXPENSES:

-Student health insurance
-Medical, surgical, hospital or physical therapy expenses to treat a non-athletic related illness or injury
-Medical, surgical, hospital or physical therapy expenses as the result of an injury going to or participating in class (e.g. physical education class).
-Teeth cleaning, provisional filling of teeth or other dental work, unless the dental work is directly related to an injury to the teeth that occurred during an official practice and/or game.
-SSU’s secondary health insurance policy DOES NOT cover prescription orthotics.

Second opinion physician visits, specialists, diagnostic testing and other services (chiropractic, podiatry, massage therapy, physical therapy, etc…) will only be covered by the Savannah State University Athletic Department Insurance Policy if referred and approved by the SSU Team Physician and the SSU Athletic Training Staff.

As previously explained, the Savannah State University Athletic Department utilizes a secondary athletic medical insurance policy. Any intercollegiate student-athlete who sustains an athletic-related injury or illness will file with their parent’s or guardians private health insurance as the “Primary” insurance provider. The athletic department will be responsible for those expenses not covered by the primary insurer.

In the event that a student-athlete has no private health insurance, the athletic department policy will serve as the primary policy. It should be noted that the athletic department will only cover injuries sustained during Savannah State University Intercollegiate Athletic supervised/authorized practices or games. Additionally, the secondary insurance will only be filed when the student-athlete reports the injury to one of the SSU Athletic Trainers, is evaluated by the athletic trainer, and is referred by the athletic trainer. Any other circumstances under which injuries may occur will be regarded as non-athletic in nature and are not the responsibility of Savannah State University Athletic Department, nor is it legal for the athletic department to assume such responsibility. All medical appointments related to athletic participation will be arranged for the student-athletes by the SSU Athletic Training Staff. Appointments made by oneself or by the parents shall be the sole responsibility of the student-athlete and/or the parents/guardians.

Any expenses incurred by the student-athlete without referral from an SSU athletic trainer or SSU Team Physician will be the sole financial responsibility of the student-athlete. The Savannah State University Athletic Department will not be financially responsible for payment of unauthorized appointments.

If you should have any questions regarding the Savannah State University Athletic Medical Insurance Policy, please do not hesitate to contact the Athletic Insurance Coordinator at (912) 353-2249 or the Head Athletic Trainer at (912) 353-4978.

Athletic Training Staff

Kevin Lehmann, MS, ATC, LAT, CSCS
Head Athletic Trainer

Kevin Lehmann is in his third season as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Tigers of Savannah State. Most recently, he held another position with St. Joseph’s/Candler Sports Medicine, where he served as the Head Athletic Trainer for Bryan County High School in Pembroke, Ga. Prior to that, Lehmann held a graduate assistant position for the University of Tennessee Men’s Athletic Department while obtaining his Masters of Science degree in Human Performance & Sport Studies in December 2002.

During the summer of 2002, he completed an internship with the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers. He has been nationally board certified since November of 2001 by the NATABOC and is licensed by the state of Georgia to practice athletic training. He is a member of the NATA, SEATA, GATA, and NSCA. In March 2007, he earned the designation of Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is also certified as a BLS Healthcare Provider CPR/AED Instructor by the American Heart Association.

Lehmann earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Health Fitness with a concentration in Athletic Training from the University of North Carolina Charlotte in May 2001. He is married to the former Alysia DeWitt and the couple has a son Carter (2) and a newborn daughter, Addison.

Kenneth Tessier, ATC, LAT
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Kenneth Tessier accepted the assistant athletic trainer’s position for Savannah State University in June 2007. For three years previous, he was the athletic trainer at St. Andrew’s in Savannah, GA. Ken was also employed previously by the University of South Carolina, Aiken, where he was the assistant athletic trainer for two years. Ken has also held various internship positions which included the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League and with the Curry College football and hockey teams.

Ken is a native of North Smithfield, RI and earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Sports Medicine from Endicott College in 2002. He has been nationally board certified since June 2003 by the NATABOC and is licensed to practice athletic training in the state of Georgia. He is also CPR/AED certified and a member of the NATA, SEATA and GATA organizations.

Team Physicians

John P. George, M. D.
Senior Team Orthopedist

Undergraduate
University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Medical School
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia

Residency
St. Vincent's Hospital & Medical Center, New York, NY

Fellowships
Sports Medicine; Alabama Sports Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
Adult Reconstruction; New England Baptist, Boston, Massachusetts

Board Certification
American Board of Orthopedic Surgery

Professional Memberships
American Medical Association, National Board of Medical Examiners, Georgia Medical Society, Medical Association of Georgia, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Georgia Orthopaedic Society, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine

Michael “Mickey” McBroom, PA-C, ATC
Team Orthopedic Physician Assistant