Northside Hospital’s newly launched Sports Medicine Network is already growing with the addition of two experts, a new location in Midtown Atlanta and the launch of a new, comprehensive program specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of concussions.
 
From injury prevention, athletic training, physical therapy and sports performance services, to orthopedic surgery, orthobiologic treatments and diagnostic imaging, the Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network offers circumferential care and personalized services based entirely around the needs of athletes and active people of all ages and skill levels, from little league to weekend warriors to professional athletes.
 
Dr. Mark Sakr has been named director of non-operative sports medicine for the newly formed Sports Medicine Network. Dr. Sakr is board certified in family medicine and sports medicine and provides diagnosis and care for sports-related injuries including fractures sprains, tendon injuries, concussions and other medical conditions in athletes.
 
“Not all sports injuries require surgery,” said Dr. Sakr. “I focus on finding conservative treatments to some of the most common injuries faced by athletes and non-athletes alike.”
 
Dr. Sakr has extensive experience treating athletes of all ages and skill levels including pediatric, high school, college, professional and Olympic athletes. He currently serves as a team physician for USA Men’s Rugby 15s National Team and Olympic Rugby 7s Men’s and Women’s Teams, as well as numerous high schools in the Greater Atlanta area.
 
Dr. Daniel Charek, another new provider at the Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network, is a fellowship-trained, licensed neuropsychologist, who specializes in the assessment and management of concussions in athletes and non-athletes. Dr. Charek sees both adult and pediatric patients, having worked with recreational, high school, college and professional athletes.
 
Dr. Charek performs comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, including the assessment of cognitive skills such as memory, attention, reasoning and reaction time, in order to establish baselines for each individual, and in the case of a head injury, diagnose the extent of the injury and track treatment progress. He uses the most up-to-date tools and assessments to identify specific areas of deficit secondary to concussion and customize management plans based on the unique needs of each patient.
 
Dr. Charek trained with the industry leaders in concussion care, and brings his expertise to Atlanta to increase awareness and quality of care for concussions in the area.
 
“I feel a strong responsibility to educate the community on how to identify concussions and the importance of getting the proper medical help,” said Dr. Charek. “Dr. Sakr and I work alongside non-operative sports medicine physicians, rehabilitation specialists, vestibular physical therapists and athletic trainers to provide a team-based, multidisciplinary, comprehensive approach to concussion treatment.”
 
Both Dr. Sakr and Dr. Charek see patients at multiple Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network locations including the new Midtown Atlanta office at 1110 West Peachtree St NW, Suite 590, Atlanta, GA 30309.
 
The Northside Hospital Sports Medicine Network includes a team of clinical experts – orthopedic sports surgeons, non-operative sports medicine doctors and physician assistants – who provide high-tech, high-touch evidence-based musculoskeletal care and offer a full complement of surgical and medical consultants, a comprehensive sports concussion program, sports nutrition, physical therapy and a sports performance and innovative research initiative.