NATA Now

With a greater emphasis placed in recent years on evidence-based medicine and value-based services at reasonable costs, NATA has launched a project to illustrate the value of employing athletic trainers as rehabilitation specialists in the clinical and hospital settings, particularly among the Medicare patient population.

Athletic training is not a stagnant profession. The people drawn into the profession are naturally movers, innovators and forward thinkers – so it’s no surprise that a profession full of people on the move is constantly moving. As athletic trainers become globally recognized health care providers, many settings want to capture the skills and expertise ATs bring. One of these settings is free-standing orthopedic urgent care clinics.

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act as part of a larger Health Savings Account bill package (H.R. 6199) by a vote of 277 to 142. The bill now awaits Senate action. 

By Marty Matney, MBA, LAT, ATC, Chair, Council on Practice Advancement

At NATA 2018, NATA launched the At Your Own Risk Share Your Story campaign. Share Your Story is an advocacy content campaign that features interviews with influential athletes, coaches and sports medicine specialists discussing various topics related to sports and safety. Participants like Kobe Bryant, Dr.

An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a document that all ATs should create for their workplace.  After reviewing and updating your venue-specific EAPs, set up a meeting with your administrators and coaches to ensure that everyone knows the plan in case of an emergency.  For more information about EAPs read NATA Position Statement: Emergency Planning in Athletics and

The July NATA News is all about nutrition and its important role in athlete health and well-being. Often times, there are questions about what to eat prior to, during and after activities. To help answer this question, NATA and SCAN teamed up to create the Nutrition Clock infographic handout.

Something rather rare happened Thursday, June 28, during the 69th NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo: All 13 living NATA presidents came together for the Hall of Fame Breakfast – including outgoing NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC, and incoming NATA President Tory Lindley, MA, ATC.

Photo Caption: NATA International Committee Chair Brian Zeller, PhD, ATC, presents Yoshizumi "Happy" Iwasaki, ATC, with the 2018 International Service Award Thursday, June 28.

Photo caption: New District Directors Craig Voll Jr., PhD, LAT, ATC, District Four; Lyn Nakagawa, MS, ATC, CSCS, District Eight; Diane Sartanowicz, MS, LAT, ATC, District One; and David Gallegos, MA, ATC, Cert. MDT, District Seven.