LMH Health has been chosen as the site for a rare sports medicine program that is expected to add another professional to the medical ranks who can care for area athletes.

The Lawrence-based hospital has been approved to offer a Sports Physical Therapy Residency program, making it one of only 58 programs in the entire country and the first in the Midwest. LMH was granted approval to begin offering the program by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education.

The program will bring a licensed physical therapist to the community for a one-year residency, where the physical therapist will complete studies and hands-on work to become a master clinician in the treatment of athletes, according to a press release from LMH.

The residency program will increase the number of medical providers in the community who specialize in sports medicine. The residency program will require the therapist to work at least 25 hours per week at the sports medicine clinic at the LMH Health West Campus. The program also requires the physical therapist to provide at least 200 hours of sports therapy services at athletic venues, meaning the program will make it more likely that a licensed therapist will be on hand for local sporting events.

The new residency program comes at a time when LMH Health has built a new facility for its OrthoKansas program, which is working to attract patients from the Midwest region for its sports medicine practice. It also comes at a time when LMH Health is part of the Kansas Team Health partnership that is providing medical care to University of Kansas athletes.

“While OrthoKansas is a regional destination for orthopedic care, this opportunity is a step toward putting LMH Health and what we’re doing here in Lawrence on a national map,” said Daniel Lorenz, LMH Health director of sports medicine.