Summer 2026 7 Get ready for a healthy, happy school year Back-to-school time is around the corner. If you haven’t already done so, scheduling a wellness visit or a sports physical this summer is a good way to help your kids start the school year strong. Well-child checkups and sports physicals help children stay healthy and ready to learn. Wellchild checkups allow providers to evaluate a child’s physical, mental and social well-being. They can check a child’s growth and development; talk about nutrition, exercise and sleep; catch them up on vaccines; and see what’s on their minds. “These visits allow us to catch problems early, before they become bigger issues,” says Jaeeun Go, MD, a primary care and sports medicine physician. “If kids have any questions or concerns, we can answer them.” A sports physical can be part of an annual well-child exam. Sports physicals help determine whether kids can safely participate in school sports by reviewing personal and family health histories for potential red flags, like heart issues. Try to schedule sports physicals about six to eight weeks before the sports season starts. This is recent enough to still be relevant to a child’s health, and it allows time for follow-up care, Dr. Go says. Support for students and families Each year, Texas Health Hospital Mansfield collaborates with schools and community organizations to support families. This includes events like the Back-to-School Bash with Mansfield Independent School District each August. Besides having representatives at such events to connect families with health information and resources, the hospital also contributes financially to help provide backpacks and school supplies. Texas Health Mansfield hosts free on-site physicals for students each May, with team members continuing to volunteer at community events throughout the summer and into early August to help ensure all students have access to required physicals before the start of the school year. Participating in these ways supports Texas Health Mansfield’s broader mission to serve the community beyond the hospital’s walls, says Lindsey Trook, Director of Community Engagement. “If we can help families in our community start the school year prepared and confident, then that’s exactly what we’re here to do,” she says. “If we can help families in our community start the school year prepared and confident, then that’s exactly what we’re here to do.” —Lindsey Trook Checkups for your child For an appointment with Dr. Go, visit TexasHealthMansfield.org/Go.
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