Bielenberg Sports Center is home to many community recreational opportunities, with its 36 outdoor fields, the Jeff Hanson Miracle Field, indoor field house, ice arenas, splash pad and the Madison’s Place universally-accessible inclusive playground. Now it is home to comprehensive orthopedic care with Summit Orthopedics’ Bielenberg Sports Center Clinic.
The two-story clinic and wellness space, which opened in August on the southwest side of the field house, “is our hub for health and wellness in the community,” says Summit’s Jack Skendzel, M.D. “Our mission is to focus on the entire family, from the adolescent athlete to the grandparent with hip or knee pain. Bielenberg allows us to offer something for everyone—yoga and fitness, personal training, speed and strength coaching and expert advice from a dietician. On top of that, there is sub-specialty level orthopedic care for all injuries and body parts.”
The clinic’s location within one of the largest multi-use sports centers in Minnesota is at the heart of Summit’s mission to engage the community with passion and excitement for sports and wellness. “The location allows us to be at the center of many family-related sports activities in the community,” Skendzel says. “It allows easy access for families to triage sports-related injuries and seek orthopedic care, and provides an energetic venue for patients to seek better health and treat musculoskeletal injuries.”
A Unique Opportunity
With three other Woodbury locations (including its headquarters), Summit Orthopedics was looking for more space to expand in the city. “Woodbury is our core and base, our roots and our home,” says Summit’s CEO, Adam Berry. “We accelerated our search when the Bielenberg space became available, as it fit perfectly with our goal to better engage the community with proactive, preventive care.”
Part of the Bielenberg Sports Center renovation project that was completed in the fall of 2014, the unfinished area was vacated by the Minnesota United Football Club which stepped out of their contract for the space. That enabled Summit to literally build from the ground up with the physical therapy, sports performance, wellness and nutrition services located on the bright and airy ground level, featuring state-of-the-art equipment and huge windows that overlook the field house and outdoor grounds including Madison’s Place. The mezzanine level, with treatment rooms, physician offices and x-ray equipment, is open to the field house below.
Physical Therapy and Performance Services
Michael Hildahl is a physical therapist who works at Summit’s new Bielenberg clinic. “Our main objective is to help patients regain their ability to return to prior level of functioning, if not better,” he says. “We see all types of orthopedic injuries, whether they are post-surgical rehab, pre-rehab preparing themselves for surgery and the recovery after, acute onset of injuries or chronic conditions causing pain and functional loss.”
Another important aspect of orthopedic care at Summit is injury prevention. “Our therapy sessions allow us to provide one-on-one feedback on how to move and exercise correctly,” Hildahl says. “If you are exercising incorrectly or have poor body mechanics, you are only strengthening the dysfunction.”
Hildahl enjoys the wide open, multi-level gym at the Bielenberg location. “It creates open space to work with patients, and there’s access to the field house when you need a little more room for agility training/plyometrics,” he says.
Jeffrey Cassellius, a performance specialist at Summit, works with clients to reach their full potential through a variety of different training strategies. Community primary care physicians, as well as Summit’s experts, refer their patients to see a performance specialist at the Bielenberg clinic to complement their care. “Whether you are a senior in high school wanting to perform your best or you’re trying to get in better shape to be able to play with your grandkids, we can help you reach your full potential with the use of any combination of our speed, agility, power, strength and endurance training systems,” he says.
Cassellius develops exercise programs for individuals, small groups and teams. “Everyone in the community can take advantage of our one-on-one or group training performance services at Summit, with or without a referral,” he says.
Wellness Services
A key component of Summit’s Bielenberg clinic is wellness services—nutrition, wellness consultations, personal and small group training, team strength and conditioning, community education and group fitness classes. “We offer a full range of care for each person and we are able to meet them wherever they’re at in the process,” says Caleigh Eriksen, wellness coordinator. “We work very closely with our physical therapists to give an integrated approach to recovery in this beautiful facility, with the opportunity to help create a positive environment where clients can work to improve or maintain their health and wellness.”
Summit’s wellness services are also available to anyone in the community looking for guidance, support or motivation for making lifestyle changes. The Healthy and Active Center, located on Bielenberg’s second floor, is part of that focus, offering fitness and yoga classes for the public. Katie Wolden has participated in yoga sculpt and found it to be a challenging and fun workout. “The classes offer the community a nice opportunity to join in on group wellness,” Wolden says. “Plus, it is in a convenient location.”
Partnership with South Washington County Schools
Summit Orthopedics has also entered into a partnership with the three high schools of South Washington County Schools for a comprehensive program covering everything from nutrition to injury prevention to orthopedic care. A team physician is assigned to each high school as well as a certified athletic trainer. “We are very proud to take care of our student athletes at East Ridge, Park and Woodbury high schools,” says Dr. Skendzel. “We’re responsible for making sure they are healthy, and we’re available to treat any injuries that may occur. Bielenberg is at the heart of this partnership because of its central location for all three schools. We can easily bring athletes to the clinic for specific therapies related to their injuries such as physical therapy, use of the anti-gravity treadmill or follow-up orthopedic care from a physician—in an efficient manner.”
The partnership has had a positive impact for the school district, says Jason Gonnion, Woodbury High School assistant principal-activities. “Instead of using a substantial portion of our athletics budget on athletic training services, all three high schools receive collegiate-level athletic training and sports medicine support without cost,” he says. “Our athletic trainer, Sara Rock, is one of the most important members of the athletic department staff and she is exceptional.”
At a Glance
Summit Orthopedics Clinic at Bielenberg Sports Center (BSC)
2-story, 14,450 square foot clinic on southwest side of BSC
The Healthy and Active Center on the second floor of BSC for wellness programming; the space is also available for city and BSC user groups
Designated patient parking available in BSC parking lot
About Summit Orthopedics
- Privately owned and managed, with 45 highly-trained orthopedic specialists teamed with 125 supporting providers such as physician assistants, therapists and certified athletic trainers
- Headquartered in Woodbury
- 785 employees at 16 locations including 463 based in Woodbury
Did You Know?
In 2016, Summit Orthopedics contributed $100,000 for community projects, including support for Madison’s Place to help complete the project. They have also pledged annual $50,000 donations for other wellness initiatives in the Woodbury community.
(Sara Rock, Summit’s athletic trainer for Woodbury High School, works with Woodbury Royal athletes Lance Siggens, Andrew Pape and David Alston at the Bielenberg Sports Center Clinic.)
