Brattleboro Memorial Hospital - Athletic Trainer Makes Sports Safer for Student-Athletes

What is it?

In an effort to make sports safer for student-athletes, the hospital is providing a certified athletic trainer (ATC) at Brattleboro Union High School (BUHS) to manage and prevent athletic injuries. The program is a cooperative effort of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH), BUHS, and Cheshire Medical Center. BMH assumes the cost of the licensed athletic trainer's salary and benefits as part of the hospital's Sports Medicine Program. Cheshire's Sports Medicine Program provides educational support to the school's trainer.

Who is it for?

Student-athletes at BUHS.

Why do they do it?

The goal is to provide on-site care for both acute and chronic injuries that may occur during home games or practices, and to create the best environment for student-athletes that enables them to return to their sport quickly and safely.

Impact

The athletic trainer sees an average of 25 patients in the high school clinic each day. That's potentially 25 patient visits to the emergency department (ED), a family physician or other specialist averted. While some of these patients require further care, in many instances, the athletic trainer provides the top-quality sports care needed without incurring the high cost of health care administered in the ED.

Contact: Dawn Weening
Adult Outreach and Education Coordinator
Telephone: 802-847-1624
E-mail: dawn.weening@vtmednet.org