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Batter up! EBCH Now Offers Athletic Training Services to Local Athletes

With spring sports in full swing, EBCH offers athletic training services to local student athletes—and anyone requiring care for mild injuries like sprains, strains, and overuse injuries.

Louie Gerzin, ATC, has joined EBCH as a partner provider from Orthopaedic Associates, which allows EBCH to provide athletic training services to Ely Memorial High School and MN North - Vermilion Campus.

His main responsibilities include providing acute care immediately after an injury, as well as ongoing care to rehabilitate after an injury or to prevent injuries from occurring. He splits his time between the high school and college during the week and attends all home sporting events, so he is available when student athletes need him most.

“There was certainly a need for this in the community,” Joe Keranen, EBCH Rehab Team Leader, said. “Having an athletic trainer at the local schools and available during events really enhances safety—including knowing concussion protocol and orthopedic injury assessment.”

In his brief time to date as the local ATC, Louie has made it his mission to provide the highest level of care for local athletes and to find new ways to enhance the safety of their athletic pursuits. His first initiative is pre-season sports screenings. These screenings will be completed with EBCH physical and occupational therapists and will help ensure student athletes are ready to perform optimally in their chosen sport. This proactive care will keep athletes safer and reduce the risk of preventable injuries. 

And when it comes to the question of why he became an athletic trainer for EBCH, the answer is easy.

As a former Ely student athlete, Louie’s love of sports never stopped, even as his student athlete career came to an end. Athletic training felt like a natural career path for him to take, and once he graduated, he set his sights on a return to the Ely area.

“I was born and raised in Ely, MN,” Louie shared, “so I knew that once I had my degree, I wanted to come home and use it to care for athletes in the community.”

With his in-depth knowledge of the student athlete experience, Louie is uniquely positioned to provide them with care. He works with the rehab team at EBCH and works underneath Dr. Harms, an orthopedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Associates. This partnership with Orthopaedic Associates ensures EBCH can provide an excellent standard of care to the local community.

"I would like to thank the EBCH team and the Orthopaedic Associates team for providing me this opportunity,” Louie said. “It truly is a dream come true to work in my hometown. I’m really enjoying the work so far and am excited for what the future holds.”

For more information about our athletic trainer, contact the EBCH Rehab Department at 218-365-8755.