Transcript A Day In the Life of an Certified Athletic Trainer…

A Day in the Life of a
Certified Athletic Trainer…
City
Government
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Gary Porter, MS, ATC, CEAS has
made a career as a full-time athletic trainer with the city of
Gainesville, Florida. With Porter on staff, Gainesville has
successfully contained health care costs, an achievement that
few other municipalities can claim. Porter hopes that in the
future, other self-insured municipalities will see the benefits
of having a full-time athletic trainer on staff. He also hopes
other athletic trainers will note the benefits of educating and
promoting athletic training services to the
thousands of municipalities worldwide.
© 2008 ©
National
2009 National
Athletic Athletic
Trainers’
Trainers’
Association
Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
I am an Athletic Trainer Working in
City Government
NAME:

Gary K. Porter, Jr.
CREDENTIALS:

MS, ATC, CEAS
JOB TITLE:

Athletic Trainer
EMPLOYED BY:

City of Gainesville
JOB LOCATION:

Gainesville, Florida
NATA NOTE:
NATA has an estimated 300+
members working in
Government/Law/Military
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
City Government Athletic Trainer:
Job Description
NATURE OF WORK

Responsible for promoting general
wellness for all active and retired
government employees and their spouses

Identifying, preventing, assessing,
managing and rehabilitating orthopedic
injuries
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
City Athletic Trainer:
Minimum Requirements

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or
university with major course work in athletic training or
related field

Three years experience in occupational health, health care,
health education, related area such as industrial
environment or an equivalent combination of education and
experience which provide required ability, knowledge and
skills

Knowledge of industrial athletic training and occupational
health care programs

Knowledge of ergonomic and safety issues. Also the ability
to perform physical fitness assessments
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Specialized Requirements…

Knowledge and ability to plan, implement and evaluate
rehabilitation treatment plans

Familiarity and ability to properly manage orthopedic injuries

Knowledge of applicable local, state and federal ordinances,
laws and statutes related to occupational health

Comprehension of computers and relevant software

Capacity to teach and/or perform seminars and workshops

Ability to work effectively with elected officials, charter officers,
department heads, representatives of other agencies, other
city employees and general public

Ability to communicate effectively both orally and
in writing
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
City of Gainesville: An Overview

In business since 1869

The City of Gainesville started
as a railroad town

City government provided basic
services to their constituents at
that time

Population today is ~ 120,000
residents

Health and wellness programs
under the Department of Risk
Management
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
City of Gainesville: Products/Services

Specializes in providing public
services to approximately 120,000
people

LifeQuest is the City Health
Program and my direct employer

Examples of city services include
– Utilities
– Police
– Bus drivers
– Fire protection
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
City of Gainesville: Staff

2,200 employees

1 certified athletic trainer
NATA Note:
This population ratio is very
similar to an athletic trainer
working in secondary schools.
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
LIFE QUEST - The Solution to City Health

Launched in 1992 in response to
escalating health care costs
–


Placed within the city’s Risk
Management Department for the
purpose of identifying employee
needs and health issues through
frequency of health insurance
claims and workers’ compensation
claims

Multi-phased program for all city
employees, retirees and their
dependents

Programs offered through
LifeQuest
– Diet and nutrition workshops
– One-on-one counseling
– Smoking cessation programs
– Health screenings
– Seminars on health related
issues
– Physical fitness programs in
and outside of the gym
Full-Time Athletic Trainer was
added in 2004
Current Staff
– 1 Registered Dietician
– 1 Certified Athletic Trainer
– 1 Wellness Specialist
– 3 Nurses
– 1 Safety Specialist

Mission of LifeQuest: Reduce
health care costs through positive
life style changes

Treating each employee as an
"Occupational Athlete.” The City of
Gainesville designs training
programs tailored to the challenges
faced by each individual

LifeQuest is the City’s wellness
program designed to help
employees take charge of their own
health care
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
City of Gainesville/ LifeQuest: Patients

THE PEOPLE I TREAT:
– Police
– Fire/rescue workers
– Utility personnel
– Bus drivers
– Office workers, etc.

PATIENT AGE RANGE
20’s – 50’s

MOST COMMON INJURIES
Back and shoulder injuries
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
A Day in the Life of a City Government
Athletic Trainer
TYPICAL SCHEDULE FOR MY JOB:

Monday – Friday

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
No on-call

No weekends
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Educational Background
MY ATHLETIC TRAINING EXPERIENCE :
PROFESSIONAL LEVEL
–
Bachelor’s in Exercise and Sports
Science
(University of Florida)
–
Master’s in Exercise and Sports
Science
(University of Florida)
–
Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC)
–
Certified Ergonomic Assessment
Specialist (CEAS)
-CEAS is a certification that states the
participant is able to perform office and
industrial/manufacturing ergonomics
analyses using the OSHA Ergonomics
Guidelines.
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
A Day in the Life of a City Government
Athletic Trainer

SALARY RANGE:
–

$42,000 - $60,900
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS:
–
Health, dental and vision insurance
–
Retirement investment plan
–
Pension Plan
–
Continuing education/job development
training
–
Sick time
–
Paid vacation
NATA Note:
The average salary for NATA members
working in Government/Law Enforcement is:
$50,716
( NATA 2005 Salary Survey)
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
My Career Path
“I ended up working in this setting
because of an internship through the
University of Florida. The City of
Gainesville saw the value in
what I as doing as an intern and
decided to create a permanent, full
time athletic training position.
“Opportunities for growth and to
create my own career
path enticed me.”
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Employer Testimonial
“An Athletic Trainer helps provide a
better economic position to contain
health care costs, workers’ comp
claims, complement wellness
initiatives, provide an employee
benefit and help return employees to
work quicker.”
-Dick Gober, Group Benefits Manager
Dick Gober
Group Benefits Manager
City of Gainesville
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Daily Duties: Morning
MORNING DUTIES:

Injury assessments
–

2 hours
Injury rehabilitations
–
3-4 in the morning

Injury management

Injury prevention

Patient education
workshops are several
times per month
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Anatomy of a Rehabilitation

DURATION
50-60 minutes

COST
Free to Employee

STRUCTURE:
Personalized

TYPICAL TREATMENTS
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
US
MHP
TENS
CP
Massage
Joint Mobilizations
1:1 PNF, PROM
Stretching, strengthening, stabilization
Proprioceptive training
Gait training
Functional progression
PT education
HEP
Etc.
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Daily Duties: Afternoon
MY AFTERNOON DUTIES INCLUDE

Injury rehabilitations
– 2-4 cases in the afternoon

Ergonomic assessments

Fitness assessments

Getting out into the field
–
Visit various stations/departments for
marketing purposes or to introduce service
recruits and new employees
–
Make referrals to wellness specialist for
exercise programs and classes
–
Encourage workers to see nurses for yearly
blood work or glucose testing
–
Take note of injury trends and
apprise the safety specialist
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Daily Duties- Evening

We do not generally work
evenings

A couple of times per year I will
assist with evening wellness
conferences
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Other Duties As
Assigned

Health assessment testing
is done for the police and
firefighters once a year

Major teamwork is required
among nurses, wellness
personnel, athletic trainer
and assistants
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Essential Skill Sets

People skills

Decision making skills

Business basics

Ergonomics

Public relations

General health/wellness
consulting

Solid injury assessment,
injury care and injury
management skills
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Helpful Continuing
Education:

WHAT:
Certification as an ergonomics
assessment specialist (CEAS)

OBTAINED FROM:
The Back School of Atlanta

PURPOSE:
– Gives you the tools to help
with your injury prevention
efforts
–
Helps me create a better
environment for my patients
as they return to work
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
The Issues and Opportunities
Facing Me:

Issue: Lack of awareness of what an athletic trainer is
–
Opportunity: Explain that athletic trainers are
musculoskeletal specialists in injury prevention,
assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. In this job, I go
beyond the entry-level requirements and provide
wellness services and business support.

Issue: Patient doesn’t know the difference between an athletic
trainer and personal trainer
–
Opportunity: Explain the educational requirements and
clinical skills and abilities of athletic trainers. Explain
that athletic trainers are health care professionals and
personal trainers are fitness specialists.

Issue: The term athletic trainer confuses people
–
Opportunity: Explain how the profession has evolved in
the past 50 years and why our skills are ideal for working
with city and emergency workers. Explain how the
injuries of athletes are very similar to the injures of
working people.

GROWTH ISSUES:
Currently I am responsible for 2,200 active employees, but we do
not have the space to care for retirees and spouses. We need a
larger office space in order to have room for a larger athletic training
staff and patient load.
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Quality of
Life
Working in this emerging setting
gives me ample time to
enjoy time with family and friends.
I’m able to travel, go boating,
SCUBA, go to the beach on the
weekends. At night, I like to
workout, read, grill out or cook
dinner. I’m always working on
professional development and
growth in my spare time.
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Things I’ve Learned:
Experience I have gained…

General business planning

New and specialized
health services

Risk management and HR
© 2008
2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Key Resources to Learn More!

Ergonomics Plus web-site:
www.ergo-plus.com
- You’ll learn how to calculate return on investment.
- You’ll learn about cost savings and profit margins.
- (Ergo Plus was founded by an AT)

Go to www.cityofgainesville.org and scroll to
LifeQuest
-LifeQuest is a health & wellness initiative designed to
reduce employee healthcare costs.
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Learn more at www.nata.org
Visit Career Development Resources on
NATA Web site and find:
- Videos
- Brochures
- PowerPoint Presentations
- Studies
- Marketing Materials
- Advisors to assist with your specific questions
*NATA members only section
Visit Career Development Resources TODAY
http://www.nata.org/members1/CareerDevelopment/index.cfm
© 2008© National
Athletic
Trainers’
Association
2009 National
Athletic
Trainers’
Association
www.nata.org
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
(800)TRY-NATA
For more information about Athletic Trainers
working in city government:

Contact the NATA National Office Staff:
Kathryn Ayres, PR and Marketing Coordinator
[email protected] | 800-879-6282 ext. 138

Write to Gary Porter, City of Gainesville
[email protected]
© 2009 National Athletic Trainers’ Association
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
Looking for a job?
Want to hire an athletic trainer?
www.nata.org/careercenter
Visit the NATA Career Center today and find resources to help you find a job or
hire an athletic trainer.
© 2008 ©
National
Athletic
Trainers’
Association
2009 National
Athletic
Trainers’
Association
www.nata.org
www.nata.org
(800)TRY-NATA
(800)TRY-NATA