---
title: Team of Physicians for Students
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/team-of-physicians-for-students/"
type: post
date_published: 2012-12-10
date_modified: 2012-12-10
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 388
reading_time: 2 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/team-of-physicians-for-students/"
categories:
  - General
topic:
  - Medical Assisting
---

# Team of Physicians for Students

[Team of Physicians for Students](http://www.aztops.org/), or TOPS, was founded
in 1998 by osteopathic physician Dr. Paul Steingard, D.O., a family physician
and sports medicine specialist from Phoenix. Dr. Steingard recognized a strong
need for young athletes to be screened and provided with free physicals to help
save lives and avoid sudden cardiac arrest and death from medical conditions.

Dr. Steingard partnered with the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association for
financial and administrative support and they have remained one of the event’s
primary sponsors to this day. Many of the osteopathic physicians and medical
providers who began with TOPS more than 10 years ago continue to participate in
screenings. Along with vision testing, BP checks, and an oral exam, the
screenings include free EKGs and echo cardiograms to detect potential heart
problems. Dr. Steingard says, “If we save one life or help one child have a
healthier future, we will have succeeded in our goal.”

A cardiac component was added to the program under the leadership of Arizona
Heart Institute cardiologist William Rappoport, M.D., who acts as the lead
cardiologist at the TOPS screenings. An annual TOPS event is held in Phoenix at
Sunnyslope High School. Since the program’s inception, more than 18,000 free
screenings have been performed, for youth between eighth grade and community
college.

With nearly 500 volunteers, the program is made possible by the help of these
local physicians, physical therapists, Medical Assistants, nurses and nursing
assistants, and medical students from Midwestern University (Glendale) and A.T.
Still University (Mesa). These volunteers promote the screenings to student
athletes who are required to obtain screenings prior to beginning an athletic
school program by Arizona state law.

A free TOPS screening was held this year on April 21 at Youngker High School in
Buckeye, Arizona. More than 500 students between eighth andtwelfth grade had
screenings that included comprehensive cardiac testing along with testing of
their vital signs. Tests were conducted by a group of volunteer doctors, nurses,
and Medical Assisting students from Arizona College. The students participating
were enthusiastic and excited about participating in this worthy cause.

To learn more about Arizona College’s involvement with the TOPS program, or to
learn about becoming a Medical Assistant yourself,
[contact Arizona College](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/request-information/).

---

_Information in this blog post is accurate as of December 10, 2012._

**Categories:** General