As summer begins and temperatures rise, community members increase their physical activity through sports and outdoor endeavors. Injuries often increase during this season as a result of overdone activity, said Dr. Eric Chapman, orthopedic surgeon.
Access to specialty care for sports medicine and orthopedics can be limited outside major cities, such as Austin, as demand rapidly grows, Chapman said.
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Buda expanded its offerings to include sports orthopedics for pediatric, adolescent and adult patients by hiring Chapman.
The overview
The need for sports orthopedics is major in areas where specialists are not present, Chapman said. While access to care exists in South Austin and Kyle, the distance patients needed to travel from Buda was too great for injuries that needed to be quickly addressed.
“Buda [is] a family-focused town,” Chapman said. “As more families move in, there's more of a need. My role is [to address] any sports injury from any athlete, whether it's 2 years old all the way to 100 years old. My focus is taking care of the adolescent athletes and kids.”
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Buda has the capabilities to conduct a full workup for patients who come in with an injury, including X-rays, MRIs and advanced imaging as needed, Chapman said.
Chapman, who has been in private practice for approximately 15 years, can then provide a complete diagnosis and treatment plan for the injury.
“We do see more injuries around this time and then again in the fall, when sports pick up,” Chapman said.
Orthopedic care is available at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Buda for patients of all ages and with a range of injuries.
“I am happy to take care of adults and adult injuries as well,” Chapman said. “It doesn't have to be specifically sport-related. If someone trips walking down the sidewalk or hurts themselves doing yard work, I'm happy to take care of them.”
Meet the doctor
Chapman has been at the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Buda since March. The lack of a sports medicine doctor specializing in pediatrics and adolescent athletes in the area motivated his decision to work in the city.
“I'm from Texas originally, was working out of state and kept my eye on the Texas markets until something interesting came along,” Chapman said. “When I saw this, I was drawn to it. [The hospital’s] goals and my goals aligned with trying to build something great in a place where there was a need.”
