MedFest (General Medicine)
MedFest was created to offer the physical exam that all athletes need prior to participating in Special Olympics sports programming. It is sometimes the first exposure these athletes have to medical care. For some Special Olympics athletes, life-threatening conditions have been identified through MedFest and subsequently treated through referral and connection to community-based care. Led by volunteer physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and medical students, the MedFest screening consists of the following stations: medical history, height and weight, blood pressure, cardiology test, musculoskeletal test, orthopedic tests, abdominal evaluation, and a check out station.
For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at medfest@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
For further information or general inquiries related to this discipline, please contact us at medfest@specialolympics.org. SO Program staff and established Clinical Directors are encouraged to submit their questions through our online form available here.
CLINICAL DIRECTORS
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Clinical Director Role (webpage)
Special Olympics Clinical Directors are volunteer professionals who are responsible for working with their local Special Olympics Program and other volunteer health professionals in coordinating the local Healthy Athletes Program. - Clinical Director Application Questionnaire (PDF)
- Clinical Director Manual (PDF)
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
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Volunteer with Healthy Athletes
Join the more than 90,000 health care providers and students worldwide who have volunteered with the Healthy Athletes program. - Clinical Director Volunteer Recruitment Template (DOCX)
- MedFest Volunteer Certificate (DOCX)
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MedFest Volunteer Training (PDF)
This slidedeck may be used to train your clinical volunteers before a MedFest event. -
MF Promotional (video)
Check out this brief video providing an overview of Health Promotion—a great resource to recruit volunteers and sponsors. -
MF Training (video)
Check out this brief video providing key tips on how to engage with athletes during a Healthy Athlete event—a great resource to share with all volunteers.
EVENT RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT
Medical Form
Legal
Equipment and Supply
Event Planning and Materials
Athlete & Caregiver Resources
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Athlete Registration Forms (webpage)
Before participating, Special Olympics athletes and health program participants must register with an accredited Special Olympics Program.
- Equipment and Supplies (PDF)
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Healthy Athlete Master Equipment List (PDF)
A list of supplies that can be requested from Special Olympics for your Healthy Athletes event -
Henry Schein (website)
SO Jamaica, Germany and Canada ONLY International -
Henry Schein (website)
All US Programs - Medication Watch List
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
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Health Professional Training
Special Olympics has developed training for healthcare providers on working with people with intellectual disabilities. These free e-learning courses are available online. This interactive learning experience arms healthcare providers with the knowledge and understanding of how to be more inclusive as it relates to health programming and services.
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How to Speak with People with Disabilities (video)
Whether you are in a health care or other professional environment or just having a personal conversation, consider these basic rules for communicating with a person with an intellectual disability. Download - Working with Special Olympics Athletes (PDF)