Dr. Douglas Gregory of Lakeview Medical Center of Suffolk, Va., will present the address "Best Practices in the Pre-Participation Physical Examination of the Athlete" through the Distinguished Lectures Series in Sports Medicine at HopeCollege on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. in the Maas Center.

The public is invited.  Admission is free.

Pre-participation physical examinations (PPE) have long been a part of the culture of school athletic programs, but little data exists to document their effectiveness. Furthermore, the purpose of the PPE varies depending on the setting and the health care provider doing the exam. Gregory will address the issues surrounding the PPE and will describe best practices for optimal health outcomes.

Gregory is a board certified pediatric sports medicine specialist with Lakeview Medical Center in Suffolk. He is a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia and the pediatric residency program at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va. He serves on a variety of boards and committees related to athletic training and sports medicine, and he is the team physician for Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, Va.

The Distinguished Lecture Series in Sports Medicine is designed for health care professionals with an interest in physically active patients, and is intended for students, educators and clinicians alike. It is co-sponsored by Shoreline Orthopaedics, Holland Hospital, Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan and the college.

The other addresses for 2008-09 will be presented on Monday, Dec. 1; Monday, Jan. 12; and Monday, April 13.  Additional information about the series may be found online at https://hope.edu/academic/kinesiology/athtrain/ dlssm/index.html

The Maas Center is located at 264 Columbia Ave., on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street in Holland.