Transition to Practice Program - Certified Athletic Trainer; ATC

The Bates Sports Medicine Department and Central Maine Healthcare have designed an eleven-month Transition to Practice program to offer newly credentialed athletic training professionals an opportunity to broaden and enhance their clinical and professional skills as they continue to develop their practice. The program will allow the newly certified athletic trainer to meet these goals through:

• Collaborative care with a staff athletic trainer for at least one Division III intercollegiate athletic team with opportunities to provide care for student-athletes from 31 varsity programs with a focus on contact collision sport.
• Direct care of patients in an orthopedic practice within Central Maine Healthcare.
• Fulfillment of administrative responsibilities as assigned by Associate Director of Athletics
  - Performance and Sports Medicine.
• Mentorship from Athletic Training Transition to Practice Program Director as well as other staff athletic trainers and staff at CMHC.
• Obtaining certification as an Orthopedic Physician Extender Certification through the National Board for Certification in the Orthopedic Specialties.
• Continued professional development through the delivery of four evidence-based presentations to colleagues.

The Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) supports intercollegiate athletics and is responsible for the care and wellbeing of student-athletes through the provision of athletic training services including testing, evaluation, assignment of training regimens, and treatment of injuries, rehabilitation and medical referrals. The ATC works directly with student-athletes to provide care, education, counseling, evaluation, treatment and rehab of athletic injuries and illnesses both on campus and at game venues.

The ATC must follow the athletic philosophy consistent with that of the Bates Athletic Department, NESCAC and NCAA. The Office of Athletic Performance celebrates and honors difference, engages students of all backgrounds and strives to ensure accessible services for all student-athletes.

Under Maine 3477. Person Mandated to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation, the Certified Athletic Trainer is a mandated reporter of known or suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult if they believe the adult is incapacitated or dependent.

Under Maine 4011-A. Reporting of suspected abuse or neglect, the law also states that certain people, like an Athletic Trainer, must report to the Department of Health and Human Services, Child Protection if they know or have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected.

Prevention of Athletic Injuries

• Works collaboratively with Bates Health Services to review pre-participation sport physicals to screen for orthopedic problems or issues that could/may affect the student–athletes safe participation.
• Provides injury prevention measures such as appliances, braces and devices for control of joint motion and limb protections.
• Ensures proper equipment use and fitting such as helmets, shoulder pads, braces, mouth pieces. The use of tape or wraps.
• May assist in the selection and fitting of protective equipment.

Evaluation

• Evaluates athletic injuries through a subjective history, objective findings through observation, palpation, special tests, manual muscle testing and range of motion tests.
• Formulates assessments and executes plans of action that best aid/fit student–athletes’ health needs and determines student-athletes’ safe return to sport participation.
• Collaborates with the team physician to utilize concussion assessment tool(s) in determining the safe return of a concussed student-athlete.

Treatment/Rehabilitation

• Uses discretion in designing and developing treatment or reconditioning/rehab plans of athletic injuries.
• Uses treatment modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, hydrotherapy and therapeutic exercise.
• Recognizes and manipulates conditions which require special taping, bracing, padding, either preventative or rehabilitative.
• Refers student-athletes to external medical care based on student-athletes’ needs following the evaluation and assessment of…