About
Dr. Fralich, MD FAAFP CAQSM
Dr. Laura Fralich is dual-board certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine with over a decade of clinical outpatient experience as a Sports Medicine physician, including prior service as a primary care physician and rural emergency medicine physician in the Pacific Northwest. After playing college basketball and earning a bachelor’s degree in biology, Dr. Fralich chose an unconventional path to medicine which included working in a pathology lab, serving as a firefighter, earning a master’s degree in teaching, and working as a high school teacher and basketball coach before entering medical school.
Dr. Fralich earned her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine, then completed her Family Medicine residency in Spokane, WA and Sports Medicine fellowship at the University of Massachusetts.
In addition to her clinical duties, she is a high school and college team physician, served as the head team physician for the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club from 2019-2022, and has been an event physician for the USA Special Olympic games, Boston Marathon, USA Gymnastics, NCAA and NJCAA Wrestling, USA Figure Skating, and the Boston Red Sox organization, as well as Bloomsday and Hoopfest in Spokane, WA.
Her interest in medical education led her to become clinical faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Education & Clinical Sciences at Washington State University´s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, where she is Director of the Art and Practice of Medicine course for first-year students as well as the Sports Medicine Clerkship Director. Dr. Fralich frequently teaches and mentors pre-med and medical students as well as residents and serves as faculty for Spokane’s Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship.
She has authored chapters in The 5-Minute Clinical Consult textbook, is a frequent speaker at conferences and other medical education events, and has participated on th ACGME’s national working group to develop Sports Medicine Fellowship milestone standards for training programs nationwide. Dr. Fralich serves on the WIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee as well as the Spokane County Medical Society’s Board of Trustees. She is the founder and director of the annual SCMS Women in Medicine conference, as well as the founder and co-director of the Sports Performance and Leadership Summit for high school student-athletes.
Medical School
Ross University School of Medicine
Residency
Family Medicine Spokane
Fellowship
University of Massachusetts
Board Certifications
- American Board of Family Medicine, Sports Medicine
- American Board of Family Medicine, Family Medicine
Shay Hannigan-Luther MATRN, LAT, ATC
Shay was raised in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and graduated from Lake City High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science and Spanish from Willamette University in Salem, OR and a Master of Athletic Training degree from Oregon State University. As a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), Shay has worked with the Washington State University track and field and cross country teams and completed an athletic training residency at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. While in Colorado, Shay had the opportunity to work alongside world class orthopedic surgeons to treat patients and assist in the operating room. He was also a part of the medical teams for a variety of local events, including the TransRockies Run and the Vail Mountain Bike Race Series.
Shay has presented research at both regional and national athletic training conferences and continues to hold a particular interest in the areas of non-time-loss injuries, musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation, and movement assessment techniques. In his free time, Shay enjoys hiking, traveling, snowboarding, and running.
Our Mission
At NW Sports & Exercise Medicine, our mission is to provide exceptional, value-based, specialty medical care for patients and help them safely return to activity after injury or illness.
Our Core Values
- Integrity
- Service
- Trust
- Excellence
- Patient-centered care
What is a Sports Medicine physician?
A Sports Medicine physician has extensive medical training and is board- certified not only in their primary specialty (Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation) but has completed a 1-2 year Sports Medicine fellowship at an ACGME-accredited institution and is board certified in Sports Medicine (CAQSM). Sports Medicine physicians work with people of all ages, abilities, and activity levels from professional and high school athletes to the recreational pickleball player, runner, cyclist, or outdoor enthusiast. Given 90% of musculoskeletal injuries do not require surgery, Sports Medicine physicians also care for patients with repetitive motion injuries (ie tendinitis, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome) and work to promote healthy lifestyles through exercise, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and injury prevention. Sports Medicine physicians are often team physicians and/or provide medical coverage for events, and frequently collaborate with surgeons, athletic trainers, physical and occupational therapists, and other members of a patient’s healthcare team to promote and optimize healing and return to activity. Finally, many Sports Medicine physicians use ultrasound technology for diagnostic and procedural purposes, perform injections, manage sports-related concussions, and treat a multitude of non-surgical musculoskeletal injuries including fractures, sprains, and strains. For more information about what Sports Medicine physicians do, click on the AMSSM link below: