By Marty Matney, MBA, LAT, ATC, Chair, Council on Practice Advancement
The NATA Board of Directors approved a proposal for reorganizing the Committee on Practice Advancement and moving it to the Council on Practice Advancement (COPA) at the Board of Directors meeting in New Orleans in June. The new council is situated to better serve the NATA membership long term. It will address and support the many diverse job settings within athletic training, and it is positioned to offer the full support of NATA as we continue to see growth and opportunities as more employers realize the benefits ATs bring to their companies.
The Council On Practice Advancement (COPA) has established ten sub-committees:
- Physician Practice
- Performing Arts
- Health Care Administration
- Occupational
- Armed Forces
- Public Safety
- Rehabilitation Clinic
- Community Outreach
- Private and Emerging Setting
- Analytics and Outcomes
COPA has long supported the Physician Practice, Performing Arts, Health Care Administration, Occupational/Industrial, Military and Public Safety settings, and these will continue to be supported in the council. By adding sub-committees for Rehabilitation Clinic, Community Outreach, Private and Emerging Settings and Analytics and Outcomes, COPA can better represent these settings that have seen a significant growth during the past several years.
The Rehabilitation sub-committee will represent ATs who are employed in rehabilitation settings, some of which may be employed in clinics or working directly with other rehabilitation practitioners.
Community Outreach supports ATs employed in activities most commonly found in communities. Examples include hospital/clinic outreach, youth sports, club sports, fundraising events/tournaments and large events requiring athletic trainers to provide health care services. ATs involved in per diem services (for example, using the app provided by NATA Preffered Provider Go4Ellis) will be represented by this sub-committee.
Private and Emerging Settings will work with athletic trainers who may be private business owners, be it rehabilitation clinics, gyms, marketing, durable medical equipment (DME), event coverage programs, per diem employment, consulting or other forms of private business. This group includes ATs who are working in hospital emergency departments and urgent care facilities. This sub-committee also supports ATs who are exploring new opportunities that, as of yet, are unrealized.
Analytics and Outcomes is a group to help guide other groups, particularly the other COPA sub-committees, in research, data analysis and reporting. This group does not address analytics and outcomes from a revenue-generating aspect, but from a stakeholder-provider standpoint for job/setting growth. In addition, this group will be available to assist in analyzing issues such as regulatory concerns, demographics and market trends to help create and expand opportunities in the athletic training profession.
As before the re-organization, the Armed Forces sub-committee will address concerns and opportunities in the military settings. This includes Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.
The Health Care Administration sub-committee represents ATs who are employed in administrative or management positions in the health care industry. This may include, but is not limited to, physician practice managers, managers and administrators in a hospital or hospital groups, clinic and clinic groups, pharmaceuticals, HMOs, ACOs and insurance carriers.
The Occupational sub-committee represents athletic trainers who are employed or seeking employment in the industrial and occupational setting.
The Performing Arts sub-committee works with athletic trainers in theater, dance, music and entertainment to including, but not limited to, acrobatics, circus, wrestling, music, theater, movies and television.
The Physician Practice sub-committee works with athletic trainers working in physician practice as clinical staff, operating room technicians and primary rehabilitation under a physician, among others.
The Public Safety sub-committee will address concerns and opportunities in the public safety setting to include police, firefighter, federal, state and local law enforcement (for example FBI, DEA, Homeland Security) and wilderness fire and rescue personnel.
The NATA Council on Practice Advancement is excited for this opportunity to better represent a wide range of our membership and provide the resources NATA can offer to ATs well into the future. We see this as an occasion to develop the professional practice that is athletic training and to create opportunities for growth throughout the profession. For more information and to stay connected, connect with COPA through our vibrant social media sites:
- NATA COPA site
- COPA on Facebook
- Facebook Live interviews
- COPA on Twitter
- COPA LinkedIn group
- Contact COPA
