Allegheny Health Network (AHN) unveiled plans to open a new, state-of-the-art, $6.5 million sports medicine and sports performance training pavilion at the Erie Sports Center, 8161 Oliver Road. AHN and Highmark Health officials were joined by community leaders, elected officials and area coaches and athletes at the site in October to celebrate the coming facility, which will be the anchor tenant of a multi- sports complex that owner Troy Bingham is currently transforming into one of the nation’s preeminent destinations for advanced athletic training and competition.
According to Bingham, more than 100,000 people visit the site each year for entertainment and sports-related activities. The Center hosts tournaments, team camps and academies in virtually every sport.
“Like so many other communities around the country, sporting events and participation in athletics are part of the fabric of this region, and we take great pride in our athletic programs and athletes of every age,” said Bingham. “This unique complex has long been a catalyst for athletic development and competition in Erie, and with AHN and Highmark Health at our side, we are now ready to take this community asset to an entirely new level.”
“The addition of a world-class AHN sports medicine and sports performance program on this site, together with other significant planned investments to modernize and improve many of our playing fields, will dramatically elevate our Center’s and this region’s national and international profile in the sports world. I am really excited about what this will mean for athlete development for our various club team athletes, clinics and camps.”
AHN’s new, 14,000-square-foot sports medicine and performance pavilion will be housed in the existing structure that sits adjacent to the Sports Center’s Dome. It will be staffed by AHN’s nationally recognized sports medicine team, including orthopaedic surgeon Jay Deimel, MD, director of sports medicine at AHN’s Saint Vincent Hospital; sports medicine primary care physicians Jeff Kim, DO, Philip St. Julien, DO, and Dominic Vanchieri, DO; and numerous athletic trainers, strength and conditioning specialists and sports physical therapists. Together the team will provide a spectrum of services for athletes and active adults, including physician appointments, care management, physical/occupational therapy and sports rehabilitation, concussion management, strength training, conditioning, speed, agility, and recovery services.
The AHN facility will also feature onsite X-ray and mobile MRI services to support rapid assessment of injuries and the development of comprehensive treatment plans that put patients on the right path to recovery.
AHN’s comprehensive sports performance program, led by former Pittsburgh Pirates strength and conditioning coach Frank Velasquez Jr., ATC, CSCS, provides personalized sports and position specific strength training and conditioning programs for individuals and teams; advanced injury prevention and recovery regimens; and detailed sports science performance assessments.
AHN expects the facility to open in mid-2024.
To learn more, visit.ahn.org/services/orthopaedic.
