PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Just as athletes are training for the upcoming May 20, 2012 Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Marathon so, too, are the physicians and health professionals who are responsible for providing medical care for the events walkers, runners and cyclists.

Kaiser Permanente takes these events very seriously, says Thad Woodward, MD, a Family Practice and Sports Medicine physician at the Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center, who has supervised medical response for the Pasadena Marathon for the past four years. We try to bring the same level of care for our athletes in the field as we do for our patients in the emergency room.

About 40 to 60 Kaiser Permanente physicians, health professionals and other community volunteers are expected onsite to meet the basic medical needs of participants for the entire course. Leading their efforts will be James Hwang, MD, and Joel Ramirez, MD, sports medicine fellows at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.

To ensure their health care team is ready for nearly anything, the pair will bring Kaiser Permanente Southern Californias 25-bed disaster medical tent. Equipped with solid floors and air conditioning, the tent can double as a command post. Future plans call for installing wireless Internet and satellite phones.

Its like a MASH tent with cots, IVs, and medical supplies, says Dr. Hwang. Its very well stocked. You can do basic triage and stabilize patients before transferring them to the nearest hospital.

Use of the tent, which can expand to 1,700 square feet, ranges from medical center emergencies to area sporting events. Once the tent is fully equipped and operational, it can potentially be used for regional and out-of-state emergencies. During the Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Marathon, the disaster medical tent will be set up near the finish line while smaller tents will be erected along the event route.

Sports medicine physicians say they are especially well-suited to responding to medical emergencies at sporting events such as the Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Marathon. We cover the whole gamut of health issues, from primary care to musculature skeletal issues, says Dr. Hwang. Its nice that the Pasadena Marathon showcases our skills set; it lets the community know what sports medicine is really about.

Dr. Ramirez, who routinely gives community talks on the importance of education, says the Pasadena Marathon is an excellent opportunity for high school and college students who are considering medicine as a career.

They can see injuries and they can help us with cleaning abrasions or lacerations, says Dr. Ramirez. Its a great opportunity to learn whether medicine is the right career for you.

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Sports Medicine Skills Come Into Play at Pasadena Marathon