NATA Updates Bylaws
The NATA Board of Directors approved a series of bylaw updates during its Aug. 25 meeting.
These updates are substantive changes, which were submitted to each of the districts’ annual business meetings after an initial board approval. Each bylaw then had to be approved by at least two-thirds of the NATA’s districts before being resubmitted to the board for final approval. After receiving final board approval, the new bylaws went into effect immediately.
Opportunities Continue to Grow for ATs in the Military
Musckuloskeletal (MSK) injuries are the single largest impediment to operational readiness in the military setting. Over 600,000 services members sustain a MSK each year, resulting in over 2.2 million medical encounters. 1-3 Along with the impact on readiness, MSK are the largest contributor to time loss and account for over $550 million in direct care patient costs per year.
Relative Value Unit for the Athletic Trainer
Sean Burfeind, MS, ATC, OTC and JJ Wetherington, MS, ATC, OTC, members of the NATA Committee on Practice Advancement Physician Practice Workgroup, have put together an informative document about Relative Value Units (RVUs) for athletic trainers working in the physician practice setting.
This resource defines RVUs, explains how they are used in physician practices and discusses how they are relevant to ATs. Download the PDF to read the full document.
December Legislative Update
Here is the December update from our Government Affairs department
Federal Legislation and Regulation
- H.R. 921: The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act, has 103 co-sponsors, and the Senate version, S. 689, has seven co-sponsors.
- H.R. 829: The SAFE PLAY Act, has 43 co-sponsors, and the Senate version, S. 436, has one co-sponsor.
- H.Res. 112: The Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights, has 34 co-sponsors, and S. Res. 83 has one co-sponsor.
Building Relationships With Your Local EMS
by Denise Alosa, MS, ATC
One of the most important work relationships you can foster as a secondary school athletic trainer is that of your local EMS team. You do not want the first time you meet your EMS squad to be while you are standing over an injured athlete. Take the time to connect with them regularly, and it will make those interactions on the field go smoothly.
Your Own Sports Medicine Conference
by Dale Grooms, ATC
Have you ever thought of hosting your own Sports Medicine Conference? It can be a lot of work, but is well worth the effort. These local CEU events are an excellent opportunity to create low cost, yet effective, learning opportunities for your local athletic trainers and develop deeper professional relationships with them. These relationships are not only fostered within the athletic training community, but also enhance the relationships between other professional within the medical community.
Degree Transition Webinar Series, Lesson 1
The Executive Committee for Education has started a series of webinars to answer questions members raised regarding the degree transition. Here is the first video:
Degree Transition Considerations and Programmatic Self-Assessment
Tommy John Handout
Spring will be here before you know it, and with it will comes baseball season. Because the sport consists of so many repetitive motions, overuse injuries are a risk, even for young athletes. To help you educate your athletes and community on this issue, NATA has created a Tommy John Handout (pdf), found on p. 46 of the January NATA News.
Shelley Tims Joins the NATA Foundation
AT Spotlight: Adam Quigley
In the January NATA News, Adam Quigley, ATC, SCAT, a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, shared how an internship with the University of Arizona football team during his undergraduate studies opened his eyes to a world of possibility.