At every NCAA school across the country, student-athletes are required to have physical exams and concussion testing.

At the University of Hawai`i Hilo, that means over 200 men and women in 12 sports need to be checked out and processed. That is no easy task anywhere, but the challenges might be more pronounced on the Big Island, where securing medical appointments with a finite number of physicians available can be difficult.

In Hilo, that's where the volunteer and Ohana spirit kicks in.

On two Sundays every August, over 40 local primary care physicians, nurses, optometrists and physical therapists take over the UH Hilo gymnasium to administer physicals and concussion tests to every Vulcan. Under the supervision of UHH head athletic trainer Kensei Gibbs, the group works perfectly and seamlessly together to make sure that all UH Hilo student-athletes are declared fit to play.

"There is no way that we could get all of this done without them," Gibbs said. "These people give of their time freely to help us and I couldn't be more grateful."

The idea was hatched five years or so ago when nurse Dee Nishioka, whose daughter Chloe was a UH Hilo athlete, noticed that it forever for Chloe and her teammates to get through the process with just two doctors on hand.

"I just thought that this might be a way that those in our profession could give back," she said. "All of the people here have some sort of health certificate and just want to give back to their community. Today,we have a huge number of volunteers from the Hilo Medical Center here, along with athletic staff , friends and family helping."

This past Sunday (Aug. 27), the group processed eight of the 12 teams in just under three hours. The other four UH Hilo squads went through the process on August 13.

"We are so grateful and fortunate to have our community of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals that donate their time willingly to assist our student-athletes with physicals," said UH Hilo athletic director Patrick Guillen. "I do not know of anywhere else this level of support occurs other than here in Hilo.  We are blessed.  Mahalo!"

Head volleyball coach Gene Krieger, who has coached at seven other universities during his career, knows that the situation in Hilo is very unique. "Every place I have been, you feel fortunate to get one or two doctors to show up and help with the physicals," he recalled. "Here, to see virtually the entire Hilo medical community come out to help is amazing."

For women's golf coach Jim DeMello, who has led that program for 13 years and been at the university for much longer, the difference between then and now is astounding.

"Since Kensei came here, the support from the medical community has been outstanding," he commented. "We didn't have this kind of mass support before. Kensei's relationships with the doctors, nurses, physical therapists and optometrists is invaluable to us, not only on the day of physicals, but throughout the year."