Industrial Medicine Athletic Trainer

Job Purpose:

The Industrial Medicine Athletic Trainer directs and carries out individualized programs of athletic training services, including assessing and treating impairments, developing and implementing plans of care, and providing education and communication to maximize patient progress. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides patient assessment and care in alignment with the Athletic Training scope of practice.

• Provides employment screenings and other employer services

• Provides assessment and treatment for patients in the work conditioning program

• Assists with Functional Capacity evaluations as needed

• Provides quality, efficient, patient-centered assessments and treatments in alignment with the orders of an approved health care provider.

• Develops and implements a work conditioning plan of care considering the patient’s history, context, and goals

• Effectively documents daily treatments, evaluations, and completion of progress notes to support each patient's individualized plan of care utilizing EMR and other electronic formats; communicates verbally and collaborates with the healthcare team to provide efficient, effective, patient-centered care 

• Ensures safety at discharge and continuation of progress by providing home exercise programs, patient/family/caregiver education and instruction, and recommendations for assistive equipment

• Maintains patient confidence by keeping information confidential, keeping the work environment safe and clean, and adhering to infection control and other safety policies.

• Attends and participates in organizational meetings for communication purposes and process improvement goals.

• Interacts with a friendly demeanor with patients, caregivers and families, physicians, all clinic, therapy and practice staff, DME vendors, and nurse case managers.  

• Administers billing for athletic training services provided per state and federal laws and individual insurance rules.

• Communicates with fellow therapy team, physicians, and administrative staff for scheduling, verification of benefits, managing supplies and equipment, and coordination of patient care.

• Performs light cleaning and sanitizing of areas used during treatments.

• Contributes to the department's development and progress by attending continuing education, assisting with training new hires, mentoring new grads, collaborating with colleagues, and developing protocols.  Also participates in, develops and/or presents on research projects, and specialty-specific round tables.

• Provides input into the processes that occur in the Rehabilitation department.

• Other duties as assigned

Competencies:

• Service:  We align our actions and decision making with the organization’s guiding platform keeping our patients at the center of all we do.

• Change Agent:  We support and contribute to positive change in the organization.

• Communication and Interpersonal Relations:  We communicate honestly and with compassion to build connections with our patients and each other.

• Effectiveness: We take ownership of work, doing the right thing for our customer and doing it well.

Organizational Culture:

All OrthoIllinois employees focus on service by putting the mission, vision, and value statements into practice and using the guiding principles of Compassion, Respect, Trust, Integrity, Innovation, Education Fiscal Responsibility, Practice Independence, Accountability, and Empowerment to direct their interactions and decision making.  Employees promote and model the service standards to create lasting impressions, extraordinary moments, exceptional on-stage experiences, and meaningful and compassionate connections.    

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in athletic training and a valid state license or certification

• CPR certified

Environmental/Working Conditions: 

Working environment is in an office/clinic setting.

Physical/Mental Demands:  

• Stand, walk, sit for extended periods of time

• Sit, stoop, and kneel

• Excellent vision, hearing, smell, and balance

• Requires lifting, carrying, or moving heavier objects (e.g., pushing or pulling up to 100 pounds and lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds)

• Possess full range of motion in shoulders and arms, including reaching above or below the shoulder.

• Finger dexterity, the ability to twist hands/wrists repetitively, pushing/pulling against stiff joints, using a variety of holds; demonstrating exercises, lifting/raising over shoulder height.

• Demonstrate exercises, perform manual therapy, applying modalities; balance for patient guarding and demonstration.

• Vision (e.g., depth perception, color vision, strong vision up close). Rehabilitation staff must be able to watch/observe all patient exercise/movement in order to be able to prevent improper performance and maintain safety. Good vision will also assist in recognizing patients’ non-verbal pain responses.

• Hearing (e.g., high pitch sounds, soft or distant sounds). Rehabilitation staff must be able to hear patients’ potential verbalization of pain in response to care/treatment within (at times) a loud clinic.

• Operates the following: Modalities (e.g., e-stim, NMES, cryotherapy), sharps (scalpels, tweezers, scissors).

This description is intended to provide only basic guidelines for meeting job requirements.  Responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions may change as needs evolve