High School Athletes in Gaston County, NC

(Addendum 7/8/09: Please read all of the comments below before posting. We do not delete posts because things change. That would be deleting history. Prior to this post there was no written contract between Gaston County School District and the unnamed provider who had provided services for six years prior to that. All of this rumor and hearsay could have been cleared up with a written contract. At the time I wrote this it was to clarify some rumors and to ask tough questions. My point apparently was taken and there is now a written contract in place. This was a written account of an actual conversation based on what I recalled. I did not record the conversation and all things written were discussed. Anyone who writes things with the intent to harm another person or their business is creating slander. Anyone asking questions about a business relationship between a public school system and a private entity for which there is no written contract is performing due diligence and is trying to protect the public. I have a son and want to know what my local school district is doing. Please keep that in mind when reading this post which was originally posted on 7/20/08.

Parents and athletes at Forestview, South Point, North Gaston, East Gaston,Hunter Huss, Highland, and Bessemer City will all be very happy to hear that they do have a choice in sports medicine providers in Gaston County.

I recently had a phone discussion with Butch Adams, Gaston County Schools Athletics Director, about some rumors that I had heard. Butch was kind enough to give me 10 minutes of his time to clear up these rumors once and for all. For as many years as I have been living in Gaston County (5 all total), I had heard from parents and athletes a like that they were being told where they had to go to receive any treatment if they became injured while playing HS sports. There is a local company that provides athletic training services to the high schools and Butch said, "I am not sure how we would operate without them."

I mentioned all of these rumors to Butch who just laughed and stated that they were all rumors that were without merit. He stated, "Gaston County has never told and will never tell any athlete where they have to go for treatment after an injury. We leave that up to the parents and athletes to decide." I again asked if he had any thoughts as to why these parents had told me this and he stated, "there must have been a misunderstanding."

It is illegal and not to mention unethical to force someone to go to a certain medical facility. It is emotional blackmail to hold something like free services and the need to be cleared in a certain facility in order to return to sport, over an athlete and or their parents head to make them go to your facility. 

I want to thank Butch for his time and his dedication to high school athletics in Gaston County. I also want to assure parents and athletes that they do have a choice in who provides their medical care and we look forward to the upcoming 2008/2009 school year for high school and middle school athletics.

Comments

[Brian Boyle]

Coach,

Thank you for checking in on this issue and thank you for reading the blog. I thought this issue was laid to rest in the original blog and then in a follow up comment on 12/17/08, however let me respond to your comments to hopefully completely lay this to rest.

Let's take a look at your post. I never downgraded, provided negative feedback, or even listed who this company is. You are right there is too much negativity in this world. Just about every commercial out there now compares Toyota to Honda and McDonald's to Burger King and so on. We could easily do the same, but that was never our intent. In fact, I never even compared ourselves to this other company. Had I said we were better, don't use them, or any other form of harsh words, which would be considered slander, I would see why you would believe this post was negative. I would love to have a working relationship with all of the physical therapy providers in our County. I know for a fact there are many good providers, including others that know more in areas of physical therapy than I do. Be very afraid of anyone who says they know it all.

My posts are meant to get people to think. They are also meant to create debate and to ask tough questions while looking for answers.I believe I am smart enough to know when not to cross the line and have actually left many blog posts out after reviewing them and deeming them more opinionated then factual. Too many times people act more like sheeple and just go along for the ride without actually thinking for themselves.

If you break down my E-mail, I believe it was actually very factual. It is illegal to tell someone where they have to go. It is unethical to provide emotional blackmail in any form to coerce someone to go to your place of business. Nothing out of line there. In fact, I stated these were rumors I heard and that they were just that. Anyone reading this post who had heard the same rumors would see for themselves that these were all rumors and that Butch Adams had in fact laid them to rest. In fact, if I heard about the rumors, I am sure I am not the only one. I also never accused any coaches or other athletic directors for that matter, of telling their athletes where they had to go. I hope you were just setting the record straight for others reading this post.

The reason I went to Butch Adams, for the response, was because that was who everyone I spoke with about the issue told me I needed to talk to. I had heard there was a contract in place and I was originally told there was no contract in place because no one had ever questioned the relationship. In fact a call to a school board member and a county commissioner left me still looking for answers since both knew nothing of the relationship and what if any agreement had been reached.

The fact is that I was able to obtain a copy of the contract, which is public record, only after asking again about 8 months later when I called to see when the bid process to provide services was going to occur again for the upcoming school year. I will point out again that there was no written contract until I started asking about it. I was told that there was never a need for one. Every business relationship we are in, has a written contract associated with it. It clears things like rumors up and allows for all to see that there is nothing out of line going on. I am glad to see that there is now a written contract so there is no more misunderstanding and no more reason for people to spread rumors. All of this could have easily been avoided had there been a written contract in place at the time of my original post.

On page 4 of this contract it explicitly states that anyone can choose the provider of their choice.

I have very good working relationships with coaches all over both Gaston and Iredell Counties. I have not once been told by anyone that they were not happy that we now have access to the contract in place. It clears up all rumors and is a legal document which provides all the information we needed to know about the services being provided between a private entity and the public school system.

I applaud your commitment and the loyalty you have to any provider you have decided to choose. We love our clients who are loyal to us. This July marks our 5 year anniversary in business. In that time we have gained a loyal following by telling the truth, not hiding behind anyone or anything, and by performing the best quality care we know how to. We have done this being as transparent as possible and that includes not deleting the comments we have received, this post, or any post for that matter. As the moderator I could simply erase your comments, this post and everything else going along with it. We feel that people at least know who we are and what we stand for.

I appreciate your concern for the harm of our company and the time you took to write your opinion. There are always two sides to the story. Thank you for allowing me to clarify myself and update the history of this issue in this response. I have always said if I could not do business the right way (with fact, truth, and transparency) then I do not want to do business at all. As I said in the previous comments, Butch already clarified things for us and the written contract which was recently drawn up reinforces the matter.

Coach Mahaffey, I know you are well connected in the community and thank you for all that you have done in local sports. Congratulations on your recent retirement. I respect your opinions and you as a person. I have never had the opportunity to meet with you in person, but I have heard many good things about you. Coach Thornburg will have some tough shoes to fill, from what I hear. I would love to sit down with you to go over any of your concerns and anytime you have a question about something I have said, please feel free to call me at (704) 864-4424. I live here first, own a practice here second. I would never do anything to intentionally harm myself, my family, or my practice. I will be more than happy to clarify things if you have questions.

Let me finish by saying, to no one in particular:

The take home points from my original post appear to have been muted by mentioning them with a real world example of rumors I had heard about a particular company. If a written contract would have been in place at the time of the original post there would have never even been an issue.

Fact: If someone ever tells you where you have to go for health care, besides your insurance company, it is illegal.

Fact: If someone coerces you by saying that if you don't go to a certain place, you can't be involved in sports, that is also illegal.

Fact: If someone doesn't think for themselves and only goes off of what other people say, then they are doing themselves a disservice. I found out the correct information from the main source and so should any one else.

Fact: I have never once performed any type of libel or slander in any public forum. The day we can not discuss information, put any rumors out on the table, and clarify things in an open and honest format, then we all need to be very concerned. That is called censorship. People need to watch what they say and how they say it unless they have proof of what they are talking about. If you are asking questions with the intent to find out the truth, then it is not slander.

If writing this post is what it took to get a written contract in place between a private entity and a public school system, then my post worked.

Thank you for reading to the very end. We appreciate the support of the community and applaud all efforts to find out the truth. Please don't spread rumors. If you have questions, call the person themselves. Sit down and meet with them, get it all out on the table and act like responsible, intelligent adults.

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian Boyle, DPT

[Mike Mahaffey]

To: Gaston County Rehab Associates, Inc.

Re: In response to your email on July 20, 2008

Having a choice in consumer goods, doctors, hospitals, and sports medicine is good. It is what our country is based on – capitalism, competition, free enterprise, freedom to choose! However, it sometimes leads to false advertisement in businesses or “mud slinging” in politics.

I know most coaches and all athletic directors in Gaston County and we do NOT tell or force athletes to go to any particular doctor or physical therapist for treatment! We make our athletes aware of the “local company” you speak of but they are told they can go wherever they want to.

This “local company” is run by very professional, responsible, courteous, accommodating, competent people! I have personally been to them for a knee replacement, broken wrist, and other injuries. My two daughters, who play fast pitch softball, have been to them for arm, knee, ankle and back injuries. They have taken care of them and have gotten them back on the field as soon as possible but have always kept in mind their health and their future in the sport. I trust them not only with my own players (who still have a choice) but also with myself and my family. What does that tell you? This local company goes above and beyond the call of duty and, yes, a lot of times at no cost to the athlete. They simply care and help people!!!

Doesn’t everyone need to feel they can trust their doctor, car dealer, financial advisor, auto repairman, or physical therapist? This local company’s reputation is quality care provided by qualified professionals so why wouldn’t people want to go to them for physical therapy?

You, as a business, have a right to advertise and bring in patients, but this should not involve downgrading or being negative about other companies in your field. We have too much negativism in this world today. We constantly listen to this in politics and we should not have to listen to it in health care. We just want good, reliable care and that is what this local company provides.

In my opinion, you have harmed your own company by your negative remarks!!!

Sincerely,
Mike Mahaffey

[Brian Boyle]

Dear Concerned,

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog. Since I have not mentioned who the other provider is, you must have a guilty conscience. Actually I thought my post was factual and merely stated rumor I had heard and even that they were laid to rest by Butch Adams.

You are welcome to come find out how we do business and in fact will probably see a lot more of us in the near future.

Thanks for the anonymous post and really standing behind your thoughts!

Brian Boyle, DPT, CSCS

[Concerned]

Very funny that you do not take the time to actually find out what that other group's program is all about. They provide quality sports medicine service and are more concerned with tending to our county's student athletes in the best possible manner rather than badmouthing other providers. The choice has and always has been with the athlete and the parents. Absolutely nobody is forced to go anywhere they do not want to go. So there is your "misunderstanding". I suggest you curb you personal opinions and egos and refrain from spreading rumors and lies about other practices. This is not a good way to introduce yourselves to our community.