"We need change"

http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/college-basketball/Winthrop-coach-comments-on-school-shooting-1111235

A compelling interview from Winthrop's coach after playing Ohio State... a nice addition to the blog yesterday.

Time to look within to spread thanks throughout

I had another post prepared for this week... I'll save it for the spring. It didn't seem right to be sarcastic and jovial this week. Despite the season of giving and joy (see previous post) our country is experiencing senseless tragedy.

Friday morning I sat in my athletic training room with a few of my women's basketball players. We sat glued to the television watching the madness in Newport, CT. Since then facebook wars have been had, reporters have interviewed scared children and parents who are still in shock. The media has analyzed guns and the process of obtaining them. Pictures have been released and families are grieving. Many have experience how quickly the world closes in when a relative's friend was a parent, teacher or first responder at that elementary school. Even this morning, a school was put into lock-down because of possible gun shots heard.

I'm not here to debate guns, violence or tragedy. I'm here to say THANKS:

Thank you to all of the teachers who care so lovingly for children.

Thank you to all of the first responders who witness tragedy all to often.

Thank you to all of the parents who hugged their children a little tighter and reminded them they are loved.

Thank you to all of the athletic trainers who act as families to their student athletes.

Thank you to everyone you has said a prayer, thought a kind thought or took a moment to look internally to see how they could make a difference.

The following post was shared by Pat Summit on her facebook page and I find it so appropriate.

"Here's a great idea. Don't know who thought it up, but I saw someone post it and wanted to pass it along. This is what each of us should do: "In honor of those 20 innocent lives lost, we are going to do 20 Acts of Kindness this month. One in honor of each child. This world does not need more sadness...it needs more kindness, more love, more positive." -Pat Summit"

Random acts of kindness are not random, they are intentional. They require you to take a moment and think outside of your self. Take that moment. Say your prayers, let someone merge in traffic, say thank you, leave change for the next person in line, pick up trash on the sidewalk or whatever is meaningful to you.

I know this is not the normal "athletic training" post, but it is relevant. As athletic trainers we spend our days helping others and bringing peace to chaos and healing to heartache. Yes we will all laugh and smile again. Yes, we should enjoy our time with family and friends. Yes, we should celebrate the joy of the season.

But may we take time to look within...

 

 

 

We All Bleed Red

With the Holidays around the corner, let’s take time to reflect on our personal lives and how thankful and fortunate we might be. As an athletic trainer, we take on many responsibilities and carry out many daily duties and tasks. Most of these tasks pertain directly to our profession such as injury prevention, evaluation, rehabilitation, but sometimes we are more than just an Athletic Trainer. Our student athletes spend their time away from home with their peers, teachers, and coaches and most of the time we find them in the athletic training room whether they are injured or not. 

Sometimes you may have the athlete that is always seeking medical attention for one reason or another and wonder why they are always hurt. Is this because they are really injured, are they involved in multiple sports, are they trying to get out of practice, or is it because the athletic trainers provide an environment in which they feel safe and cared for.

Students often look up to their Athletic Trainers because they feel like we are their parents away from home. They ask us for advice, they may just need someone to talk to, and they miss us when we are gone. We need to always remember, that the athlete that may drive you crazy, may live with a family member and seeking financial support from a teammate’s family. We do not always know every athlete’s home life or situation, but sometimes what they get at school is far better than what they receive at home.

               

So as the Holiday Season is taking place, remember that we are not just Athletic Trainers. In the student’s eyes, we are so much more.

                

December to Remember

It's that time of year again... evites, invitations, emails and red kettles. This is the time of year when people tend to actually look outside of their own worlds to others. We finally take the time to buy a toy for a child who has none. We feed a meal to a person who does not have that daily luxury. We drop our change off in the bucket next to the bell ringer. We attend a party to spend time with friends who we miss out on during the year. We sit down to a meal with family who usually are a phone call and drive thru meal away.

During this time we still have work to do. There are still clients to be seen, athletes to be treated and coaches to be appeased. Our profession is in the medical field. Injuries and illnesses to not succumb to closed schools or days off. My challenge is this: Let's take a moment, a minute, a day this holiday season to remember why most of us became athletic trainers... to help others. This time of year thousands of other people will do what we do daily, care for people. Let's challenge one another to push our profession farther, to do more, to be more. What can we do to educate? What can we do to bring light to our education? How can we mentor a student who is considering becoming an athletic trainer? How can we speak with a parent to ensure them we will care for their child? We will get all of the credit we deserve? Probably not. Do we do it for the credit? We shouldn't.

Please don't think I write this from my high horse. I get frustrated almost daily at the craziness in my small world. I have screamed at my computer, shut my door and maybe once or twice said something less than sweet under my breath, ok, out loud. With all that being said. There is something magical about this time of year. Embrace it. Renew your passion for caring. If it is getting out and doing something in the community or bringing coffee to the teachers lounge, take the time to care. I know it is frustrating to be overlooked for what you do, but don't over look others. Let's be the bigger people who continue to rise up and care.

Go decorate your office in your holiday desire, or call a mentor and thank them for the gift of knowledge, or bake some slice and bake cookies for the coaches who questioned you yesterday. Whatever it is, let's continue the season of giving, not receiving. Let's show others why athletic trainers are such awesome people.

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Giving!!!!

 

Cardiac Screenings

There is currently an increase in discussion amongst Texas legislature, UIL, and advocates for requiring a cardiac screening to be added to the pre-participation physical in the future. What are your thoughts as a secondary athletic trainer on the potential addition of cardiac screenings to the physical (pro's, con's, paperwork standpoint, liability, management, cost, etc).

Missed Networking Opportunity

I recently began traveling with my new team and was highly disappointed when the host athletic trainers did not take time out of their day to introduce themselves to me and notify me of the emergency protocols. I even utilized their athletic training facility to do pre-game treatments.  No one took time to introduce themselves or ask if I needed anything or help, I just got a bunch of blank stares from the individuals. I think what saddens me the most is not only did the host school miss out on an opportunity to network with me and make new connections, but I missed out on a connection too.  I feel like the NATA has placed such an emphases on networking and when a easy opportunity arises and it goes under utilized, we as a profession are doing a disservice to each other.

I feel like this falls in line with respecting yourself and your profession, in another instance, I felt unwelcome in the host athletic training facility and this may make me old, but I was offended by the choice of music and vocabulary being used by student-athletes of the host school. I feel Athletic Trainers are in the circle of non-respect, and we need to realize that everyday is an opportunity to promote our profession in a positive light. As an Athletic trainer we never know who is going to walk in our facility, and what impression that person is going to be left with. I think sometimes we forget that every experience leaves an impression on someone and we want the impression to be good. We fight for the public to recognize us as healthcare providers, yet we do not take the time to operate everyday as a professional. We are doing a disservice to all of our colleagues who do make the effort to work on a professional level all the time.

So next time you are hosting an event, make an effort to stop and visit with the guest athletic trainer, you never know where that connection may lead you.

Sorry!

Hey everyone, looks like my last blog had some technical difficulties!  I apologize for that, I really don't know why the formatting screwed all up... :/
Anyway, I just copied and pasted a link from ESPN about Marcus Lattimore's injury.  I'm sure all of you heard by now the rumors of a broken fibula are not true.  He did suffer a dislocation (that was obvious from the game highlight) and some ligament damage.  I would recommend trying to get the highlight video for anyone who is teaching care and prevention or assessment in an ATEP.  The relocation was done very well and could be a great tool to teach.  You could also use it as a tool for shock assessment/care.
I'm not making light of this horrific injury.  I am very proud that the ATC's and medical staff at South Carolina responded so well.  I think it gives a great name to our profession, and I think it's because of us that athletes like Marcus are able to return to play.  I'm praying for a speedy and very healthy recovery for him, and for comfort for his family.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/20727498/official-word-on-lattimore-injury-extensive-ligament-damage-no-fracture

How many of us were watching the South Carolina game when Marcus Lattimore suffered the knee
 dislocation?  And how many of us watched it the following Monday on you-tube with our 
co-workers?  It was horrific, that's for sure, and my thoughts and prayers go out to him and his 
family.  I can say that so far in my career, I thankfully have never had such a devastating injury to 
one of my athletes (knock on wood).  I am just proud to be a part of a profession who was 
represented well and who responded amazingly to this devastating injury.  Best of luck with the recovery
Marcus!

Personal Trainer? Horse Trainer? Oh, Athletic Trainer...

Stranger: What do you do?
Athletic Trainer: Oh, I'm and athletic trainer.
Stranger: Oh how great!  Listen, can you give me some tips on how to lose a few pounds around my waistline.
How many times has this happened to you?  I know as athletic trainers, we've combed over this whole nomenclature things until there's nothing left.  But has it really gotten us anywhere?  We can agree to disagree on that, but one thing I think we can all say is that the above conversation has happened to each of us more times than we can stand.  It's frustrating, and if you catch some of us on a bad day, you can really get an earful. 
I come from an undergraduate program whose clinical coordinator and program directors were sticklers about the "athletic trainer" terminology.  Anyone who was anyone got corrected on this if they referred to us simply as "trainers."  It is engrained in me to cringe when I am introduced as "the trainer."  I have politely corrected all of my athletes and coaches to no avail.  I am still referred to as "the trainer" (or sometimes Momma Bear, but that's an entire different blog). 
I am offering no solutions to remedy this issue, if it is in fact an issue to anyone besides me.  I'm just hoping for some comments, and maybe a good old fashioned debate.  At least I know then you guys are reading this :)

"Athletic Related" Issues

It's the bottom of the fourth, and your short stop takes a short hop ball to the face.  Obviously the teeth that were knocked out and needed immediate dental assistance were "athletically related."  But what about the distance runner with the abscessed tooth and no dental insurance?  What about the freshman lineman who needs contacts in the middle of spring ball?  The starting point guard who slips in the mud in front of the dorms, and damages their medial meniscus they just had repaired 3 weeks prior?  Do theses issues fall under the umbrella of "athletic related?"
Many DI schools do cover most dental and eye issues that are directly related to an injury, or that interfere with in-season play.  They also cover most major medical issues that may arise while the student-athlete is enrolled and practicing at the university.  But many smaller schools do not have such luxuries.  Student athletes are left to pay for contacts and dental work themselves despite any interference with play.
The issues lie with the grey, fuzzy line that is "athletic related."  One could argue many points on this phrase, and be very persuasive either way.  For example, what about previous conditions the student-athlete came in with, like serious dental issues that led to the much needed root canal?  If we are going so far as to say that the issue is interfering with play, where do we stop?  What about ADD medication and testing?  If the student athlete has difficulty focusing, and is diagnosed with ADD but cannot pay for the medication, is it the school's responsibility if this issue is effecting their playing ability?  What about birth control if the female athlete is diagnosed with amenorrhea?  As you can see, the line does get pretty hazy without set explanations.
I encourage anyone in the collegiate setting to bring this up at the next staff meeting if you do not currently have a policy regarding athletic related issues.  Make sure the coaches are aware of the policy, especially if they have international athletes, and athletes without personal insurance.  Another resource to look into would be a special opportunity or enhancement fund.  These are often set up to assist student-athletes with some of the issues that the sports medicine department may not cover.  Make sure as a staff that you are aware of the process for filing for these funds, as you often have to submit an estimate in writing weeks before funds can be allocated for a specific issue.  Hopefully with a little bit of ground rules from institutions (and maybe the NCAA???) these can be laid out for everyone to abide by.  No questions asked.

Dressing the Part

We've all been to conventions, and we've all seen it.  Our fellow peers in shorts, too short skirts, raggedy flip flops, etc.  I understand some of us may work in a more relaxed setting, but as cliche as it sounds, there's a time and a place for everything.  A district, regional, and/or national meeting is not the place for your well worn in Saints t-shirt.  We need to be taken seriously as a profession, which means dressing the part.  We need to set the example for our up-and-coming students on what is appropriate and what isn't.  A skin-tight, too short, leather skirt is by no means is appropriate; neither is a low-cut blouse.  You never know who you will run into at a convention: a future boss or co-worker, a board member, or even a committee chair.  What about the person who takes your order from Chili's when you leave for lunch?  Are you dressed in a way that shows the profession in a good light?  See this blog as a "call to arms" if you will.  Discuss with your students what is appropriate and what is not.  Have them leave to go change if they are not dressed appropriately.  After all, they are representing your, program are they not?  Don't be afraid to speak to a peer whom you feel may not be dressed appropriately, but by all means, do it tactfully.  Our profession is on the rise people, it's time to set up and take care of the little things!

Try outs. Where is the Line Drawn?

Those of us who work in the collegiate setting have had to deal with try outs at least once a year.  Many institutions are quickly moving towards multiple try outs verses one large open try out each year.  As Athletic Trainers, we must be aware that these athletes are often asked to practice against our varsity athletes in order to "make the team."  It often places some in an unfair position when they have not been exposed to the type of training that the varsity athletes have undergone.  One could argue that it may even put them at risk for injury.
It is imperative that the sports medicine staff visit with their team physicians, as well as their legal departments, to discuss the institutions's liability in case one such athlete is injured during their try out.  Rules should be set in place to determine: (1) How long will the try out last?
(2) Will the athlete who is trying out be practicing against a current varsity team member(s).
(3) If an athlete is injured while trying out, what will be the institutions financial responsibility- or if they sign a waiver, is the institution no longer liable?
(4) What type of try out forms must be completed first?  For example, would the athlete who is potentially trying out need to be cleared through compliance, or medically first?
(5) If the try out is conducted off campus, is the practice site liable for any injuries that may occur?
(6) Is the try out documentation different when dealing with a potential recruit?
(7) Does the try out need to be covered by a member of the sports medicine staff if the coach is CPR and First Aid certified?
These are just some of the many examples of angles that should be addressed when the sports medicine staff is beginning to look at their try policy.  It is also important that the sports medicine staff involve the coaches and compliance office in the decision making process, as they often delegate who can and cannot try out for the team(s).

Dealing with the note “rest for 2 weeks”

If you have ever worked in the secondary setting you have received this note, “no athletics for 1-2 weeks” or  “no physical activity for 1-2 weeks”

This phrase can be the most frustrating phrase you read as a student athlete, your patient, walks in the athletic training room not dressed out for practice and announces, “I went to the doctor and I can’t work out.”  What is even more frustrating is if you were never informed the student was injured, you did the evaluation and recommended modified practice, a treatment and rehabilitation regimen confident that you could get them back to playing very soon, or even better yet, the doctor on your sideline evaluated the student, along with yourself and recommended a plan spoke with the parent and they still went to a different doctor and got the 1-2 weeks rest note.

I find that this type of scenario tends to happen most often in off-season or sub-varsity sports. 

I always blame myself first, and ask the questions;

            Did I not take enough time in my evaluation, or explain the injury or the plan to the student and parent?  Why do they not trust me? Why do they not want to see the sports medicine orthopedic that works on our sideline every week?

Sometimes I find the answer to these questions and find that it was a lack of communication or the parents have a connection with a different doctor in town that they trust.  But the problem I am still left with a kid that thinks they can’t do anything for 2 weeks, oh how it would be so nice if the note read, “limited activity with the affected limb, continue cardiovascular fitness and progressive rehabilitative exercises” that way when I try to explain this to the student and parents they do not look at me like I am ignoring the note that says no activity. 

We try hard as athletic trainers to let our community know who we are and what we do.  At our school we encourage student athletes to come and tell us about injuries and pains, we tell them and their parents they can see any physician that they please, we try to suggest those that work closely with us as team physicians, and those that specialize in sports medicine and offer sports injury clinics.  We do all that we can not to have a student sitting on the sideline doing nothing.  I know that the physician that wrote the note usually expects the student to do rehabilitation exercises and that rest will allow time for the injury to heal and that they too have the best interest for their patient, so do we, the frustrating part is when the student athlete is content with not doing anything.  When the patient, a student athlete is content sitting on the sideline, I am so frustrated; I must work to put in the effort to motivate them to try to do something to get back in the game.

This is me on my soap box for the day, please feel leave a comment, a suggestion or idea.

Shout Outs!

It is now time to begin submitting names to the NATA for athletic trainers who deserve recognition for all their hard work and outstanding professionalism.  I know that everyone reading this knows of one YP who is worthy of an award, so please nominate him or her.

This summer at the NATAPAC breakfast, the guest of honor Dale Mildenberger, proclaimed that we need to banish the "unsung hero" title: that we work too hard and too tired and too passionately to be just someone happy to be in the background.  He felt that we should be proud of our education and our expertise as health care providers.  He felt that we are failing to get recognition in legislation because we fail to recognize our own special properties and celebrate those.  He encouraged us all to be our own advocate. I could not agree more.

So give the ultimate shout out, the ultimate pat on the back, and nominate those who you feel represent the strengths in our profession.  You can find all the information you need here: http://www.nata.org/young-professionals-committee-ypc-national-distinction-award

HIPAA and Social Media

We all love them…those gruesome injury photos from football practice or the soccer game yesterday.  And with today’s social media, our cool injury pictures can spread around the world in a matter of minutes.  I mean, there is even a twitter account made solely to disperse pictures of this sort (@injurypics).  Unfortunately, with all of this technology we could be incorrectly distributing the private health information of our athletes.

Yesterday, we had a local lawyer come speak to our staff and students about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and social media.  One of our GA’s assignments for the year is to redo our website and she has gone above and beyond, creating about every account imaginable for us.  While the website is still in the works, we now have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, an Instagram, and a blog.  All of these things are great, but we thought it would be good to have someone go over the stipulations of HIPAA so we would know if we were violating any of its regulations. Our guest gave some great information to all of us and answered many of our questions.  While some of you may be experts in this area, I thought I would just pass along a little bit of the information that he gave to us as a reminder to think twice before we immediately post a picture to one of our accounts.

First of all, the section of HIPAA that we deal with is mainly the privacy rule which says that individually identifiable health information needs to be guarded.  This is not only to protect the rights of the individual, but also to promote quality health care.  HIPAA only applies to covered entities, but seeing as how athletic trainers are considered health care providers, we fall under this jurisdiction.  This means that if a passerby takes a picture of an injury, they can post it online and they would not be held accountable.  On the other hand, if any one of us did the same thing, we could get into some serious trouble.  We have the responsibility to disperse only health information that is needed to determine the course of treatment for our athletes.

Another point to consider is that most of us know not to plaster our players’ names and faces across the internet.  Therefore, we may spend time editing our pictures but even things that you may think are unidentifiable can still cause a problem.  For example, if there is something in the background of that picture that can cause identification of the individual, then you could still be in violation of HIPAA.

So what can you do?  Well, you can make sure that you always get permission from your athlete or patient before using or showing their picture.  Luckily, it does not matter whether the permission is verbal or written, but you might want to stick with the written form in order to protect yourself.  Also, you can talk to your school lawyer about the policies at your institution.  While you may get permission from the athlete, which will excuse you from any civil or criminal charges, you can still get into trouble with your employer if you are not following their rules.  Often times they will not want you disseminating information or photos because it is unprofessional and could look bad on the organization.

Obviously, having access to a variety of injury pictures through social media can be very educational.  For many of us, it may be the only time we get to see an injury of that sort.  We just need to be sure that we are taking the right steps and precautions.  Hopefully next time you go to post that awesome picture, you will think twice because protecting our athletes should always be our primary concern.

There's An App For That: Phone Apps for AT's

Have you ever come accross something while working in the training room or on the field and thought to yourself, "I wonder if there is an app for this?"  Well in many cases there is.  In today's world practically everyone has a cell phone on them, most of which are "Smart" phones such as an Iphone or a phone running on the Google Android operating system.  More and more companies have come to realize this and they are creating apps that work with their products.  Other companies are creating apps that fulfill some need that practically everyone has.  There are several apps out their that an Athletic Trainer would find to be helpful.

Lets start with weather apps; there are several out there and you pretty much can't go wrong with any you choose.  With this said, let me tell you of some of my favorites.  You can't go wrong with The Weather Channel App.  The Weather Channel has a free app that will get you pretty much everything you need for basic weather services, including a radar map.  The free app has banner ads, but they are really not noticable at all.  If you don't want those ads, you can buy the app for $3.99, plus you get some other features.  This app only really gets you the most basic of features, as an Athletic Trainer what are we really looking for? We need an app that not only gives us radar maps, but can also tell us about lightning.  The best app in this regard is probably the Telvent WX App.  Telvent has the reputation for reliability and accuracy.  The app itself is free, however, there is a catch and it's a big one.  You need to have a subscription to their weather service for the app to work.  The Telvent weather service, subscription is expensive, so most of us won't be using it. If your school district can afford it though, it is worth it.  There used to be an app on the market called Pinpoint Lightning.  This app cost $4.99 for a 1 year subscription.  This app would send you an Alert on your phone when lightning struck within a distance that you set.  It also had radar and weather forcasts.  Apps like this are a little controversial as some professionals say there is no research proving the reliability of this app.  I used it in combination with my ThunderBolt Lightning Device (also a little controversial for the same reason) and the combination of the two seemed to work well together.  Unfortunately, the company that made this app took it of the market last April, but they plan on re-releasing it as an "In-App" purchase for one of their other apps called the MyWeather App. So be on the lookout for when they re-release this app.  When the Pinpoint App went of the market I started using another called Lightning Finder.  This app will send you text messages when lightning hits within a preset distance also, but you have to turn it on and tell it to send those messages for a certain amount of time.  It also has no research proving its relaiblity, but outside of Telvent, this is probably the best you can get.

There are several healthcare apps out there that may be useful.  The first to talk about is one called Instant Heart Rate by Azumio.  This app can actually detect your (or one of your athlete's) heart rate.  The app works very much like a pulse oximeter, in that it detects your pulse by tracking the color change in the surface of your finger tips that occurs with each beat of the heart bringing in a rush of fresh new blood to the capillaries in the skin.  All you have to do is put your finger tip over the phone's camera and start the app.  Azumio has a disclaimer that this app is meant for "fun" and shouldn't soley be relied on.  I tested this app out with the phone on one hand and a pulse oximeter on the other and I received the same result, so that was good enough for me.  Another good healthcare app includes one simply called "Eyechart" or "Eyechart HD"  this app has a Snellen chart that you hold 4 feet away from the athlete and they read it to get their vision tested.  The chart can also be randomized so the athlete can't memorize any of the lines.  Other apps out there that may be useful include apps that track your workouts, such as the Nike running app or the miCoach App from Adidas.  Each of these apps track how far and how long you ran for.  The Adidas one even has a voice coach to choose from that include Derrick Rose or Reggie Bush.

Do you use the Impact concussion software at your facility?  Did you know that Impact has a couple apps out there to help you?  The first app they came out with is called the ImCAT or the Impact Concussion Awareness Tool.  This tool has a concussion education section that has a quiz about concussions, has information about what a concussion is, what mild traumatic brain injury means, and what can you do to help prevent a concussion.  The best part of this app however, is the common signs/symptoms section.  Here you can go through and fill out a form with an athletes information and fill out a checklist of certain signs and symptoms they may have.  Once the form is filled out it can be emailed to your email to check later or to another athletic trainer's email so they know what you saw when you evaluated their athlete.  Impact also just released another app called the Impact Mobile Costomer Center.  With this new app you can access your impact account from your phone and look up clinical reports, sideline reports, organization reports, injury reports, test statistics, etc.  The app also has a sideline evaluation tool.  You can access any athlete that has taken the impact test before and fill out information about a concussion while evaluating them on the sideline.  First, you can record what symptoms they may have. Next, it gives you memory tests to perform such as a reverse numbers test (where you give them a set of numbers then they repeat them in reverse order) or the 5 words test (where you give them 5 words to repeat back to you and remember to repeat them later).  Lastly, when you perform a Rhombergs test, Stork Stand test, tandem gait, and visual tracking tests you can record the results.  All of this information is then saved in your account as a sideline report that you can access later.  If you do not have an Impact account you can use the SCAT2 app as a sideline evaluation tool.  This app has you record symptoms and perform certain tests and record the results.  The results can then be emailed to your email or another athletic trainer's email.

These are the apps I have for now, if I come accross any other useful apps I will blog about them later.  If you have any apps that you would recommend please feel free to coment about them in this blog.
   

Taking Care of Yourself

As Athletic Trainers we are constantly taking care of others. We are available for our athletes before, during, and after practices. We assist athletes when they are sick, injured, or lend an ear when they need to talk. Most of us travel to away game with our athletes. We also keep medical records and a collection of other paperwork to keep our athletic training facilities and athletes running. But what about you? What are you doing to keep yourself running? Are you creating time to do the things you love, to workout, to eat healthy? Do we follow the advice we give to our student athlete's?

The longer I have been practicing athletic training the more important working out, eating healthy and finding time to do the things I love has become. Taking care of myself; has helped me take better care of my athletes. Sure summer is here and my list of to dos is just as long as it during the school year, but now is the time to start the habit of taking better care of myself.  Our athletes are always watching us and are more like to take our advice if they see us, following our own advice. It only takes 2 weeks to form a habit, so why not start now?

When is the last time you did something for yourself. Today I challenge you to take one small step and make time to do something to take care of you? Whether its taking the time to cook a good "healthy" meal, going for a run, scheduling a massage, going out with friends or my favorite hanging out at a coffee shop. Whatever you decide is up to you! In the words of Nike "Just Do It"

What Do You Want to Know About the Name Change Discussion?

In January of this year the NATA Board of Directors voted to officially investigate a potential name change for the profession of athletic training.

In February, the group's mission and composition were presented to the board and approved, and in March the announcement was made to the general membership via the weekly e-mail Range of Motion. I was added just prior to the first conference call in April as it was determined that the young professional population needed to be directly represented.

As you can tell from the announcement, this is intended to be a thorough investigation taking all factors into consideration before making a recommendation.

I want to address a few of the questions I'm getting most often in a series of informational posts. If you have any further questions or want any additional information on anything I've referenced, please don't hesitate to contact me.

**Hasn't the Association done this before?**Yes, in 2003-04, under President Julie Max there was a Nomenclature Task Force that investigated the ramifications of changing the name of the profession and the association.
It was determined then that the association should not change the name of the profession. They did not find that "athletic trainer" was an acceptable or descriptive title, but found the risks to outweigh the rewards.
Below, I've summarized their findings and outlined some of the reasoning behind their recommendations.


(DISCLAIMER:This is a summary of a much longer, comprehensive report)
*Legal/Legislative Implications
~Every state law governing the practice of athletic training would have to be opened in order to provide protection of a new title. (In 2004, 30 states had regulation, currently 48 states have regulation). Opening the practice acts could allow for our "competitors" to have a say in our scope of practice. If that were to take place, however, the bill could be withdrawn preventing any changes from being made.
~The second major concern outlined related to the cost of the effort which would be substantial. This cost would, as with other state legislative moves, be paid by the various state associations and its members.
~The final concern in this relates to compliance. In order for a name change to be successful, it must be comprehensive. Every athletic trainer in every state would have to agree to go by the new title. Any variance among states would greatly hinder any potential federal legislative gains.


Membership/Leadership Perceptions
~The membership argued with passion on both sides of the name question; with many younger members favoring a name change while older members were generally against it. They didn't find this to be a rule, however, with many younger members not feeling a change to be necessary. (They did not investigate based on setting) They determined that changing the name of the profession would be very divisive for the association.
~The leadership were found to have much more defined opinions with most committees being against a name change, save for the Committee on Reimbursement who was unanimously for it. Most notably against a name change were the Governmental Affairs Committee and The World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy.


Reimbursement & Education
~The group investigated the assertion that a name change would result in higher rates of reimbursement and determined that 1) some progress was already being made on these fronts and 2) with no guarantee of advancement as it relates to reimbursement it makes it difficult to move on a "might" given the costs associated.
~Bear in mind that this investigation came on the heels of the significant educational reform that ended the internship route to athletic training certification.  Given that, it was determined that most of the education programs, public and private, were adamantly opposed to the name change.  Additionally, there would be cost associated for each institution to reflect a change.


Other Considerations
~Corporate sponsors did not tie the value of their relationship to NATA to the professions' title and were in support of any decision the association made.
~Those associated with the Journal of Athletic Training were opposed to a change that would cause a title change to our publication as negatively effect the indexing in Index Medicus
~Our Allied Groups (BOC and REF in 2004) would be negatively affected. They found the REF would be negatively impacted with regard to relationships it cultivates with current and prospective donors. While the BOC may have to run parallel processes (one for athletic trainers and one for whatever alternative name is chosen) for most of its programs since a name change could not be uniformly implemented in all 50 states simultaneously.

**Why is the NATA investigating this again?**
Many of the Board of Director's reasons are listed in the initial announcement and relate to the changes in the political, healthcare and education landscapes.  Health Care Reform is in full swing, there have been legislative gains with more state regulation as well as concussion legislation and with our recognition as a "health care provider" following the APTA lawsuit, the NATA feels that it is a good time to re-evaluate.
Additionally, our strategic partners, BOC, REF, CAATE are in support of the investigation at this time.


It is important to the group that this investigation be thorough, unbiased and transparent.  If you have any questions or concerns please express them.


If you are a young professional and haven't already, please fill out this survey and make your voice heard in this critical discussion!


Continue to check back as I will work hard to keep you informed on this ongoing discussion!

Are you in????

I know we all receive those emails with the surveys from graduate students looking to finish their research with the click of your mouse. We all see the SWATA and NATA eblasts come through our emails. We all secretly guess the injury during a game on TV and ignore when the broadcaster talks about the trainers and medical staff. We question in our heads or maybe out loud what the profession is doing for us or why our school or hospital or boss doesn't understand how important we are...

But, I may suggest, the question is really... ARE YOU IN? Are you taking part in the surveys to help out a graduate or are you the one complaining about the 5 minutes spent away from Twitter or Pinterest? Are you reading through the eblasts with the national news about your colleagues or are you complaining we do not get enough coverage? Are you clicking on our corporate sponsors' links or are you complaining your local rep isn't hooking you up like he use to? Are you communicating with the leadership in our associations or are you complaining that your dues don't mean anything? It doesn't take being on a committee or pledging 20 hours of volunteering at NATA. It takes the day to day involvement of filling out those surveys to help a next generation athletic trainer. It takes 5 minutes to explain to a parent who athletic trainers are and what we do. It takes talking to your administration to tell them why it is IMPORTANT to find money in the budget for your dues and CEU's. It takes making a phone call or sending an email to another athletic trainer who went through a rough injury or had a tragedy happen at their school. It take 5 minutes to email someone on the SWATA board with encouragement or suggestions. It takes banding together as a profession and knowing that many are stronger than a few.

We all have our ideals of what the profession should look like and what our organizations should do for us. What are we doing daily to promote our profession and ourselves as professionals?

Here is one of those surveys... written by your colleagues trying to find ways to help make things better for young professionals and all athletic trainers. We need to know what you like and what bothers you. We need suggestions on how to make YOUR associations more accessible. We need you to be in! Please take 5 minutes to fill this out.  We need YOU to be in!

 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B7B2C2B

Are we in? Are we commited to the profession or to our jobs? Are you in?

What's in a Name?

The regular debate on changing the title of our profession has fired up once again.  I think the movement is an interesting one and I understand the impetus behind it. 

That said, I can't imagine undoing the 60+ years of history and work and our most recent public relations successes just to start over. 

Athletic training is gaining ground in our battle.  Proper terminology by our practitioners, patients and the media is leading to a wider understanding of our skill set and state legislation related to concussions is shining a light on the lack of adequate health care in many secondary schools.

CNN has become a great advocate for athletic training, most recently highlighting our profession in Dr. Sanjay Gupta (a neurosurgeon, by the way) documentary on concussions: Big Hits, Broken Dreams.

Dr. Gupta even goes so far, on his blog, to say the following:
"...There are ways to play football more safely, and still win.

Whether it is the mandatory presence of athletic trainers who can diagnose concussions and are empowered to sit a player out..."

An endorsement of our skills from a widely recognized neurosurgeon!  That's big.
A year ago I posted this...JUSTIFIED and I feel in one year we have made even more progress.



Are we there yet? No, but I don't think a name change is going to bridge the gap.

What name would adequately encapsulate our skills and give us the recognition we so desire?
Sports Therapist or Athletic Therapist?
Active Sports Medicine Therapist and First Responder?
Preventative Athletic Rehabilitator?

Even if we do make a change, we would be referenced like this: "the athletic therapist, formerly athletic trainer..."

Do we really want to be known as "the profession formerly known as athletic trainer?"

Instead of focusing on the name, how about we continue our push for public recognition and the ground we are gaining won't be lost.


The one thing I want to leave my children is an honorable name.

Theodore Roosevelt

What would you do?

As many of you know, watching live television is generally not much of an option for athletic trainers. My husband (also an athletic trainer) and I have reverted to our old favorites on DVD and ‘ER’ is the current choice. Just the other night we were watching an early episode that focused on the hospital being a ‘teaching hospital.’ As a teaching focused medical center, monthly or weekly the resident physicians would all gather with the chief attending and discuss cases. To begin a resident physician would present the case and how they treated the patient, then the question was asked to the rest of the group, "What would you do?" As you can imagine some of the physicians were defensive but at the end of the day everyone was able to learn from each situation.

I know that our profession is improving in sharing and discussing different topics and situations especially through the message boards, blogs and published case studies, but I wonder, how often do you sit down with your fellow colleagues and ask,

“What would you do?”

And are you prepared for an answer that is completely different that yours?

By allowing discussion we can all grow, as students we often read and presented case studies, after only 3 years in the profession on my own, I have noticed that I have fallen out of the practice of asking another athletic trainer about their ideas or other innovative ways to do something. It is difficult for me to have someone critique the care that I chose to provide for a patient but I firmly believe that by continually learning, and sharing and asking for critique we can ensure that the best care is given.

So I would like to ask if there are any of you that as a group of professionals regularly present cases and discuss different treatment options and if this is a positive model for athletic trainers?