Dr. Amy Rantala of Mayo Clinic Health System’s Diagnostic Imaging and Sports Medicine Center.

Now that its ribbon has officially been cut, The Sonnentag – UW-Eau Claire’s multimillion-dollar new event center and field house on Menomonie Street – will inevitably draw attention as the home of Blugold basketball and as host to large-scale events.

But it also includes a unique feature that developed as the result of a growing collaboration between UWEC and Mayo Clinic Health System: the Diagnostic Imaging and Sports Medicine Center, which is located inside The Sonnentag. The center, which opened this summer, provides coordinated and innovative sports medicine care for both student-athletes and other active adults as well as diagnostic imaging for a wide range of patients.

Dr. Amy Rantala, a family medicine physician who specializes in sports medicine, is part of a team of Mayo Clinic Health System providers who are now based in the Diagnostic Imaging and Sports Medicine Center.

“I think this is yet another thing that elevates us as a community,” Dr. Rantala said of the state-of-the-art facility, where exam rooms and the physical therapy gym are just steps from the 120-yard artificial-turf field house. When it’s not in use by Blugold athletes, patients undergoing physical therapy can run their own drills on the field.

“To look at it from a patient’s perspective, you feel like an athlete,” Dr. Rantala said while standing on the edge of the blue-and-gold trimmed field house turf.

The facility is home to a strong team of Mayo Clinic Health System providers, including two primary care sports medicine physicians, Dr. Rantala and Dr. Taylor North, who specialize in providing comprehensive care for athletes of all ages and abilities, including diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal concerns, concussions, and related conditions. They work alongside two board-certified sports medicine surgeons, Dr. T. Andrew Israel and Dr. Douglas Bartels, as well as a staff of licensed athletic trainers, who support athletes with immediate injury care, follow-up treatment, prevention education, and rehabilitation services.

“There’s nothing like being able to review X-rays, MRIs, and CTs with our colleagues right here in the facility, and to put the patients’ symptoms and clinical exam together with the imaging and discuss that together.”

The team also includes physical therapists who focus on orthopedics and sports medicine therapy services and are dedicated to helping athletes rehabilitate from injury and get back on the field. The sports performance training they provide is directed at reducing the risk of injury as well as elevating sports specific skills. And all this occurs with the help of advanced physical therapy equipment, including an antigravity treadmill and isokinetic testing which provides side-to-side comparison of strength and power.

The facility also features robust diagnostic imaging capabilities, including two MRIs, a CT, and two X-ray suites, all of which are used for both sports medicine patients and patients who meet criteria from all specialties. On-site radiologists allow for real-time collaboration among all of these professionals, facilitating the creation of tailored treatment plans.

“There’s nothing like being able to review X-rays, MRIs, and CTs with our colleagues right here in the facility, and to put the patients’ symptoms and clinical exam together with the imaging and discuss that together,” Dr. Rantala explained.

This professional collaboration is a reflection of the ongoing and expanding collaboration between Mayo Clinic Health System and UWEC. This collaboration includes not only the Diagnostic Imaging and Sports Medicine Center but also a longstanding research collaboration between the two institutions; the Blugold Biomedical Innovator Program, which provides scholarships for top UWEC students; and a philanthropic contribution from Mayo Clinic Health System toward the forthcoming Science and Health Sciences Building, where the medical institution will have research workspace.

“I really think we’re unique,” she added, referring to the Mayo Clinic Health System-UWEC collaboration. “We’re getting a lot of attention from across the country asking, ‘How are you doing this and why does it work?’ ”

Dr. Rantala said she’s proud to be at the grassroots of the collaboration, and said she happily promotes the Chippewa Valley when she meets with colleagues from around the country.

“It’s easy to talk about it when you love what you’re doing and you like where you work, and it’s just part of who you are,” she said. “I love exercise as medicine, and I love helping people be active and stay active.”

Mayo Clinic Health System Diagnostic Imaging and Sports Medicine Center

1061 Menomonie St., Eau Claire •  (715) 838-6161 • mayoclinichealthsystem.org