Homewood Magazine
Norman E. Waldrop, III, M.D.
To read the entire Homewood Magazine article click here.
When Kevin Tubbs took the reins as Director of Athletics for Homewood City Schools in 2011, he began a search for a new group to care for Homewood's student athletes as well. After hearing presentations and proposals from several groups, Tubbs selected Andrews Sports Medicine, part of the St. Vincent's Health System and Champion Sports Medicine, to provide all medical and surgical treatment, athletic training, and physical therapy services to Homewood athletes. "It's amazing what we've accomplished from what we had," Tubbs says.
In a unique collaboration, Andrews Sports Medicine provides Homewood's team doctors for all medical cases, and Champion Sports Medicine provides athletic trainers for both the hight school and the middle school, as well as all therapy treatment. The same group supports the athletic training staff at Samford University and provides on-site physicial thereapy for all Samford student athletes.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Norman Waldrop is on the sidelines for all Homewood varsity football games, and Ed Harris is the full-time athletic trainer for HHS. There is also one trainer assigned to the middle school. A trainer is onsite for every home athletic event, and there are para medics at every football game.
"We provide a very high quality of care," Tubbs says. "It's amazing to me that the same guys who are on our sidelines on Friday nights are on the University of Alabama sidelines on Saturday. That's the quality of care we're giving our kids."
In addition to receiving cutting edge medical care, Homewood High School is also one of only a few schools that offers its student athletes therapy services on campus. Cham pion therapists, using their own equipment, provide physical therapy for injured and rehabbing student athletes at the school during the student's athletic period. "This ensures that all of our kids get proper therapy," Tubbs says. Champion is in charge of all follow-up therapy with athletes and also provides a strength and conditioning coach to assist the various coaching staffs twice a week.
In addition to ensuring quality outside care, Homewood's coaches are also well trained to deal with emergency situations. All coaches are CPR/AED certified and have completed concussion training, heat illness training and sudden cardiac training. HHS has five Automated External Defibrillators in close proximity to playing fields. "There's an AED within steps of every playing surface at our school," Tubbs says. "We want to take good care of our athletes.
About Norman E. Waldrop III, M.D.
Norman E. Waldrop, III, M.D. is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon, who specializes in foot and ankle surgery. A large majority of Dr. Waldrop's time is dedicated to sports injuries, arthroscopy, and traumatic and post-traumatic conditions of the foot and ankle.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Waldrop, call Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center at (205) 939.3699 and ask to speak with Dr. Waldrop's appointment scheduler.
