MD health networks prioritizing athlete performance and health

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From students to professional athletes, Maryland’s ever-growing sports community has been flourishing through building relationships with some of the region’s most innovative medical institutions to help the growing concern of injuries in athletes, particularly regarding cardiac issues.

Multiple studies and medical organizations confirm that injury rates among student-athletes have increased over the past decade. While cardiac death rates have decreased over the past 20 years, according to the NCAA, undiagnosed heart issues can put many athletes at risk, which is why screenings and analysis are so important.

Health networks like Johns Hopkins Medicine, the University of Maryland Medical System, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine are combining medical expertise, advanced research, and new technology to help athletes stay healthy, recover faster and perform at their best.

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Enabling these initiatives is the expanding discipline of sports medicine. This medical specialty focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating injuries related to physical activity. Johns Hopkins Medicine is home to one of the most comprehensive sports medicine programs in the country, offering services that include orthopedic care (treatment of bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments), physical therapy, and rehabilitation. Their team-based model brings doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and performance specialists together to create customized treatment plans for athletes at every level.

Rather than simply treating injuries after they occur, this field of study emphasizes prevention and long-term health. Athletes receive personalized training recommendations, strength and conditioning plans, and recovery strategies designed to reduce injury risk and support consistent performance.

Another rapidly growing field increasing athlete care in Maryland is sports cardiology, which focuses on heart health in physically active individuals. Sports cardiologists specialize in evaluating how the heart responds to exercise, identifying heart-related conditions, and determining whether athletes can safely train and compete.

The University of Maryland Medical Center has developed a dedicated Sports Cardiology Program that works closely with Johns Hopkins specialists. The program uses advanced diagnostic tools, including echocardiograms (ultrasound imaging of the heart), cardiac MRI scans and exercise stress tests, to evaluate heart structure and function. These tests help physicians identify abnormalities that could increase the risk of serious cardiac events during intense physical activity.

For athletes, this means earlier detection of potential problems, safer training plans, and more informed decisions about competition and recovery. Director of Sports Cardiology at University of Maryland Medical Center, Scott D. Jerome, DO, sees athletes of all ages, from high school varsity athletes to master’s level 65+ athletes. The testing for each type and age of athlete differs.

“When we’re testing the health of our athletes, we’re looking for everything,” Jerome said, “from preventative measures to pre-existing conditions, unknown diseases, aneurysms, and more. All the tests factor in to tell us if the athlete is healthy enough to do the task they are attempting.”

“Recent tragic events in professional football and college basketball sparked many medical centers to prioritize sports cardiology, particularly furthering research and outreach for preventative measures,” Jerome said. “Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the country. It’s vitally important for everyone to get a cardiology screening, but for these highly competitive athletes, it’s even more critical.”

The University of Maryland Medical Center Sports Cardiology Program partners with local high schools and colleges to create EATs, emergency action plans, in case of a cardiac incident, as well as provides screenings at local events, like the Baltimore Running Festival.

These programs would not have been able to reach the level of success they have without the research that supports them and champions the results. One of those studies was conducted in 2022 by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who participated in the Big Ten COVID-19 Cardiac Registry, a large, multi-university study examining heart inflammation in athletes who had recovered from COVID-19. Of the 1,600 athletes in the study, about 2.3% developed myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that can lead to palpitations, arrhythmias, and more. The larger concern is that the majority of those with this issue did not have symptoms; the findings were only concluded after screenings. This research supported how important sports medicine, specifically sports cardiology, truly is.

The research and prioritized medical programs in these renowned medical organizations reflect a growing interest in Maryland medical institutions that focus on injury prevention, education, research and innovation. Maryland’s health networks are helping athletes not only reach peak performance but also protect their long-term well-being.

As athletic participation continues to grow at every level, these programs ensure that Maryland remains at the forefront of safe, effective, and accessible athlete care to benefit individuals, teams, and communities across the state.