Time Running Out for Student Physicals

As many parents shuffle to get their children's sports physicals done before Aug. 8, local medical facilities are doing what they can to be accommodating.

Having current physicals is a mandatory measure for all high school teams, including and ; no exceptions are allowed.

If students do not have their paperwork for physicals to turn in to coaches for team tryouts on Aug. 8, they sit out until they do. Coaches warn that students must participate in a certain number of practices before playing in the first games of the new season, and any day of sitting out can cut it too close for comfort. Just a few of the locations in the area offering physicals include:

• at 16105 Manchester Rd. (at the corner of Old State and Hutchinson Roads) offers sports and school physicals for $35 through Sept. 30. Physicals are regularly $60. Visit their website for more details and hours. No appointments are required. Ask about their offer of $30 physicals for a family getting more than one done during the same visit.

• St. Luke's Urgent Care at 233 Clarkson Road (about a 1/2 mile north of Manchester Road) in Ellisville offers physicals at a cost of $45. No appoints necessary.

• Wildwood Health & Wellness Center, located at 16917 Manchester Rd. (near Cherry Hills subdivision), offers sports physicals for $30. An appointment is necessary, however. The staff said they usually get patients in same-day with no wait at the scheduled appointment time.

Note: The Walgreens' location in Wildwood does not have the medical clinic services.

“This is a busy time for parents and children who are tackling their back-to-school checklists,” said Sandra Festa Ryan, RN, chief nurse practitioner officer for Take Care Health Systems. “Take Care Clinics offer physicals with ease and simplicity for patients and families—ensuring access to trusted clinicians, who can discuss medical history, perform comprehensive exams, administer appropriate vaccinations and provide guidance on living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

Take Care nurse practitioners and physician assistants reportedly are educated to address sports-specific issues, including injuries and nutrition.