Two powerhouse health entities for Louisiana walk the walk on quality of life across the lifespan....LSU Kinesiology and Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic – BROC – are innovation in action

BATON ROUGE, LA - Assisting a stroke survivor in regaining movement in their face. Teaching toddlers how to improve their fine motor skills to get them prepared for school. Helping our LSU football players off the field following a blow to the head.

Improving quality of life ALL AROUND. IMPACTING LIVES.

This important, mission-driven approach to academics is the hallmark of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education; and one of its schools – the LSU School of Kinesiology – excels at ensuring students take their lessons into the field before graduating. A collaboration spanning more than 50 years, the relationship between the LSU School of Kinesiology (SOK) and the Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic (BROC) seeks to better the community by ensuring that residents’ physical capabilities are at peak performance…while educating the next generation of aspiring practitioners.

“Collaborations such as the one between BROC and the LSU School of Kinesiology impact our students and faculty in important ways that link academic learning with experiential opportunities,” said LSU School of Kinesiology Director John Nauright, PhD. “As the primary unit of LSU engaged with health and healthy lifestyles being connected with important industries like BROC is vital for our success and the success of the wider community.”

Along with amazing BROC mentors, LSU Kinesiology students are not only able to further their career goals, but also improve the quality of care for patients and athletes.

HOW DID THE RELATIONSHIP BEGIN?

In the 1970s, BROC founders Dr. Bo Strange and Dr. James Kilroy developed a close working relationship with LSU Athletics through their involvement as team physicians for LSU Football. At the same time that each doctor was coming to campus to take turns traveling with the team, LSU Athletics was growing rapidly, adding on multiple new sports teams. With this growth also came an increased need for more athletic trainers.

With a high demand from LSU students, an official athletic training major was created for students to receive a bachelor’s degree* in athletic training through the School of Kinesiology. Since the creation of this major, BROC has stood true in their loyalty to consistent support of LSU Kinesiology students and has expanded their support to include Kinesiology students of all academic focus areas like human movement science and physical activity and health. BROC physicians and staff work together to educate LSU students and expand their learning through real-world education and partnering together to allow LSU students to shadow with athletic trainers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, physician assistants, and medical doctors.

The outstanding quality of mentorship which LSU Kinesiology students receive from BROC professionals has truly allowed BROC and SOK’s relationship to grow and thrive for 50+ years. Get to know some of our amazing preceptors that work with LSU School of Kinesiology athletic training students!

*now requires a Master’s degree.

EXCELLENCE AND SERVICE TO STUDENTS

In 2019, the LSU School of Kinesiology honored BROC as a community partner by inducting them into the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education Hall of Distinction. The BROC partnership is one of the longest in SOK history, and has kick started the careers of countless SOK students through semester placements with rotations in clinical settings at BROC.

“It is a special thing when a community partner and academic faculty find not only synergy, but a powerful way to enhance both practice and learning. The longstanding relationship between BROC and the LSU School of Kinesiology serves as a beacon of excellence for how to model such engagement between industry leaders and the flagship university – to elevate our students, prepare them for their graduate studies and ultimately the workforce of Louisiana,” said LSU College of Human Sciences & Education Dean Roland Mitchell. “And our collaboration with one another is always evolving and expanding I’m so grateful to BROC for being an innovative leader with us as we educate the future health workforce for our state.”

“As a former student myself, in the school of kinesiology at LSU, I cannot speak highly enough about the relationships that LSU has formed with their community partners,” said Amanda Swanson, LSU Class of 2020. “During my senior year, I had the privilege of being a student intern as part of LSU’s athletic training curriculum at St. Amant High School. Through this educational experience, I was able to gain great insight and grow as both a person and as a future professional Athletic Trainer. Fast forward 4 years, I now work as an extension of the BROC athletic training outreach program where I can mentor and grow LSU kinesiology students who are walking as similar path as mine. Forever thankful to LSU for making the connections with our communities' stakeholders and partners.”

CURRENT COLLABORATIONS

As a part of the recent state-of-the-art renovation of the Huey P. Long Field House, BROC generously donated essential equipment for research labs, as well as named the Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic Classroom. The sponsorship provides much-needed funds to further the SOK mission of developing students who graduate and advance the fields of sport and health, optimizing quality of life for diverse populations.

The education that will take place in this classroom is an amazing testament to the incredible commitment which BROC continues to provide LSU Kinesiology students with by encouraging them to make contributions to healthier lives and communities, as well as become outstanding leaders in a variety of allied health professions. 

The Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic, LLC is comprised of highly skilled and trained physicians who utilize advanced technology and state-of-the-art medical equipment and techniques to provide comprehensive sub-specialty musculoskeletal care in the following areas: elbow, foot and ankle, hand and wrist, hip, knee, musculoskeletal oncology, shoulder, spine, sports, pain management, pediatric, and trauma. Over the past decades, the School of Kinesiology and BROC have established a strong relationship that is beneficial to countless Kinesiology students. Undergraduates who are interested in attending graduate school in preparation for careers in occupational therapy and physical therapy can intern at BROC. BROC seeks these students to fill technician positions – a mutually beneficial arrangement. BROC is also beneficial for the athletic training program.

In addition to donating physical structures and supplies to ensure the successes of SOK students, BROC faculty and staff consistently visit the Huey P. Long Field House to impart their knowledge with Kinesiology students.

Recently, BROC physicians attended lecture and lab courses with Kinesiology’s Melissa Thompson, PhD, to visit with students majoring in pre-med and pre-allied health.

Students were able to hear from Dr. Cate Riche, who is well known at BROC for her excellence in musculoskeletal care, and foot/ankle surgery.  She has an impressive academic background, attending Dartmouth, Medical School at Cornell, residency at Harvard, and fellowship at Baylor.  Her skill set as a clinician and surgeon, along with her academic experiences, made her an excellent physician to speak with LSU Kinesiology students.

In addition, SOK students were also able to learn from Dr. Tim Bowlin, who is well known for his excellence in musculoskeletal care and hand surgery.  Being a former student of LSU and a local to the Baton Rouge community, Dr. Bowlin was the perfect facilitator for discussion with SOK students.

“I can remember vividly wishing that LSU had an anatomy class involving human cadavers while I was an undergraduate,” Dr. Bowlin said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have that opportunity but having seen LSU’s new facilities, I believe that the current and future students are very fortunate and should be ahead of the curve in pursuing graduate degrees involving the human body and healthcare. Needless to say, I’m more than a little jealous.”

“Our students loved the on-campus visit and interactions with the BROC Orthopedic Physicians,” LSU Kinesiology Associate Professor of Professional Practice Melissa Thompson, PhD said. “Students learned about the necessity of surgical problem-solving from Dr. Bowlin as he demonstrated an innovative approach to biceps brachii tendon ruptures and Dr. Riche participated in an insightful Q&A session about medical school and practicing as a physician.  This was a win-win for our students who are actively seeking to become health care providers.  One student even seized the opportunity to initiate future job shadowing experiences.”

The cutting-edge research and discovery that happens at a university is a powerful driver for innovation. To share this knowledge and build relationships between research faculty and practitioners, the School of Kinesiology recently hosted its inaugural symposium – Geauxing the Distance with Kinesiology. The two-day line up included research seminars by thought leaders in exercise physiology, motor behavior, pedagogy, and athletic training/sports sciences, a student research poster fair, and much more.

"Geauxing the Distance with Kinesiology was a fantastic event. The guests we were able to bring with us left with powerful knowledge that they were able take back to their community's stake holders,” said Deanna Melancon, MS, LAT, ATC & Director of Sports Medicine Engagement at Baton Rouge Orthopedic Clinic. “Thank you for bringing in such knowledgeable and personable guest lecturers to help update our current practices."  

WHAT’S NEXT?

Through this decades-long relationship, it is clear to see that industry-education partnerships are essential to BOTH learning and workforce development. By allowing SOK students to complete in-person internships and receive real-world experience, BROC provides extremely valuable assistance in allowing our college to improve quality of life across the lifespan.

“ BROC is honored and proud to continue our tradition of supporting LSU Kinesiology students in their career growth and development,” Trey Williamson, BROC CEO said. “Through our collaborative and focused mentorship program, SOK students receive specialized training and hands on educational opportunities to enhance their skills, abilities, and confidence. Through these patient interactions, students learn the treatment mechanisms and clinical approaches necessary to provide the highest quality care to current and future patients. Following graduation, they will successfully integrate these skills into professional settings providing exceptional care, innovation, and leadership for the well-being of our institutions and communities. ”

BROC CEO Trey Williamson and LSU College of Human Sciences & Education Dean Roland Mitchell celebrate the ribbon cutting for the BROC Classroom in the renovated Huey P. Long Field House during the historic building’s reopening in October 2023. BROC's gift also provided equipment for new kinesiology research labs.