Introducing our staff - Jessica Price

Jessica graduated from a joint Honours Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics and Diploma in Sports Injury management from both the University of Guelph and Sheridan College in 2002. Upon graduation and successful completion of her professional certification exams in June of that year, she began working as a Certified Athletic Therapist at The Elliott Sports Medicine Clinic (formerly Levy Elliott).

Jessica has continued her education since becoming a Certified Athletic Therapist. In addition to continuing education classes such as muscle energy, she began a Master's in Kinesiology in 2003 at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She received a graduate assistant position at BGSU and had the opportunity to be an Athletic Trainer with the NCAA Division I football team, including their invitation to the Motor City Bowl.

Jessica has also worked with numerous local teams, including the Burlington Cougars, Burlington Chiefs, Milton Merchants, as well as professional teams such as an internship with the Buffalo Bandits and the Columbus Landsharks of the National Lacrosse League. She has worked with the Junior National Field Lacrosse team at the World Championships in 2003, 2008 and will be working with the team in 2012 as it travels for the tournament to Finland.

In 2009, Jessica graduated from the Ontario College of Health and Technology with a diploma in Massage Therapy and becam a Registered Massage Therapist with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.  In 2010, she completed the Contemporary Medical Acupuncture program at McMaster University.

Introducing our staff - Dr. Laura Purcell

Dr. Laura Purcell is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.  She completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees at the University of Toronto.  She obtained her medical degree from McMaster University.  Her residency training was in pediatrics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  She completed a sport medicine fellowship at the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.

Dr. Purcell is the founding president of the Paediatric Sport and Exercise Medicine Section of the Canadian Paediatric Society and has served in this capacity for 9 years.  She is a liaison member of the Healthy Active Living and Sport Medicine Committee of the CPS and has authored many position statements and practise points for the CPS journal.

She is also the founding chair of the Pediatric Sport and Exercise Medicine Committee of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine.  She was the chair from 2003-2009.  She was involved in two joint statements between CPS and CASEM.

Dr. Purcell is a member of the Concussion Education and Awareness Committee of ThinkFirst Canada.  She has published many articles on sport-related concussion in pediatric athletes and was an invited panellist at the 2008 Zurich Concussion Consensus conference.  

She has practised pediatric sport medicine for 9.5 years and is currently working as a pediatric sport medicine physician at the David Braley Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and at The Elliott Sport Medicine Clinic in Burlington, ON.  She has also practised pediatric emergency medicine for 12.5 years and currently works at the McMaster Children’s Emergency Department.

Introducing our staff - Cliff Watling

Cliff Watling has been a Certified Athletic Therapist for 18 years.  He joins The Elliott Sports Medicine Clinic team where he will also be treating as a Registered Massage Therapist.  He brings five years experience working with university athletes (Mt Allison University football and hockey as well as University of Toronto Football).  He has worked a season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and 4 seasons for the Burlington Braves of the the Canadian Junior Football League.  Cliff has been practicing in a private clinical setting in Burlington since 2001, working in a multidisciplinary setting.

Although his passion lies in hockey, Cliff enjoys working with all sports and is dedicated to not only treating and caring for injuries, but also injury prevention. He strives to help individuals rehabilitate their injuries to the point where they are better than they were before. 

Originally from New Brunswick, Cliff has been a Burlington resident for the past 9 years and looks forward to working with The Elliott Sports Medicine Clinic team providing Massage Therapy and Athletic Therapy services to all ages of the active public.

Introducing our staff - Erin MacDonald

Raised in Burlington, Erin completed her high school diploma at Notre Dame Secondary school.  She graduated in 2000 from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology. In 2003, she graduated with honors from Sheridan College with a diploma in Sports Injury Management during which time she completed a year internship in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger Cats Football Club. Erin has been an Athletic Therapist for many competitive sports teams, including: the University of Western Ontario's Football team and women's basketball team, Guelph University's men's hockey team, and the Columbus Landsharks of the National Lacrosse League.  In 2009, she graduated from the Ontario College of Health and Technology with a diploma in Massage Therapy and in 2010 become a Registered Massage Therapist with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.  Erin has been working at The Elliott Sports Medicine Clinic since 2004 and co-owns a custom knee bracing company, MORPH Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Services with her business partner Jessica Price. Erin has taken educational courses in Muscle Energy and Soft Tissue Release.

Introducing our staff - Dr. Paul Echlin

Dr. Paul Echlin is a primary care sports medicine specialist, currently practicing Primary Care Sports Medicine in Burlington, Ontario. He is Board Certified in Family and Sports Medicine in both Canada and the USA. He is also the Junior Hockey team physician for the past ten years in Canada and the United States. Dr. Echlin was the past chair of the London Hockey Concussion Summit, and past co-chair of the HNCI Stakeholders Meeting in January 2009. He is currently the Chair of the Hockey Neurotrauma and Concussion Initiative Research Committee. He also acts as the current Primary Investigator of the Hockey Concussion Education Project.

Introducing our staff - Dr. Karen Murtaugh

Dr. Karen Murtaugh is a sport medicine physician who joined the Elliott Sports Medicine Clinic immediately after finishing her Sport Medicine Fellowship in 2007. She is certified by the Canadian College of Family Physicians and the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine.

Dr. Murtaugh continues to work as a Primary Care Sport Medicine Consultant with The Elliott Sport Medicine Clinic (Burlington) and Escarpment Sport Medicine (Milton). She has also worked as a consulting physician at the Whistler Polyclinic during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and continues to be the race physician for the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon in Toronto. Since starting independent practice in 2006 she has been involved with the McMaster Family Medicine Program as a resident supervisor. In 2011, she became the instructor for a Sport Medicine teaching clinic for Family Medicine residents and physicians at the Stonechurch Family Health Centre in Hamilton.

In addition to her clinical work, Karen enjoys writing and being involved in medical research. She has published several articles and research papers since completing a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology (Sport Biomechanics) in 2000.Her recent publications include a chapter on Field Hockey Injuries to the Encyclopedia of Sport Medicine, published by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2009 and a review article on the same topic for a peer reviewed journal, Current Sport Medicine Reports. 

Introducing our staff - Dr. Wade Elliott

Dr. Wade Elliott graduated from the medical program at McMaster University and completed his residency in family medicine. He completed his Diploma in Sports Medicine (CASM) following a sport medicine fellowship at McMaster University.  Dr. Elliott enjoys working with athletes of all ages, both recreational and elite, to prevent and treat injuries and help athletes stay active. Dr. Elliott has a particular interest in osteoarthritis and sports participation. He is currently involved in research in this area.

In addition, Dr. Elliott is currently chair of the Hamilton Sports and Musculoskeletal Physician Group in Hamilton as well as Past Chair of the Ontario Medical Association Section of Sport & Exercise Medicine. He is actively involved in the education of medical students, family medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation and emergency residents. In addition, he is co-chair of the McMaster University Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program.

Dr. Elliott is involved in many sports as a physician. He is the former team physician with the world champion Toronto Rock Professional Lacrosse Team and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Dr. Elliott was previously the medical director of McMaster Varsity Football team from 2001-2004. Dr. Elliott is also involved with event coverage for both national and international events and past event coverage includes the National and World Cycling Championships in 2003 and Chief Medical Officer for the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 2003.