NATA MONTH

March is National Athletic Trainers' Month. The theme this year is Quality Health Care and Wellness. Certified athletic trainers have been working hard to make sure everyone has access to athletic training services as well as protecting our name and profession. This year both the states of Montana and Wyoming are passing a licensure bill that would allow certified athletic trainers to become licensed professionals. This will let us bill insurance for services provided by a certified athletic trainer as well as prevent uncertified/licensed people from practicing as an athletic trainer. On the national level we are also passing a bill that will let us treat those patients who have medicare. There is a large population who is not able to receive athletic training services due to medicare restrictions, especially from those certified athletic trainers who are working as physician extenders. Our profession has been working hard and making great progress in athletic training.

What is an athletic trainer? Certified athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in preventing, recognizing, managing and rehabilitating injuries that result from physical activity. As part of a complete health care team, the certified athletic trainer works under the direction of a licensed physician and in cooperation with other allied health care professionals, athletic adminstrators, coaches and parents.

In the photos (which I don't know how to properly arrange yet), I have my training room.

I have some very wonderful student athletic trainers who have helped me this season. Erica and Maggie are high school students who are working with boys and girls basketball respecitivly. Jessica is a college student working on her hours to become a certified athletic trainer. I would love to give a big shout out to the Braves as the boys and girls both won tonight and will be advancing to state!

Maggie Erica and Jessica