In the Spotlight with Randy
Matthew Holder, MD, MBA is "In the Spotlight" in this issue. Aside from his work with Special Olympics, Dr. Holder is the Executive Director of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, a not-for-profit, national organization of health care providers whose mission is to improve the quality of care for people with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities. He recently sat down with Special Olympics' Randy Borntrager to discuss his current endeavors and where he sees the Healthy Athletes® program going in the next several years.
What is your current role with Special Olympics?
"I am the Global Medical Advisor for Special Olympics and the primary medical consultant for the MedFest and Health Promotion programs. I will also sit on the Medical Advisory Committee when it next meets. I'm here to offer the perspective of someone who understands the unique (and not-so-unique) health concerns of people with intellectual disabilities."
When did you first realize you wanted to take an active role with Special Olympics?
"I had just started to get involved with the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD). I knew that there was little to no organized training of medical students or medical residents in caring for people with intellectual disabilities, and I wanted to do something about it. In December of 2002, Dr. Henry Hood, Dr. Phil May and I met with Dr. Steve Corbin and Dr. Tim Shriver. I was so impressed with the level of enthusiasm that they had for improving the quality of health for people with intellectual disabilities. Before that meeting, I did not know the extent to which Special Olympics was working in this area. Once I found out, I was inspired, and I've been working with Special Olympics ever since."
You've been integral in new research that Special Olympics has commissioned. Have the results of the studies changed the way you approach the problems in health care for this population?
"Unequivocally, yes. For example, in my life outside of Special Olympics and the AADMD, I help create community clinics that focus on caring for people with intellectual disabilities. Our latest incarnation is a multi-disciplinary outpatient clinic. When designing the protocols of the clinic, we will be ordering additional screening equipment so that we may mimic some of what is done at Healthy Athletes. Even though we may not have an audiologist or an optometrist on staff, we will be employing some of the screening methods of Healthy Hearing and Opening Eyes, for example, because our awareness of how important these screenings are has been heightened. Also, we are partnering with our local medical and dental schools so that we can teach student doctors what we've learned about providing health care to people with intellectual disabilities.
"Another way that our approach is different has to do with our involvement of the family and even Special Olympics coaches. A big piece of the health puzzle comes from non-healthcare professionals. The more we can educate families and coaches about the health of a person with intellectual disabilities, the more effective partners we will be in improving that person's quality of life."
What type of impact does Healthy Athletes have on people, both with and without intellectual disabilities?
"It's both inspiring and educational. Every time I come away from a Healthy Athletes event, I am pumped up and ready to change the world. I think anybody that has anything to do with Healthy Athletes feels the same way. The volunteers, the families, the health practitioners - we all come away knowing that the world will be better because of what we are doing at Healthy Athletes. As for people with intellectual disabilities, some of them will achieve things they never thought possible because, maybe for the first time in their lives, they can see better or they can run without foot pain. These benefits of the Healthy Athletes program are not just limited to the sports arena; they apply to the rest of the athlete's life outside of Special Olympics as well."
How do you feel about Special Olympics events incorporating both health and sports?
"In my mind, you can't have one without the other. Do you know what depression, high cholesterol and obesity have in common with performance in swimming, running and playing basketball? They all get better with exercise. Enough said."
Our oath at Special Olympics is "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." What is your personal motto?
"You should always be able to look back on your life and say, 'I did my best.' My grandfather used to tell me that the key to happiness is living up to one's potential. Everybody has failures in life, everybody has times when they lose, but the key to success is to know that even if you didn't achieve your dreams, you achieved the best that you were capable of achieving. If you are in a race and you happen to be in first place, you shouldn't stop trying just because you are ahead of everybody else. You need to keep trying as hard as you can, so that you can reach your own personal best. Likewise, if you finish in eighth place, you shouldn't be discouraged; you should be happy knowing that you did your best and that, next time, you are going to try even harder."
>> Return to Healthy Athletes Update, Winter 2006
|
