The UAA-AFOC connection: Seawolf doctors extraordinaire.

• Author: Kalytiak, Tracy
• Position: HEALTH & MEDICINE - University of Alaska Anchorage - Anchorage Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic

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Athletes who hurtle down mountains on skis or slam into the boards at hockey rinks while competing at University of Alaska Anchorage sporting events have volunteer medical expertise nearby when injuries occur.

Anchorage Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic doctors have, combined, accumulated more than 70 years experience caring for UAA's student-athletes.

Last spring, UAA's Department of Athletics gave extraordinary contribution awards to two of those physicians--AFOC's Thomas Vasileff and Richard McEvoy--to honor their contributions to the university's sports medicine program.

"They're just a joy to work with," said Christine Yolk, UAA's head athletic trainer. "They were actually helping us before I even started at UAA 18 years ago."

There are approximately 180 student-athletes enrolled at UAA, Volk said, and 25 team physicians. Four of those physicians--Vasileff, McEvoy, Leslie Dean and Douglas Prevost--practice at AFOC. Dean arrived 15 years ago and Prevost started practicing at AFOC in 2008.

FORGING A COMMITMENT

AFOC physicians assist with pre-season orthopedic evaluations, cover home games of the UAA hockey team, expedite scheduling of appointments and diagnostic tests for student-athletes, provide physical therapy and perform surgeries.

Volk, one of UAA's three certified athletic trainers, says the orthopedic evaluations are conducted the Sunday before school starts.

The evaluations are part of the pre-participation examination process, with the objective of making sure UAA student-athletes are medically safe to participate in their sport.

"It's a requirement for all our student-athletes," she said. "It's a basic head to toe, from an orthopedic standpoint. If the student-athlete has any ongoing bone or joint issues, they bring that up to the physician to be addressed. If the physician sees anything orthopedic in nature wrong with one of these student-athletes, they're going to let the athletic trainers know so we can follow up with the appropriate rehabilitation or obtain the necessary diagnostic testing."

In addition, the physicians at AFOC provide medical coverage at the Carrs/ Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, Kendall Hockey Classic and NCAA tournaments UAA hosts.

The AFOC physicians who help UAA have each forged a solid commitment to the health and safety of athletes in Alaska.

Adventure and the outdoors drew Thomas Vasileff to Anchorage from St. Louis in 1981 after he had completed his orthopedic training in Oklahoma.

William Mills Jr. approached Vasileff to help out with UAA's alpine and Nordic ski teams.

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