FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas – Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Soldiers with musculoskeletal injuries can get help at the new SPARTA Clinic.   SPARTA, short for Soldier Peak Performance and Advanced Reconditioning for the Tactical Athlete, is a FORSCOM and MEDCOM collaborative focused on improving Soldier readiness through prompt initial evaluation and rehabilitation of those who suffer musculoskeletal injuries.

SPARTA triage clinic located in Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center’s orthopedics department is open 6:30 -7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. SPARTA rehabilitation and reconditioning clinic located in the Intrepid Spirit Clinic is open 6:30 – 9 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Clinic services are available to any Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Soldier experiencing musculoskeletal (MSK) injury symptoms for seven days or less.

Soldiers should first report to their unit provider to obtain a sick slip, then over to SPARTA triage to be evaluated. Soldiers meeting program criteria will be sent to the ten day reconditioning and rehabilitation portion of the program at the Intrepid Spirit Center.

The rehabilitation and reconditioning program is tailored specifically for the soldier-athlete, and uses the synergy of a multidisciplinary team to enhance therapeutic outcomes. The team which includes sports medicine physicians, physical and occupational therapists, PT techs and strength and athletic trainers is focused on getting Soldiers back to optimal health as efficiently and effectively as possible.

“MSK injuries are inherent to the profession of a Soldier. The SPARTA clinic initiative will greatly reduce this impact to readiness,” Lt. Col. Walter Engle, III Corps senior physician assistant, said.

SPARTA’s opening marks Phase 1 of the program based on current research indicating earlier treatment of MSK injuries can positively impact patient outcomes. Phase 1 follows a small, but promising pilot study conducted earlier this year.

The team is excited about the clinic launch and looks forward to gathering data that could impact the future management of acute MSK injuries for all Soldiers.

“Musculoskeletal injuries are the number one impact to readiness across the Army,” Lt. Col. Leah Triolo, chief orthopedic surgery, said. “We had a promising pilot run, and we’re looking forward to treating the Soldiers and assessing the effectiveness of the program.”

Media interested in learning more about SPARTA should contact, CRDAMC Public Affairs Office at (254) 288-8005 or (254) 338-6087.

Mikaela Cade
Chief, Public Affairs
Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center
(254)288-8005
(254) 338-6087
usarmy.hood.medcom-crdamc.mbx.pao@mail.mil