This year’s theme “A Safer Approach to Work, Life and Sport”
ATI Physical Therapy, one of the nation’s largest employers of certified athletic trainers, is celebrating National Athletic Training Month. Each year, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association dedicates the month of March to bringing information and awareness to the role of certified athletic trainers. This year’s theme “A Safer Approach to Work, Life and Sport” highlights the diverse role athletic trainers play.
On the playing field, ATI provides athletic coverage and support for more than 200 high school collegiate, club and professional teams. ATI’s athletic trainers work at helping to prevent, evaluate, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate injuries.
“When people hear the word ‘athletic trainer’ they may they think only of sports and athletic rehabilitation,” says Jason Pequette, senior director of sports medicine at ATI Physical Therapy. “While athletic trainers in schools and athletic teams account for the majority of our staff, their unique expertise is needed in multiple health care related fields. Each year, our team looks forward to this month to celebrate their profession and share its importance.”
In the clinic setting, athletic trainers help the “industrial athletes” via ATI’s trademarked F.I.R.S.T.™ (Functional Integration of Rehabilitation and Strength Training) work conditioning program. Using a sports performance-based methodology, they safely return injured workers back to their workplace following therapy. As Physician Extenders, they support physicians in their office setting and help improve productivity, patient outcomes and satisfaction. Athletic trainers utilize their skills in triage, performing evaluations, providing instruction on exercise prescriptions, rehabilitation and general patient education.
On the job site, ATI’s Worksite Solutions provides athletic trainers to industry partners to “coach” employees at their work site. Through onsite education and early intervention, they encourage overall wellness, plus help prevent, assess and rehabilitate injuries.
Athletic trainers are considered allied health care professionals, and must meet qualifications set by the Board of Certification, Inc., and the state licensing board. They coordinate care under the direction of a physician and other health care professionals, and are members of a health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association.
In celebration, and to give back to the communities they serve, ATI’s athletic training team will be hosting a food drive in the schools, colleges and organizations where we provide services to support local area food banks. Additionally, the team will distribute information on athletic training to affiliates, create bulletin board postings at worksites, local schools, clubs and at ATI Physical Therapy clinics, plus provide useful health tips via ATI’s Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the month.
For more information about the athletic training profession, visit the National Athletic Trainers’ Association website at www.NATA.org. For more information about ATI Physical Therapy and the services provided by its athletic trainers, please visit ATIpt.com.