Policies and Protocols

Athletic trainers are professionals that work to prevent injuries and illnesses.  Everyday we are introduced to new ways to recognize deficiencies in our patients by develop stretching, strengthening and nutritional programs to help minimize injury.  We work to maintain clean and safe practice and competition environments all in the name of prevention.

This fall my school district wanted to get emergency Epi-Pens at each school following a South Texas school incident that made national news (link below).  Getting the emergency medication was simple thanks to our team physician and a company that provides two free pens to every school that applies with a prescription.  I then found out that a new policy had to be written and be approved by the school board, and an existing policy needed some revamping.
Once in this process, I started to review all of our policies and realized there were some policies I did not know existed and some that needed some updating.  Not being aware of all safety and medical policies is my fault. When I joined this district four years ago, I only asked to review high school policies and the athletic department policies, not those that pertained to the nursing staff or other campuses within the district.  


In most cases this means that a policy, protocol or procedure has been developed, approved, and then upheld in order to stay current with new research and laws.  In the secondary setting, the total number of policies, protocols and laws that must be followed are at times overwhelming, and that list keeps getting longer every academic year.

I found that there were some policies that were written with the school nurses in mind, but not the athletic trainer. This obviously was not a problem, but it showed further that there should be constant communication among all professionals and departments in the district. How can you be compliant and provide best care for all students if you don't know a policy in place? 

We, as medical professionals, must ensure that we are staying current on all policies within our organization as they tend to change more often than our state and national laws.  We should be reviewing all medical policies on a regular basis to ensure that they work for all people responsible for upholding the policy within the organization. It is another opportunity for collaboration throughout. I am grateful for the nursing staff that I work with we try to work with each other to provide the best care for all students.

EpiPen Story: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/texas-boys-death-reignites-debate-over-epipens-schools-4B11194403

-Stephanie Nelson

Remembering All the Aspects of Evidence-Based Practice

I have to give a shout out to my volleyball coaches. They have helped cut down on the amount of volleyball injuries we normally have in one season by simply adding a variety of workouts to their team's practices.  Since taking the job two years ago, they have added in mobility training, yoga, meditation, and probably a few other things that I do not know about.  They required each player to buy their own foam roller over the summer, and they all roll out on a regular basis after practices.  

Other coaches think they are crazy.  I mean, why would you need to do anything besides practice your sport and lift weights, right?  Luckily, I have been able to see all the benefits these changes have produced.  We used to have a variety of upper and lower body injuries we dealt with all year long.  This year I can think of one injury, and it resolved quickly with a little help from our athletic training staff.

This change has helped me see that sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones and try new things.  This summer I attended a session at the NATA Annual Meeting addressing evidence-based practice (EBP).  When I think of EBP, I mostly consider what the research supports.  At the meeting, I was reminded EBP is not just what is supported by original research; it also factors in the clinician’s own knowledge and experience, along with the patient’s goals and values.

Before I may have joined in with the other coaches, thinking our volleyball coach was doing some crazy stuff.  There probably is not a lot of research out there correlating the specific combination of activities my volleyball coaches use with a decrease in team injuries.  However, I have seen the outcomes and I have observed the improved quality of life my players have now. That alone is evidence in my evidence based practice.  Could it be coincidence? Sure, but I’m going to support my coaches new additions to practice, until I am proved otherwise.

Even though I am a young professional, I still find myself get stuck in my ways, but, thanks to my volleyball coaches and a NATA Annual Meeting session this summer, I have been open to trying new things.  We, as health care professionals, should be anxious to learn and try new methods.  Instead of doing what we have always done, let’s be willing to apply our EBP methods and add a little creativity in order to achieve better outcomes for our athletes!

-Shaya Hancock

Life Balance As A GA

Good Afternoon America! I hope all is well and the Fall semester has been good to you. Football season is going strong (Go Baylor Bears!) and midterm exams are on the horizon (yikes!). For the majority of young professionals out there, you have some stories of when you were a graduate assistant. I hear from a good number of “seasoned” ATCs about how “back in the day” they covered all types of sporting events AND worked their way through graduate school. For those who were able to navigate the waters of being a GA without any hiccups, I salute you. For the rest of us who had a nice “adjustment period” before they got it perfect, I also salute you. 

Being a GA in the current workforce is tough. Graduate school work is tougher than it ever has been. The profession is in a transition period. Collegiate athletics is a booming business where universities are measured on the success of their athletic programs. It’s bananas.

My path to being a Graduate Assistant at Baylor University began at the University of Texas at Arlington. I was a 400m Hurdler for a year and then began working on my degree as an athletic trainer. I interned my senior year at Southern Methodist University and got motivated to continue my education as a graduate assistant. I ultimately chose Baylor because of the program I was working for (shout out to Baylor Track and Field) and the Christian atmosphere. I have had a blast working as a GA with multiple sports and adding more skills to my skill-set. I also had the opportunity to go to Puerto Rico this summer to work for the United States Virgin Island Basketball Federation for their U17 team. Huge blessing.

So…to the good stuff…during my time as a GA I have found some tricks that have allowed me to balance all of the duties associated with current GA positions. Now…(imagine I’m sounding like Dr. Phil when I say this)…if you follow these 10 steps, I promise you will ease into the real world much more efficiently, have a greater overall experience, and actually ENJOY being a GA (yes…it can happen).

1. Get to know your full time athletic training staff and coaching staff. Actually ask about their careers and what they like to do. These relationships will add the “human touch” to your time at your respectable university.

2.  Get a planner. If you don’t have one yet, go ahead and make the trip to Walmart and get one. It will change your life. Adding all practice times and dates in one place will allow you to not be caught off guard.

3.  At the beginning of each semester, add your syllabi to your planner. REMEMBER: YOU ARE HERE TO GET A DEGREE AAAAAAAAAND WORK A SPORT ASSIGNMENT. Don’t underestimate the time you’ll need to get homework done. Keeping all assignments and exam dates in one place will keep you on track.

4. Take things one day at a time. Don’t get too caught up in everything going on around you. Focus on what you have to do one day at a time. I look at things in weeks. Each Monday, I sit down at an eating establishment of my choice (More times than not it’s fast food. Ballin’ on a budget.), and I see what I have to do that day and what is on the horizon that week.

5. Create your own routine. For instance, Monday and Tuesday are homework nights. Wednesday is “Career Night” where I sit down and work on career building items. I will look up something I want to learn and integrate to my practice or read a book that will motivate me to do more in the workplace. Thursday night is “Hoop Night”. I’m in our gym doing my best Kobe Bryant impression (no Achilles jokes people). Friday night is “Social Night”. No books, no homework, no work. Just hanging out with friends and family. By establishing a consistent routine each week, you give your week balance and feel more at ease with all of the craziness going on.

6. WORK OUT (begins playing LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It”). Don’t forget to take care of your body. The pounds add on as we get more busy in our jobs. Athletic trainers usually eat horribly as well (I’m guilty). Try to get 3 workout sessions in a week. It will make you happier and gives you a stress release.

7.  Reach out to other professionals for guidance. Be sure to tap into those who have done what you are looking to do. This gives you wisdom in how you can navigate your career and GA time.

8.  Jam out! Find some music that can relax you while you’re in the athletic training room. I’m a huge Christian Hip-Hop fan, so I’ve been playing Lecrae and Trip Lee any chance I can. Music helps keep you relaxed and is a nice topic of discussion with your athletes.

9.  Go out to other sporting events. I work track and field/cross country and baseball. Whenever I get the chance, I go out to our volleyball and football games to support my university and have fun with friends (Dressed in normal human clothes. No khakis.).

10.   HAVE FUN!!  This is the beginning of an amazing part of your career. Make the most of it. Be encouraged. Two years passes faster than you think. Enjoy the people, enjoy your teams, enjoy your job and I promise you, it will all pay off. 

-Roger Sancho

It's Award Season!

No, I'm not talking about that Award Season, but nominations are now open for the athletic training world's version of the Grammys.

ATs, in general, have a problem with patting ourselves on the back. The Honors and Awards Reception held annually at the SWATA meeting is one of the few times our profession gathers to acknowledge the excellence of our colleagues.

As athletic trainers, hard work is a given, and excellence and professionalism among our health care peers is on the rise. ATs who go above and beyond this norm, deserve to be honored for doing so. I have never fully agreed with the old school motto that "athletic trainers should be seen and never heard," but I definitely don't agree with that when it comes to our own awards. Let them be heard!

Everyone knows someone who is great at their job, and now would be the time to nominate that athletic trainer for an award that recognizes greatness in the profession. I challenge everyone to nominate one person for one of the six SWATA awards. It doesn't take that much time. It doesn't require that much effort. It is easy to do! Don't let your favorite AT stand in the background; bring them to the stage to honor their commitment to our profession.

Deadlines to submit nomination packets to the Honors and Awards Committee is November 15. All nomination packets can be found on SWATA.org

-Tiffany McGuffin

Do you hear what I hear?

On my first day of Fall football practice, there was a different atmosphere on the field as music played in the background. I thought this was just something to kick off the start of the season, to get the athletes pumped up,but as practiced progressed through the week, the music stayed. Music has now become an essential element in my teams' workouts.

Whether at they gym or in a spinning class,  the mood of the workout is typically set by the kind of music playing. Every team out there has a game day warm-up playlist to get kids hyped up. Some colleges and universities who once only played music during their team stretching and warm-ups have now started to incorporate it throughout the duration of practice. Now some high school coaches are jumping on the bandwagon.

Coaches believe that by adding music to practice, they are producing an environment much like what the athletes will see on a game day. They hope that the music will boost productivity and increase the athletes' focus. The athletes also enjoy having music while they practice because it gets them pumped up between plays and reps on the football field. Another reason some coaches have added music to practice is because their athletes need to get used to their coaches signing the plays since some teams run a no-huddle offense and they have to rely on watching the signals that are being used.  After several weeks of football practices with music in the background, our coaches and athletes feel like there is a more positive work environment and a good tempo out at practice. All the while accomplishing the necessary tasks to prepare for the big game at the end of the week.

Could this be a growing trend? I'm not sure, but I'm enjoying it.

--Kristin Salinas

In case our last post wasn't convincing enough...

Let the BOC fill you in!

http://www.bocatc.org/blog/uncategorized/npi-numbers-essential-for-all-healthcare-providers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BoardOfCertificationInc+%28Board+of+Certification%2C+Inc.%29

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