Athletic Trainers Highlighted for Service

At Southcoast, March is a special month for our 17 Athletic Trainers. It is National Athletic Training Month!

Southcoast Athletic Trainers serve many roles. They are also an integral part of our Occupational Health Department, as Injury Prevention Specialists, providing ergonomic evaluations, performing screenings to employees offered positions, and serving on the front lines each day working to prevent employee injuries.

Provided Important Duties during the Pandemic

This past year during the pandemic, they have been deployed to perform many important duties, including entry screening for our hospitals and Urgent Care locations. They have also fit tested nurses, physicians and providers, and medical staff and support services for N-95 masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE). 

The Athletic Trainers have performed over 7,000 fit tests since the pandemic began. The availability of the Athletic Trainers to fit test enabled Southcoast to offer fit testing five days per week throughout the pandemic, a role they continue to fill today. Through fit testing, they assisted in keeping our frontline staff safe throughout the pandemic. 

Demonstrating Unique Skill Sets Every Day

“I’m very proud of the way they responded during the pandemic. As a group they are very versatile and continue to demonstrate their unique skill set every day. They are a valuable part of our Occupational Health Team,” says Kathy Thornton, MS, LAT, CSCS, a Team Leader within the department.

They also provide medical care for 11 area high schools. “In the high school setting, Athletic Trainers, working under the direction of a physician, offer a continuum of care unparalleled in health care,” says Thornton.

In this capacity, they serve thousands of athletes in our service area each year. Chances are if your child plays any high school sport in the region you have encountered or seen a Southcoast Athletic Trainer in action.

Highly Respected for Their Work in the Community

They provide services ranging from injury prevention to immediate care for the injured athlete to rehabilitation of that athlete. They will treat a range of injuries and illnesses such as simple blisters, concussions, cardiac issues, and various orthopedic injuries. And while things are a bit different in the high school setting with COVID, they are still out there providing exceptional care to high school athletes. 

“When I first learned that a group of athletic trainers was being assigned to me, I had no idea what to think. Since then I have learned that they are an incredibly dynamic group that thrives in solving unique business challenges,” says Brad Silverman, Executive Director of Urgent Care & Outpatient Services. “They have successfully integrated into every area of our incredibly matrixed and complex organization. They are highly respected for their work in the community and two of them are the only non-physician or RN members of the state’s concussion task force. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside this incredibly talented group.”

Please say thank you to our athletic trainers, who have worked tirelessly, especially this past year, helping individuals in work, life, and sport.