Corewell Health West Rehabilitation Sports Symposium 2025: From Surgery to Rehabilitation to Recovery

Course Description: This comprehensive, day-long course is designed for rehabilitation professionals seeking to deepen their expertise in managing complex orthopedic and sports-related conditions.  Topics include surgical evaluation and rehabilitation strategies for UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) and complex knee pathologies, with a focus on biomechanics and return-to-play protocols for baseball pitchers.  The course also explores the unique physiological and nutritional considerations of the aging female athlete, emphasizing injury prevention.  Participants will gain practical knowledge in strength and power training principles, including force-velocity relationships and progression strategies.  Additionally, the course addresses arthrogenic muscle inhibition in knee pathology, offering evidence-based approaches to restore quadriceps function and optimize outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand surgical evaluation and rehabilitation approach for complex knee conditions
2. Understand the surgical evaluation and rehabilitation for UCL conditions.
3. Understand the biomechanics of UCL stress in pitching and its implications for tailored rehabilitation protocols 
4. Identify multidisciplinary strategies to enhance recovery and safely return baseball pitchers to competitive play
5. Understand what arthrogenic muscle inhibition is, how to identify it, and why it commonly occurs with knee pathology
6. Understand what physical therapists can do to combat inhibition of the quads and promote strengthening
7. Describe the differences in physiological and musculoskeletal changes in the aging female athlete
8. Discuss risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in the aging female athlete related to proper vs. improper nutrition
9. Understand the basic principles of strength and power training (force – velocity)
10. Connect strength and power training to the return to play process
11. Learn key training methods and progressions in strength and power training

Presenters:

• Dr. Kendall Hamilton, MD is an orthopedic surgeon at Corewell Health who specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. After earning his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Dr. Hamilton completed his orthopedic surgery residency through Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners in affiliation with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He completed a fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. Dr. Hamilton's clinical interests include reconstruction of the shoulder, elbow, and knee, and cartilage transplantation. Dr. Hamilton served as assistant team physician for the Houston Astros, Ballet, Dynamo, Rockets and Texans, Rice University, and NASA Astronaut Corps.   
• Dr. James Lebolt, DO is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Corewell Health. He earned his medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed an internship and residency at Michigan State University, Ingham Regional Medical Center in Lansing, Michigan. Dr. Lebolt completed an orthopedic sports medicine fellowship, under Dr. James Andrews, at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, where he served as a team physician for The University of Alabama, the Washington Redskins and Jacksonville State University. Dr. Lebolt's sports medicine experience also includes appointments as the team orthopedic surgeon for Virginia Tech and Radford University. His areas of focus include minimally invasive treatment of injuries to the shoulder, elbow and knee. 
• Lenny Macrina, MSPT, CSCS is the cofounder and director of physical therapy at Champion Physical Therapy and Performance in Waltham, Massachusetts. He received his master’s degree in physical therapy from Boston University. He has been teaching continuing education courses on shoulder rehabilitation and presenting at conferences around the United States since 2006. Lenny’s work has been published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT), the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy (IJSPT), the Sports Health journal, the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), and many more. 
• Sydney Wynne, PT, DPT is the current Orthopedic Physical Therapy Resident at Corewell Health. Her residency will be completed in August 2025, and she will then pursue obtaining her orthopedic board certification. Following her residency she has accepted a position to work at the Corewell - Lakeview regional location. Sydney holds a Bachelor’s in Movement Science from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Central Michigan University. Throughout her residency, Sydney has been able to build working relationships with surgeons throughout the system and observe surgeries involving a multitude of body regions. An area of interest arose regarding the trauma the tissues go through during surgery, and the inhibition of muscle activation that follows. How do we fight this, or rather, how do we encourage this process to move faster? Throughout her education and residency experience, Sydney has grown passionate about seeing the inner athlete in all patients, and empowering them to accomplish their goals. She also understands that the answer is not always as simple as strengthening, and she is excited to be sharing other factors behind weakness and inhibition, and additional techniques to utilize in knee rehabilitation. 
• Samantha Behl, PT, DPT, OCS is a resident-trained and board-certified orthopedic physical therapist at Corewell Health. Sam earned a Bachelor’s in Clinical Exercise Science and a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Grand Valley State University. After completing her doctorate, Sam further honed her skills with a one-year orthopedic physical therapy residency at Corewell Health West and became a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist in 2025. With over 10 years of experience coaching youth and adaptive athletes, Sam combines her clinical expertise with a deep understanding of athletic performance. During her residency, she worked closely with athletic trainers at Rockford and Hudsonville High Schools, evaluating athletes and developing personalized treatment plans. Passionate about working with K-12 athletes, Sam is especially attuned to the unique challenges faced by female athletes. Her diverse experiences as a former athlete, coach, and physical therapist give her a unique perspective on the demands of sports and rehabilitation. 
• Grant Geib, MS, CSCS is the Performance Manager at Corewell Health Sports Performance Center—Powered by Exos; as well as the Director of Football Strength and Conditioning at Western Michigan University, with over a decade of experience in collegiate athletics. He specializes in speed development, injury prevention, and sports science integration, holding a Master’s in Kinesiology from the University of Tennessee. A frequent presenter and published contributor in the field, Grant brings a data-driven, collaborative approach to optimizing athlete performance and return-to-play strategies.

Target Audience: Physical Therapist, Physical Therapist Assistant, Athletic Trainer

Education Level: Intermediate

Agenda:

8:00 – 9:00	Complex Knee Injuries presented by Dr. Kendall Hamilton
9:00 – 10:00	UCL Surgery and Recovery presented by Dr. James Lebolt
10:00 – 10:15	Break
10:15 – 11:15	Optimizing UCL Rehabilitation for the Baseball Pitcher: A Multidisciplinary Approach presented by Lenny Macrina, PT
11:15 – Noon	Panel Discussion with Dr. Lebolt and Lenny Macrina
Noon – 1:00	Lunch Break
1:00 – 2:00	Arthorogenic Muscle Inhibition: Neural Mechanisms Behind the Underperforming Knee presented by Sydney Wynne, PT
2:00 – 3:00	Aging and Maturation of the Adolescent Female Athlete: Rehabilitation Considerations for Examination and Treatment presented by Samantha Behl, PT
3:00 – 3:10	Break
3:10 – 4:00	Progressions in Strength & Power Performance Training presented by Grant Geib, MS, CSCS

Location: 221 Michigan St NE, Grand Rapids MI 49503 | Conference Room 1125/1126/1127

CEUs: This activity has been approved for 7.0 CEU hours through participation in this continuing education program as recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association for physical therapy education in Michigan.  CEUL162823  |  Corewell Health Medical Group West (BOC AP#P3670) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers. This program is eligible for a maximum of 7.0 Category A CEU. Ats should claim only the hours spent in the educational program.

Cancellation: If the educational event is cancelled, notification will be sent out at least 24 hours in advance.  Corewell Health Rehabilitation Services reserves the right to substitute an equally qualified speaker.

Questions prior to the course or special needs requests can be sent to mary.coates@corewellhealth.org