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Two far-reaching and highly impactful North Florida entities joined forces Tuesday in a panel discussion that explored how their partnership will help improve health care across North Florida and South Georgia.

Members of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine (ISSM) at Florida State University and Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic (TOC) shared their expertise, knowledge and vision for improving quality of care.

The discussion was a strong nod to what the FSU Health initiative is all about: bold innovation aimed at improving health care throughout the region.

“This group represents the best of what can happen when academic research and private practice collaborate,” said College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Dean Damon Andrew during his introductory remarks.

The four-member panel included TOC CEO Mike Boblitz, ISSM Director Mike Ormsbee, FSU and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Chief Clinical Research Officer Joe Frascella, and Assistant Director of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Research at ISSM and research scientist at TOC Emilie Miley.

Throughout the hour-long talk, the panelists discussed how their partnerships benefit all parties. For example, TOC’s base of highly skilled clinicians will be able to lean on research coming from FSU’s ISSM program, made possible by the important joint hire of Miley.

TOC has been serving the needs of its patients for 50 years, but Boblitz still felt there was more that could be done with educational research. He wanted research that could innovate and create, expanding the clinic’s quality of care even more.

In Boblitz’s office is a map of the locations of TOC’s patients over the years, stretching from Panama City to Perry and across South Georgia. The clinic’s impact has been felt region-wide, taking care of roughly 270,000 patients.

As Ormsbee explained from FSU’s perspective, one glaring omission from ISSM’s portfolio was orthopedics. FSU’s cadre of researchers had no access to the clinic populations that TOC has. With the large base that TOC serves, the opportunity to partner with the clinic and provide it with crucial data was too good to pass up.

“We were thinking about ‘How do we grow this to a place that’s not only recognized regionally, but nationally and hopefully internationally?’” Ormsbee said. “We were brainstorming ideas on how to really ramp up orthopedics and a partnership with TOC was the most logical step that came to mind.”

Frascella explained the FSU Health initiative and how partnerships are a crucial part of that work.

“What’s critical from the point of view of FSU Health is really developing an ecosystem,” Frascella said. “This collaboration and partnership exemplify what we’re trying to accomplish with this new enterprise of FSU Health, where we’re building researcher and clinician partnerships.”

Panelists discussed the wide-ranging impact of their work. For example, TOC works with 41 high schools and multiple universities, another example of its massive reach. ISSM’s research is used by Division 1 athletes, weekend warriors, older adults and others.

“When people hear ‘human performance’ initially, they think athletes,” Ormsbee said. “However, we take a much broader view to what human performance actually means. For ISSM, we look at performance for clinical populations, people recovering from anything — aging, different conditions that may impact individuals. I think all of our lanes with clinical sports science, sports psychology, orthopedics, etc. — all of those things can impact human performance.”

For Miley, she wants to make sure her research addresses the needs of all populations.

“Within this partnership, we have a big focus on athletics and younger populations,” Miley said. “But the partnership can grow outwards to other populations — lower socioeconomic statuses, groups of patients that TOC sees in the South Georgia and North Central Florida Region — and then bringing in more partnerships and research to help those populations that sometimes can be underserved.”

As the discussion closed, the panelists restated their shared belief in the promise of FSU Health and its positive impact.

“I think the ripple effect from growing what we’re starting here in research to eventually helping the student population is going to be massive,” Ormsbee said.

“I think this is the starting point of realizing we need to bring all this together, with the same agenda and the same purpose,” Boblitz said. “I think the future could be really powerful.”

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Athletes, spectators and media from around the world will travel to Paris later this month for the 2024 Olympics.

The games run from July 26 through Aug. 11. Major international sporting events such as the Olympics bring a level of spectacle and scrutiny unlike many others. When the world is watching, organizers are under intense pressure for things to run smoothly. Athletes who want to share a message have a grand stage.

Florida State University experts in athletic performance, marketing, journalism and hospitality are available to speak to media covering the Olympics.

Timothy Baghurst, professor and director, Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching (FSU COACH), College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
(501) 613-8913; tbaghurst@fsu.edu

Baghurst’s research focuses on coaching education and development, with specific interests in coaching ethics, coach/athlete health and well-being and variables that affect elite performance. He has worked with sports organizations affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and International Olympic Committee.

“The Olympics are unique, providing athletes and coaching staff one shot at glory. The pressure to get it right at the right time is immense! This quadrennial event also becomes a hotbed for discussion on topics such as doping, transgender athletes, and other controversial societal and political issues. How coaches and athletes prepare for the unique mental and physical challenges the Olympics provide may be the difference between a podium finish or the four-year wait to try again.”

Megan M. Buning, teaching faculty, Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching (FSU COACH), College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
m.buning@fsu.edu

Buning is an expert on athletic coaching, athlete experiences and mental performance for coaches, athletes and game officials. She is a certified mental performance consultant and is listed on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry.

“Mental preparation for athletes of all levels is critical to success. Elite level athletes, like those competing in the Olympics, typically have consistent mental, physical, and emotional routines in place that help them stay focused and emotionally regulated during competition. Athletes at the elite level must train for longevity in the sense that their seasons (training and competition) are typically longer than what you would see for collegiate athletes. Athletes, coaches, and referees across the variety of sports offered in the Olympics must prepare a little differently for the pace of play and specific performance needs during competition.”

James Du, assistant professor, Department of Sport Management, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
(850) 644-1859; jdu3@fsu.edu

Du’s research focuses on consumer behavior and marketing intelligence in sport and recreational settings. His research integrates applied big data analytics, Bayesian modeling and machine learning to inform sport organizations on effective marketing strategies and their socioeconomic impact on individuals and communities.

“The Paris 2024 Olympics are set to have a transformative impact. The economic, social and environmental benefits are traditionally the focus in evaluating the legacy of mega sporting events such as this. These Games are expected to generate significant direct and induced economic impact, including employment boosts and consumer spending. They are also a vehicle for promoting gender equality, inclusivity and community engagement, with initiatives targeting improved access for people with disabilities. Paris 2024 also aims to be the first carbon-neutral Games by using renewable energy and sustainable construction practices, setting a new standard for operating environmentally sustainable mega-events. Technological innovations like AI surveillance will enhance operational security for goals such as athlete safety and combating online abuse and misinformation. Paris 2024 aims for a positive legacy across all fronts.”

Nathan Line, Cecil B. Day Distinguished Professor, Dedman College of Hospitality
nline@fsu.edu

Line studies marketing and consumer behavior in the hospitality industry. His primary research is on the behavior of hotel and restaurant patrons and their reaction to consumption environments.

“Mega events like the Olympics are a complicated financial equation for host countries. There are many stakeholders that stand to incur both benefits and costs. For hotels, there is certainly a short-term boost in revenue associated with an increased demand for lodging during the event. Often, there is even a need to develop additional hotel supply in advance of mega events to accommodate the demand surge. The problem, however, is that filing the additional rooms becomes quite difficult once the event has passed, resulting in decreased average occupancies in host cities.”

Patrick Merle, associate professor and director of the School of Communication, College of Communication and Information
pmerle@fsu.edu

Merle is a native of France who previously worked as a journalist for Eurosport, Europe’s largest sports network. His work includes coverage of multiple track and field and cycling events and the preparation for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“After the results of exceptional legislative elections, France will be under additional global scrutiny with the summer Olympics held in Paris. Between a grandiose spectacle in the City of Light orchestrated to showcase a new Paris and crises such as the pollution of the Seine River, as well as the desire to have an Olympic village green and therefore without air conditioning, journalists will have a myriad of stories to cover.”

Michael Ormsbee, professor, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
mormsbee@fsu.edu

Ormsbee’s research interests include nighttime pre-sleep feeding strategies to optimize metabolism and recovery from exercise, exercise training and nutritional interventions to maximize human performance in athletes, sports nutrition and dietary supplements and other subjects related to human health and performance. He is the director of the FSU Institute of Sports Sciences & Medicine.

“Getting nutrition right is one key to Olympic success. Each athlete’s needs are unique, so personalizing diet and supplements can really boost recovery, endurance, and performance. By focusing on individual requirements and fine-tuning their nutritional strategies, athletes can optimize their training and competition results, ensuring they are in peak condition when it matters most.”

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