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Confidence becomes resilience when a worker becomes an athlete. | CEO of CIP Solutions, LLC
Yesterday, a fellow athletic trainer asked me what one thing ATs should do to advance our position in the healthcare system. I thought of 3 that we can do right now. Here are my thoughts: 1. Treat everyone. Whether it's a star football player, freshman cheerleader, band member, PE kid, or booster parent, you are part of your community’s ecosystem. I once supported a theater workshop for our school drama club because I was the only one available with medical training. As the gateway to the healthcare system, you may not be the right person they need, but you are the first. Refer them if need be; treat them otherwise. 2. Understand that cash is king. I've heard it so many time before—we long for the day when we will be able to “bill for our services.” Guess what: we've always been able to bill for our services. The question is whether insurance companies will reimburse us. Lobbying insurance companies to include our profession as a reimbursable entity is completely misunderstanding how supply and demand works. We need to create the demand first by winning the hearts and minds of the public and letting the subscribers lobby their own insurance companies. 3. Start benchmarking higher-level providers. While we overlap with PT and OT in rehabilitation, we are different in three key ways. Our profession emphasizes prevention and emergency care. We tend to have a much closer relationship with our supervising physician. We come to clinical diagnoses that we discuss with our supervising physician and treat according to our standing orders. To that end, we need to start benchmarking and collaborating with physician assistants and nurse practitioners. What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree? Do you share our belief that #AthleticTrainingIsForEveryone? What would you like to see improved?
My 2 pennies: AT Education is NOT focused on prevention. It is focused on Injury assessment. I had one class that was combined biomechanics and kinesiology. A full semester biomechanics course, full.semester kinesiology course that discusses not just how muscles function, but more on how different movements stress muscles and how that leads to injury, course along with an introductory ergonomics course (more and more ATs work in industrial setting, fit job to worker not worker to thr job) would truly make them experts at preventing injuries. "Differential diagnosis" was the majority If my education and while important I cannot say that makes me an expert at prevention.
John Lopez
3mo
In my opinion, we need to continue the march to more affordable health care AND no one does it better than we do. Thanks for sharing! Hope you are well.
Jesse Totoro
3mo
Spot on Jeremy! That is why our profession is so successful in the industrial setting due to the prevention factor! Plus at school I interact and have treated just about every kind of staff member we have!
David Gallegos
3mo
Strong perspectives come from deep reflection. Your post demonstrates that well. Thanks!
John Henderson
3mo
Yes. #2!!!
Head Athletic Trainer at Johnson Central High School
2moI think your second point says it most. Sports drive dollars at the collegiate level. We are with the student-athletes for most of their collegiate career with the focus of athlete safety. We mitigate the risks of catastrophic injury for the university. In turn, we help to protect schools from litigation, especially if care were not available. Yet with that being said for most, at all levels of sports, Athletic Trainers are paid pennies on the dollar. Why is it those who protect and prolong athlete careers, cannot receive a wage that reflects the care associated with the work? We have to continue to advocate for the profession. If not, I’m afraid the Athletic Trainer may become a dying breed.