What's your number?

As athletics trainers, our field is so vast and covers so many aspects of health for our student athletes, yet the federal government and primarily insurance companies refuse to let AT’s bill for their services.  This is why it’s important for each AT to attain their NPI (National Provider Identification) number. The NPI numbers were developed from “the Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandated the adoption of a standard unique identifier for health care providers. The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) collects identifying information on health care providers and assigns each a unique National Provider Identifier (NPI).” (nppes.cms.hhs.gov)

In plain English, it is the “social security number” of health professions. Without one, insurance companies, including government sponsored programs like Medicaid, do not recognize the medical professional as a provider of health care services. They don't recognize you!

NATA strongly encourages all Athletic Trainers to register for their National Provider Identifier number (NPI)

“NATA views having an NPI number like having a state license: it’s a professional requirement and adds credibility to both the individual and the profession,” says Cate Brennan Lisak, director of external affairs.“Once ATs get their NPI number, it will be theirs forever -- no matter where they work. There’s no downside to having an NPI number.”

Many AT’s are wondering what in for me, how will I benefit from having this number?  The number one benefit is showing legislators and insurance companies, how many qualified health care providers in each category are available. As it stands, about half of practicing ATs have it. Therefore, insurance only sees a small population of us out there. It’s hard to get someone to fight a battle for us if the group they are fighting for is appears to be so small. We, ATs, are not small.

If every AT acquires their NPI number it will give the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) a reason to take a look at other healthcare professionals (AT’s ) to provide services for their patients.  Once CMS approves AT’s as health care providers for billing purposes on the national level, all other insurance companies will follow. CMS sets the standards for insurance and insurance policies. Therefore, AT’s will be able to bill for the services they provide.  If a clinical athletic trainer is billing for services, it is assumed that salaries will rise to meet our allied health peers. If clinical ATs are making more money, those in the traditional setting will follow suit.  This is important for all of us.

All healthcare providers are eligible to receive NPI’s, all CMS covered healthcare entities are mandated to use the NPI as the sole provider identifier on all HIPAA electronic transactions.

Obtaining an NPI number is simple.  

The NATA has a link with step by step instructions http://www.nata.org/NPI

or you can visit https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/StaticForward.do?forward=static.npistart 

You will need to know Provider Code 22 (Respiratory, Rehabilitative & Restorative Service Providers) and Taxonomy Code 2255A2300X (Athletic Trainer) to complete the process.

NPI’s are FREE and once assigned it’s yours for life. No fees, no upgrades, nada. Its hassle free, but it might be wise to change you address when you move!

So now it’s your turn, go ahead and help the profession take giant step forward. It only takes about 10 minutes of your day and it can do so much for our profession. 

-Julie Ellena

Gearing UP

As we enter into our fall seasons and begin preparations for our student athlete’s to return to school, or cease pre-season practices, I wanted to send out a friendly blog of encouragement.

We all started in our field for various reasons (most importantly fame, fortune, and a lot of free gear), but the reasons that keep us here are vast.  Everyone has that one athlete with whom they’ve grown especially close to over the years.  Maybe you watched them grow up.  Or you helped them through a season-ending injury.  Or you guided them along the path to adulthood.  Whatever your reasons may be, you know there is at least one kid out there who has touched your life.  Be thankful that you had the opportunity to be there for them.

As athletic trainers, we provide a service.  Our services are completely different in each setting, but we all have one goal: to help our patients return to play as quickly and pain-free as possible.  While writing this, I am reminded of one of the many sayings from our athletic director, “Above all else, we prepare Students for Life.”  This is so true on so many levels.  Life is difficult and bumpy, and we provide the bandage when it gets too rough.  Being an athlete forces them to learn so many lessons that come in handy later on in life, like communication, leadership, and working together as a cohesive unit.  We are part of those lessons learned, and our jobs do just as much teaching them those lessons as the drills they run day in and day out.

Think about the preparation you want to instill in your athletes the next time you tape an ankle, make an ice bag, or perform a shoulder evaluation.  Our time is precious, but it can make a big difference.  Remember, we are preparing students for life!

-Courtney Hobbs

Vegas Baby!

Will you be joining your profession in Las Vegas? If so, here is the line up of the Young Professionals Committee's Sponsored Events. We have worked hard to bring you valuable enrichment opportunities that target your needs as a YP, so please keep these in mind when you are planning your convention itenierary. 

YP Community Service Project: MONDAY 2-4 PM

In partnership with LVSportz, the YPC will be presenting an interactive symposium on sports safety to a group of local Foster kids. We will touch on strength and flexibility  core, cardie fitness, nutrition, hydration, concussion safety and heat  illnesses. If you are interested in volunteering for this special event, please email Tiffany McGuffin at tiffanymcguffin730@gmail.com.

YP Social Event: Remembering Our Roots and Forging Our Future WEDNESDAY 5-7PM YP LOUNGE
Enjoy a drink and some light snacks at one of the premier social events of the annual meeting. This is a chance for Young Professional athletic trainers to unwind with members of the NATA Board of Directors, Hall of Famers, national leaders and other YPs.

Meet Your Young Professional Representative. TUESDAY 10-10:45AM YP LOUNGE
Learn about the big issues facing your district, give your input on how the YPC is doing and how to get involved or simply stop by to shake hands with some of the YP leaders in the association. This is also the perfect opportunity to network with other 35-and-younger ATs in a relaxed environment. 

Grumpy Old Men (and Women): Don't Re-Invent the Wheel THURSDAY 10-10:45AM YP LOUNGE

Meet and listen to HOFers, like Past President Marje Albohm, Dale Mildenberger and others talk about inventing the wheel and blazing the paths that got our profession to where it is today. Intended to be informal and entertaining!

Conflict Management in the Workplace Featuring HOFer and Past President Chuck Kimmel  TUESDAY 4-6PM

Athletic trainers are very skilled at responding in emergency situations on the field, but are we also skilled at responding in situations that are critical to our success or that of our athletes and/or our advancement?  Learning how to deal with conflict – rather than avoiding it – is crucial. When conflict is mismanaged, it harms the relationship, but when handled in a respectful, positive way, conflict provides an opportunity for growth. By learning these skills for conflict resolution, you can keep your personal and professional relationships strong, build your reputation and earn your desired result.  This session with Past President Chuck Kimmel, Former YPC Chair Kim Detwiler and YPC National Distinction Award Winner Adam Annaccone, will offer an interactive look at ways to properly manage critical conversations including salary negotiations, workplace disagreements, etc.

Please fill out this very brief survey on Survey Monkey. The National YPC will be meeting in Vegas to outline the 2013-2014 year's projects, and we want to make sure we are getting you what you need to be a successful Young Professional.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9LWZYV3

What other profession?

What other profession?

I’ve been waiting to post about an amazing experience I had back in March. I waited because I realized that this was not a “once in a blue moon” moment. This is our profession and I am proud!

In March, I was at the Big XII basketball tournament at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. After the grueling 1 hour bus ride, we pulled up for practice. I stopped by the athletic training room since I knew Ben Hogan was covering the event and I was excited to say hi to everyone. Everything was set-up on the court and ready as I expected, so I needed nothing other than a hug from Mike Pruitt. A quick 20 minute practice and we were on our way to the hotel.

The next morning I showed up to shoot-around to see Mike Pruitt hauling water and pushing a cart of Gatorade out to the cart with a smile on his face. That evening during half-time, I stood in awe for a moment when I watched Jonathon Hancock (Ben Hogan), Mike Pruitt (SWATA Hall of Fame Member) and Cash Birdwell (SWATA, NATA and SMU Hall of Fame Member) quickly turn over our locker room with ice, shower towels, post-game drinks and snacks. I stood in awe because how many other professions would have hall of famers doing such “menial” jobs? I can’t think of many. It made me think… we ARE different. We are a health care profession, but above that, we are a people profession. These men did this because they wanted to help. They didn’t care about the tasks; they just knew it had to be done. No one looked down on them for being the “water boy” or picking up shower towels. It was something that had to be done and they were going to do it with a smile and laughter. They took care of me in more ways than any other profession would know how. They modeled professionalism. They modeled getting a job done. They modeled being humble. They modeled athletic training.

The next time I had a student complain about filling up bottles or I found myself grumbling about setting up for practice, that day popped up into my head. Why should I look at this as an annoyance when they did not.

So now I open it up to you… Has there been a time when an athletic trainer modeled a behavior that no one else in the health care professions would do? What are some things we do as athletic trainers that aren’t on the job description, but we do it because it means helping people? Let’s take a moment to celebrate one another and realize we are a profession that is truly unlike any other.

Thanks Pruitt, Cash, Jonathon and Kalia for your care, concern and assistance! Thanks for holding athletic trainers to a higher standard!

How do you introduce yourself?

Earlier in the year, I had the opportunity to travel with one of my teams at the high school level for an out of town tournament. This is not something that is mandatory at my school, but I use this as an opportunity to gain a rapport with my coaches and athletes, but to also network with the host athletic trainer. After arriving at the gym for practice, the host athletic trainer introduced himself to my coaches. While my coaches were pleased to meet the host athletic trainer, they mentioned that they had a Licensed Athletic Trainer traveling with them. When I noticed from a distance who he was, I took it upon myself to go introduce myself. As I introduced myself with my name, and he did his, I was not too sure what he said his name was, so at the end of the conversation, I asked, “and what was your name again?” He replied back with, “Doc.”
 

WHAT?!?! I understand that a lot of athletic trainers are referred to as “Doc” but I was shocked when he introduced himself to another Licensed Athletic Trainer as “Doc”. Now had he of said, “My name is __________, but you can call me “Doc”, I would have found that a little more appropriate.
 

It was at this moment, when I realized that there are a lot of athletic training professionals that are still “old school”. I understand that the term “Doc” was widely used in the Athletic Training Profession years ago as a nickname, but a lot of athletic trainers are moving away from this term. I believe this term creates confusion for the athletes and parents because they think they are seeing a Doctor when the athletic trainer is referred to as “Doc.” But in this particular case, “Doc” was not referred to as a nickname, rather it was the way he introduced himself. After our brief conversation, I then went to my phone to look up the school’s website to find out what his real name was, which I should have learned in his introduction.
 

So as the school year comes to a close for most of us, attending Conventions and Symposiums is in our horizon. We encourage our colleagues to network with professionals and to always make good first impressions. Remember to introduce yourself accurately and appropriately. Not only are you representing yourself and your work place, but you never know who you will meet or get introduced to. 

Thank you's!

I just finished reading this month's issue of NATA News, and I have to say Jaimie Siegle and Ruth Riggan did fantastic jobs with their reports on both Capitol Hill Day and the Nomenclature issue. 
I think it is awesome that there are so many AT's out there willing to donate their precious time and effort to rally for us in Washington.  It seems as though the best way for our profession to push the envelope is through the PHYSICAL Act, and I hope that the legislation will move forward with this issue.  As a whole, I believe all of us AT's ultimately want one thing: safe and healthy athletes. 
A special thank you for all those AT's who took the survey that was sent out through NATA regarding “the name change” issue.  Because of you guys, the profession is armed with the knowledge it needs to move forward.  Although we will not be changing our profession's name in the near future, I think we have a better grasp on (1) state practice acts, (2) job conditions, (3) salary and reimbursement understanding.  Not only that, but according to the survey on public perception administered by MBA students at the University of Dallas, people actually know us and understand what it is we do!  Common misconceptions regarding our profession are quickly dissolving.  What exciting news! 
I, for one, think 2012 was an awesome year for Athletic Trainers, and I cannot wait to see how the rest of 2013 will turn out.  Thank you again to everyone for all of your hard work, keep it up! 
On a side note, if you have not read the article about NATA's new "Safe Sports School Award," I suggest you do that.  You can learn more or start the application process for your school by contacting NATA's Strategic Activities Department at sad@nata.org