Sports Medicine is NOT just the treatment of athletes. It is the combination of diagnostics, orthopedics, rehabilitation, therapy, pain management, fitness and nutrition all working together to help you overcome an injury or pain so you return to your full quality of life in the quickest, most effective manner possible.

The injury may have originated with sports, work or hobbies. Sports Medicine is the umbrella under which the services are easily accessed to help the patient relieve their pain, regain strength & mobility and return to, or surpass their pre-injury status.

At East Jefferson General Hospital, you will find all the factors needed to get your patient back in the game, the office or playroom in the fastest, safest, most effective manner possible.

Orthopedics

The orthopedists at East Jefferson General Hospital have a reputation for excellence that is hard earned. Look on the field of a Saints game and you will find an orthopedist who has worked with EJGH for nearly twenty years. Our orthopedists have worked with baseball Hall of Famers and weekend athletes helping each get back in the game better then before. Blue Cross-Blue Shield measured the outcomes of orthopedic patients throughout Louisiana and designated EJGH a 2010 Center of Excellence. The orthopedists at EJGH cover the entire spectrum of bone/joint care including minimally invasive repair of the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, hands and back. To find a physician who meets your needs and insurance plan, call Health Finder at (504) 456-5000.

Emergency Department

Many Sports Medicine cases get their first treatment in the emergency department. East Jefferson General Hospital's dedicated emergency nurses and physicians are skilled at properly diagnosing and treating injuries no matter how severe. In many cases, after initial treatment, the patient is released and from there, will contact the Sports Medicine Navigator to arrange any further treatment, rehabilitation or therapies needed. In cases where the patient requires admission to the hospital, your nurses will help you make that contact so you get full access to the array of services that will help you best recover from your injuries.

Diagnostics

Repairing an injury starts with a proper diagnosis. At East Jefferson Imaging Center, you will find state-of-the-art technologies that include the area's most powerful CT and the state's most open field MRI in a setting that is built to allow for walk in, walk out convenience. These tools, and others like X-ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine and more are in the hands of Radiologists who specialize in musculoskeletal imaging and other areas that allow for the fastest most accurate diagnosis possible. It is the information acquired at EJIC that will give your physician the pinpoint accuracy needed to determine whether surgery is called for.

Outpatient Rehab & Physical Therapy

Perhaps nothing impacts your overall surgical outcome as much as the quality of your post-surgical rehabilitation. At EJGH, your therapy begins the day of your procedure. The continuum of care continues at EJGH's brand new outpatient rehabilitation center on Houma Boulevard. This state-of-the-art facility gives our therapists greater space and resources than can be found elsewhere. One-on-one care built around your specific needs is the hallmark of rehab services available at EJGH Outpatient Rehab.

Pain Management

From the moment you become injured, pain is often the debilitating aspect of your injury. Managing that pain, whether you require surgery or not, is paramount to your recovery. At EJGH, our physicians often work hand in hand with the Pain Management Institute at East Jefferson General Hospital to develop a pain management system that will afford you relief while allowing you to return to normal activities in the quickest, safest manner possible.

Wellness Center

The best way of preventing a recurrence of this injury and/or preventing future ones, is an effective, ongoing fitness program designed by professionals to ensure maximum results and optimal injury prevention. That is exactly what you will find when you retain a personal trainer at the EJGH Wellness Center. Staffed by exercise physiologists and disease management specialists, the Wellness Center is uniquely positioned to help you meet all your fitness and wellness goals.

Nutrition Services

One of the most overlooked aspects of positive performance is the role of nutrition. A qualified nutritionist can develop an eating plan built around your specific needs. The right plan can help you lose weight, gain weight, sleep better, gain energy, run further or faster and more. The Outpatient Nutritionists at EJGH can develop a meal plan for you, and your entire family, that is both effective and delicious. Call HealthFinder at (504) 456-5000 to set up an appointment today.

Fitness Principle with Mackie Shilstone

It is hard to find anyone in the world of athletics who is not familiar with the work of Mackie Shilstone. He revolutionized sports training with his scientific approach to performance enhancement. Under Mackie's guidance, Michael Spinks gained raw muscle and power in moving up an entire weight class to win the heavyweight championship of the world. Today, Mackie trains Serena Williams and invented the lean and hard "get ripped" workouts that are now featured in infomercials. At the Fitness Principle, Mackie and his team develop training and nutritional programs that help you go further, faster, better than you even thought was possible.

Sleep Center

East Jefferson General Hospital's Sleep Center is a state of the art facility specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. While other facilities in our region may perform sleep studies, our center is staffed by Sleep Specialist Physicians who can provide a detailed, clinically based, treatment path to help you return to restful sleep.

To make an appointment with any aspect of the EJGH Sports Medicine Program, call HealthFinder at (504) 456-5000.

Nina Aucoin, ATC, LAT - Certified Athletic Trainer/Sports Medicine Navigator

Nina possesses both the professional qualifications and personal traits to be a great asset to the patients, physicians, and departments who utilize our Sports Medicine Program.

Born and raised in the Greater New Orleans area, she values relationships and takes great pride in providing a concierge level of care to our patients. Married to a fellow Athletic Trainer, Nina is seemingly always surrounded by sports and family.

Nina Aucoin graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1999 where she obtained a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Sports Medicine emphasizing in Athletic Training. She is a Member and Certified with the National Athletic Trainer's Association and is also a Louisiana Licensed Athletic Trainer.

Nina has worked with the University of New Orleans with various teams from 2000-2003 and was the Athletic Trainer for St. Mary's Dominican High School from 2003-2011. She has been working with East Jefferson General Hospital since 2008 and was appointed Sports Medicine Navigator in 2010. As part of the Sports Medicine Program at East Jefferson General Hospital, she has also worked with Pro Camps Reggie Bush Football Camp, the 2011 AAU Junior Olympics, and other EJGH Sports Medicine programming developed for the area high school athletes.

Nina has always sought out the best care for her athletes and patients and has inspired for a seamless process with their care.