For more than 30 years, Sutter Health has helped student-athletes across Santa Cruz County prepare for the upcoming sports season by providing free pre-participation physicals and EKG screenings, a long-running community program that continues to grow in reach and impact.
This year, nearly 1,000 students throughout the county received the screenings during a weeklong series of events held at three different high schools serving North, Mid and South County communities. The clinics are designed to ensure students are healthy and safe to participate in school sports while also helping connect young people to medical care they may otherwise struggle to access.
“We’re doing the pre-participation physicals for sports that are required for all students,” said Matt Ryan, program manager of sports medicine for PAMF Sutter Health Santa Cruz. “We have medical providers, medical assistants, nurses and athletic trainers all participating to help ensure kids can safely play sports next year.”
The program began at Harbor High School more than three decades ago when the organization was known as Santa Cruz Medical Clinic, before later becoming part of Sutter Health. What once served a single campus has evolved into a countywide effort.
“This started more than 30 years ago right here at Harbor High, which was the only school we served,” Ryan said. “Over the years, we expanded to North, Mid and South County. Now, we’re covering the entire county.”
This year’s screenings included events at San Lorenzo Valley High School for North County students, Harbor High School for Santa Cruz City Schools and Watsonville High School for South County students. Ryan said the goal is to make the screenings as accessible as possible for families across the region because they play a critical role beyond athletics by helping identify students who may not have a regular health care provider.
“This acts as a safety net for kids who really don’t have providers,” he said. “Yes, we’re seeing these kids to clear them to play sports next year, but it’s also a great way for providers from Sutter Health to connect with kids who may not have medical care at all.”
The screenings are free and staffed by volunteer health care professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners and other clinicians donating their time to support local students.
“This should be free,” Ryan said. “We are volunteering to provide this service to our community, and if it’s volunteer based, there shouldn’t be a charge for it.”
At Harbor High School alone, organizers saw between 350 and 400 students, reflecting both the program’s growing demand and its longstanding role in supporting youth health and safety across Santa Cruz County.
