Justin Cooper, PT, the clinic’s golf expert, helps a golfer improve his swing.

Earlier this year, Harborview Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy joined 31 other NRH Regional Rehab outpatient centers in a growing network that spans across Maryland, D.C, and Northern Virginia. The new center was designed in cooperation with MedStar sister facility Harbor Hospital in South Baltimore.

This center focuses primarily on orthopedic and musculoskeletal problems and is a perfect complement to Harbor Hospital’s growing center of excellence in orthopedics, which includes Leigh Ann Curl, M.D., head orthopedic surgeon for the Baltimore Ravens. But the center isn’t simply catering to professional athletes — it’s targeting the area’s “active population,” says Clinic Director Josh Billings, PT.

“We treat everyone from weekend warriors to members of high school sports teams — and men and women who may not be athletes, but who keep active. The injuries we see run the gamut, too, from shoulder to knee to foot injuries. We also treat patients who have a variety of non-sports related issues, such as arthritis, and patients recovering from joint replacement.”

The center is located in an office building across the street from the hospital, and also houses the departments of orthopedics and rheumatology, as well as a fully equipped gym that offers everything from aerobic classes to massage therapy.

Billings, a former competitive runner, is the center’s running and baseball injury expert. He is a 12-year veteran of MedStar, and has been the Clinic Director of NRH Regional Rehab at Wilkens Avenue since its opening five years ago. Clinic Coordinator Justin Cooper, PT, who has spent five years working with NRH Regional Rehab, once coached high school soccer and golf and runs the golf performance program on site.

They are using all of the most advanced therapies, and the center is the only one in the area offering slow motion video to analyze body mechanics. “It provides great information to help us make recommendations to improve performance and prevent future injury,” Billings says.

Injury prevention is an important part of the center’s program. It held its first injury prevention clinic in July attracting nearly 30 area high school cross-country coaches. And in August a public seminar on complementary therapies drew an enthusiastic audience.

“We want to be the ‘go to’ place for sports medicine in the area and look forward to developing many other community outreach projects,” Billings says.

The Harborview site is the logical next step in a growing network of rehab services offered by NRH, says John Brickley, vice president for ambulatory services. “We are combining the strengths of MedStar facilities to create outpatient centers that truly serve community needs. Harbor Hospital has been building a strong orthopedic program during the last few years — and with the addition of Dr. Curl, it has a growing reputation in sports medicine,” Brickley explains. “NRH Regional Rehab has the expertise in musculoskeletal and orthopedic rehabilitation. It’s simply a natural fit.”