glata newsletter
Transcription
glata newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1 October 2013 NATA District IV GLATA NEWSLETTER October Message from President: Paul Plummer I hope your fall season is going well. The fall seems to be a very busy time of year, but it is important that we pause to see all of the wonderful opportunities we have been given. I hope that you will take that time as you read through this GLATA Quarterly Newsletter. Your GLATA leadership has been busy working to promote you and the profession of Athletic Training. I am excited about the many great things that continue to be achieved. I am sure you have noticed the change in format of the GLATA Newsletter. We have moved to a quarterly newsletter to more closely match when the GLATA Executive Board meets. Although there is considerable work done between these quarterly meetings, we felt it a better format than filling your inbox with monthly updates. You will get updates on board action, committee activity, as well as learn more about your colleagues. We will also continue to use our social media (Facebook and Twitter) as well as Eblasts for urgent information. If you are not already a member of GLATA social media, we encourage you to join. Be sure to take an active role in remaining up to date on the activities of your profession. As always, approved GLATA meeting minutes are posted on the GLATA website. You can also see specific activity under each committee section of this newsletter. I do want to draw your attention to one item in particular from the June GLATA EB meeting. It has been an ongoing priority to find ways for the GLATA to enhance its ability to be a resource to the state associations. The Finance Committee and the Executive Board have found another way to assist the State Associations financially in their advocacy for you. We made some changes to our Finance Committee Policies and Procedures regarding our budgeting and investment strategies. I encourage you to read a letter that I sent to your State Presidents (under “Current News”) back in June. If hope you already have the 2014 GLATA Annual Meeting on your calendar, but if not please review the Education Section and learn more about why you NEED to be there. There are some outstanding presenters and topics that you don’t want to miss. Message from President-Elect: Craig Voll Message from: President & President-Elect 1 President-Elect 2 Vice-Pres, Secretary 3 & District Director State Reps 4-5 GLATA Education Committee 5 GLATA PR, COR, Student Senate 6 NATA YPC 7 NATA CUATC & CEPAT 8 NATA Foundation 9 The nomination period for the 2013 GLATA Executive Board Elections has come to a close. The following is the slate of candidates the Elections Committee will be presenting to the membership for the positions of President-Elect and Secretary. Please take a few moments of your time to view the biographies of the candidates in the “Members Only” section at www.glata.org. The elections will be open from November 1st until November 30th, 2013. President Elect: Scott Lawrance (IN) Kristen Streeter (IL) Ryan Wilkerson (WI) Secretary: Laura Harris (OH) Beginning November 1, 2013 an initial E-Ballot with biographical information will be sent to all GLATA members. Reminder emails will be sent out weekly to any member who has not completed the voting process during the voting period. The Elections Committee has strived to make this process as simple and user friendly as possible and should take only 5 to 10 minutes of your time. Your vote truly means a lot and will dictate the future leaders of our district organization. More information regarding the elections will be coming as we get closer to November 1 st. GLATA NEWSLETTER From the desk of President-Elect, Craig Voll The Decision to Volunteer The decision to volunteer is an important, life-altering commitment for many individuals. Of the estimated 94 million American adults engaged in some form of volunteerism, 25 million donate five or more hours per week. Given that the average American adult spends approximately 17 hours per week in leisure, volunteering often represents a significant proportion of total nonworking time. Moreover, volunteering affects expenditures of one of the scarcest and therefore most precious commodities: discretionary time! Let’s face it, volunteering means fewer hours with the family, on the golf course, at the movies, reading a book, or in the pursuit of other recreational activities. Volunteers are the most important resource organizations like the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association (GLATA) have. The ability of people to work together for the betterment of the profession of athletic training and themselves is an extremely valuable resource. Ideally, volunteers find the donation of their time and energy a meaningful experience for themselves as well as for the organization. A true win-win situation for all those involved. However, we all need a pat on the back from time to time. Whether we call this recognition, appreciation or awards, we are recognizing the efforts and contributions of others. Recognizing volunteers within the organization lets them know they are an important, vital part of the organization. It helps to keep them involved, committed and active at the highest energy level. Recognition is nothing more than an attitude of gratitude. It is finding small ways, like a smile or a simple thank you, and large ways like the annual GLATA awards banquet to tell volunteers how important they are to the success of the organization and thanking them for the work that they do. This formal recognition is one way we can publicly recognize and honor our colleagues for the hard work, professionalism and dedication to the profession of athletic training they have demonstrated over the course of their careers. This is the one day we as an association get to shine the spotlight brightly on our colleagues and let them know that we hold them in high regard for what they do for their athletes, patients, profession and association. What amazes me about athletic trainers is that a spirit of volunteerism and a sense of compassion are deeply ingrained in us as professionals and are vital parts of our character. It is what makes me immensely proud to be an athletic trainer and is why there is nothing else that I would rather be doing. We truly are a profession made up of unsung heroes. In regards to awards, however, athletic trainers tend to epitomize the words of Abraham Lincoln when he said “Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.” We tend to shy away from any recognition because it is in our DNA to consider the long, thankless hours nothing out of the ordinary. We just consider it part of doing our JOB! Even though all of us athletic trainers realize that athletes do not just go away to some magical land of healing and return; we as a profession have got to get better at accepting praise and realize that we are doing a disservice to the profession when we see it as a badge of honor to remain anonymous and work in the background. This allows the general public to presume that an injured athlete will return back to full health not realizing it took the hard work and dedication of one of your colleagues to help the athlete accomplish that feat. The exercise of holding an awards recognition banquet is not just some necessary evil. In fact, I strongly believe that it is important for the vitality of a profession to honor its members for their contributions and accomplishments. I also strongly believe it is important for all members – especially the younger ones – to participate in this activity. This function is imperative if we are to continue the legacy of professionalism that has been the hallmark of athletic training, especially in the state of Indiana. Young people need to experience the process of peer recognition so they can establish role models and develop professional standards and philosophies that will assure the continuation of athletic training as a viable health care profession. “No person was ever honored for what was received. Honor has always been the reward for what was given” is a quote by Pinky Newell which greeted me every day upon entering the athletic training room at Purdue University. It is the major reason why I am so passionate about my belief in the need to honor and recognize the outstanding members of the athletic training community. The biggest mistake people make in working with colleagues is to not fully understand the real power of true recognition and appreciation. To anyone who will listen I constantly talk about the importance of showing your appreciation to others. However, there are always some who say to me “athletic trainers do not want to be thanked, the work they do is appreciation enough.” Let’s be very clear on this. This is the most dangerous mistake we can make. Even when someone says that they do not want to be thanked – do not be fooled. Every human being wants to be valued and appreciated. The skill is in customizing the form of appreciation to fit the person. In conclusion, I want to say that I hope you all take solace in the fact that although you might not realize it, you have an impact on the lives of the people you deal with on a daily basis in ways that you may never truly understand. It is inspiring to work with and for a group of people who understand that there is no substitute for the gift of service given from the heart. While this is noble, we still need to show our fellow athletic trainers how much they are appreciated for all they do. Therefore, I chalPage 2 lenge all of you to find a way to appreciate, honor and recognize your fellow colleagues! I have a real simple solution; take the time to nominate them for a GLATA or NATA award today. GLATA NEWSLETTER Message from Vice President: David Craig GLATA Continuing Education Assistance Grant is available to BOC certified GLATA members. Up to two financial assistance awards will be given to offset expenses to attend the GLATA Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium. The application is available on the GLATA webpage within the “Members” tab: Honors and Awards section. The deadline is December 31, 2013. Preference will be given to applicants based on financial need and years of experience as a certified member. Applicants will be selected by February 1, 2014. A member may only receive this grant on a one-time basis and is responsible for attending the 2014 GLATA Annual Meeting and Symposium. Message from Secretary: Laura Harris NATA membership renewal notices were sent out on October 4, 2013, by NATA Member Services. Currently, NATA, District, and State membership dues can be renewed online at http://www.nata.org/ membership-renewal. Installment payment plans are available. Up to four installments can be paid beginning November 14 through February 15. Contact NATA Membership Services at: [email protected] or (800) 8796282 to begin installments. 4 installments- Renew by 11/14/13 3 installments- Renew by 12/14/13 2 installments- Renew by 1/14/14 1 installment- Renew by 2/15/14 District Director: Julie Rochester District Director-Elect: Tory Lindley Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 1 State Representatives to GLATA Joe Whitson is the primary athletic trainer for the Illinois State football team, a position he has held since 2006. He also currently serves as a preceptor for the athletic training education program at Illinois State. In November 2007, Whitson was elected as the region three representative to the IATA and in 2009 was elected Vice President. In his first season at ISU in 2005, Whitson worked directly with the Redbird volleyball and swimming and diving programs. Prior to Illinois State, Whitson worked two years at Carson Newman University. He spent the first year as the assistant athletic trainer, before being promoted to associate athletic trainer. Whitson assisted with the Eagle football team, while overseeing all athletic training needs for the baseball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball teams. Whitson earned his bachelor degree from East Tennessee State University in 2001 while serving as an athletic training student for four years. He earned his master’s degree from Virginia Tech in 2002 while serving as a graduate assistant with football and cheerleading for the Hokies. Joe resides in Mackinaw, IL with his wife, Emily, and two children, Katie Jo, and Haden. Scott Lawrance currently serves as an assistant professor and clinical education coordinator in the athletic training program at the University of Indianapolis. In addition to his faculty duties, Scott also works with the UIndy Indoor Track and Field team. Prior to joining the UIndy, Scott worked as a clinical athletic trainer at St. Vincent Sports Performance and at the Shelbourne Knee Center in Indianapolis where he worked with patients of all levels and specialized in the treatment of knee injuries. Dr. Lawrance has helped perform research in the areas of ACL rehabilitation, patella tendon ruptures, and arthrofibrosis. He has co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters addressing the rehabilitation of complications following ACL surgery. He has been an invited speaker at the NATA, GLATA, and IATA Annual Meetings. He actively serves the profession and is currently the President of the IATA and also serves as a member of the Indiana AT Licensing Board. Scott was awarded the 2009 Clinical Athletic Trainer of the Year by the IATA. In 2010 he was the inaugural award winner of the NATA Young Professional’s Committee’s National Distinction Award and was also awarded the NSCA Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Specialist of the Year. In 2011 Scott was named the Distinguished Young Alumni by the UIndy and in 2013 he was awarded Teacher of the Year. Kirk Brumels, a 1988 Hope College graduate has over 25 years of athletic training experience. He received both his masters and doctorate degrees from Western Michigan University. Dr. Brumels has spent more than a decade as an athletic trainer with the New England Patriots from 1990-2001, returning to Hope College in The OATA would like to announce their Executive Committee for the upcoming 2014- 2001 to become the institution’s third head athletic trainer. Kirk was a second2016 cycle. These officers are excited and generation Hope student as his father proud to be able to work towards promoting Bruce, the past- president of Hope's Alumni Asthe field of Athletic Training, as well as becoming mentors to the younger generation sociation Board of Directors, is a 1959 graduate, and his mother Doris is a 1962 graduate. Dr. of professionals in their field. Brumels is a certified member of the NATA and Kurt McClurg, President is the Michigan representative to the GLATA John Smith, President Elect Executive Board. His awards include recognition Paul Miller, Past President with Patriots head athletic trainer Ron O'Neil as Siobhan Fagan, Vice President of Governmental Affairs the 1997 National Football League Athletic Trevor Bates, Vice President of Intra-Association Affairs Training Staff of the Year. He has been a guest Owen Keller, Treasurer speaker or lecturer in numerous venues, includCandy Norman, Secretary ing state, regional, and national athletic trainer conferences and symposiums. Dr. Brumels has The OATA would also like to extend a big thanks to Hollie a passion for athletic training evidenced by sevKozak, outgoing Past President. Within the past six years as President Elect, President and Past President Hollie has made eral peer-reviewed publications and involvement as a co-author Demany great contributions of time, wisdom, and education to the veloping Clinical Proficiency in Athletic Training (Human Kinetics, 2009) and seven chapters within the forthcoming book entitled Core field of Athletic Training. Hollie was a key component in the passage of the Concussion Law. Thank you Hollie. Your time Concepts in Athletic Training (Human Kinetics, 2010). Dr. Brumels and his wife Stephanie live in Holland with their two children, Hunter and efforts will be missed. and Rebecca. Page 4 Chris Mizer currently serves as the Director of OSU Sports Medicine CarePoint Gahanna. Ohio Athletic Trainers are encouraged to reach out to Chris with any questions or concerns regarding GLATA or OATA business. Volume 1, Issue 1 State Representatives to GLATA Dawn Hammerschmidt is currently the Athletic Training Education Program Director at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Dawn has been at MSUM for the past 14 years, prior to that she was an Assistant Athletic Trainer at North Dakota State University. Dawn received both her Masters and Doctorate degrees from North Dakota State University. Dawn has enjoyed her time as Minnesota’s State Representative to GLATA. Working with all the outstanding Athletic Trainers from GLATA has been a tremendous opportunity. GLATA is very fortunate to have such outstanding individuals representing the membership on their behalf. Minnesota Athletic Trainers should not hesitate to contact Dawn regarding GLATA or MATA business. Join us on Facebook! GLATAMembers Keith Owsley is currently the Head Athletic Trainer and Director of Fitness/Strength Coach at The Prairie School in Racine, WI. He also serves as the Associate Director of Athletics. Keith received a B.S. degree from Murray State University in Physical Education/Health Education in 1987, and an M.S. degree from Illinois State University in 1989. Keith has been a certified AT since November of 1988. Keith has worked at the secondary high school setting for over 25 years in Southeast Wisconsin and Central Illinois. He also has career experience in Semi-professional football serving as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Racine Raiders from 1989-1995. Keith has been married for 26 years to Melody (Ottinger) Owsley, a former collegiate basketball player at Murray State (BS '87) and Illinois State graduate (MS '89) who is currently in her 24th season as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at The Prairie School, where she is also a physical education instructor. Keith & Melody are the parents of Courtney who is currently a sophomore Education major at Illinois State and Zachary who is a sophomore at The Prairie School. The Owsleys live in Racine, WI. GLATA Education Committee Coordinator: Jessica Emlich Jochum, PhD, ATC GLATA 2014 Annual Meeting and Symposium Save the date…March 12 – 15, 2014! This winter the GLATA Annual Meeting and Symposium will return to the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, IL. This year’s educational program includes a wide variety of presentations by over 40 different speakers. Some highlights include presentations by the NATA College and University Committee and the NATA Secondary Setting Committee, Case Studies, and Free Communications. The topics of the presentations vary widely from Dermatological Conditions, Patient Satisfaction, The Flipped Classroom, to Trigger Point Therapy. There will be 6 learning labs offered on Saturday where attendees can learn handson techniques. A total of 20 CEUs will be offered throughout the symposium. Attendees can also preregister for several different Mini-Courses for additional CEUs. The Committee on Revenue will be offering an all-day mini-course featuring speakers from across the country. The CAATE will be offering a three hour Mini-Course presented by the CAATE for Athletic Training Education administrators. Hotel reservations are open, visit https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/glata to reserve your room for only $114/night. Additional details will be updated periodically on the GLATA website under the Annual Meeting tab. Registration will be available on the GLATA website beginning in January 2014, the cost for Certified Members is $125. If you are interested in volunteering at the conference, please email Jennifer Brown ([email protected]) or Kevin Gerlach ([email protected] ). Page 5 GLATA NEWSLETTER GLATA Public Relations Committee Coordinator: Ryan Weible, MEd, ATC These are exciting times to be an athletic trainer. Each of us has great opportunity to shine a positive light on our profession and what we can do for the health care of the community around us. Concussion and sudden death initiatives are in the forefront of many national and local news stories. Reporters have been writing and talking about how to keep young athletes safe and when it is acceptable to return after injury. As these stories air we may be asked to be interviewed, and many of us already have! If you find yourself being asked to take part in these stories remember that you are not only speaking for yourself and your employer, but you are also speaking as a member of our profession. Be confident, knowledgeable and present yourself with class! If you are unsure what to say or how to say it, we are here to help you. Or if you have already been apart of a story this fall, we want to know that too! Please contact your state association public relations coordinator or email me at [email protected]. Remember who your stakeholders are and remember to create a connection with every patient or parent you meet. GLATA Committee on Revenue Committee Coordinator: Brent Millikin, MEd, ATC Consumers of AT Services Website: The NATA has created a website to be utilized by the consumers of athletic training services, specifically parents of children involved in sports. This site is a resource to the general public, providing the latest information, news coverage and more on the key issues affecting the profession of athletic training that this audience is interested in. The site will also have information on why every school needs an AT and why they are such an important part of the community. This website is a work in progress so it will continue to evolve and target other key issues. The link is: http://athletictrainers.org/. GLATA Annual Meeting: GLATA COR is working on providing a full day workshop regarding the Business of Athletic Training. This will occur on Wednesday, March 12th, just prior to the GLATA Annual Meeting in Wheeling, IL. There will be speakers presenting on a variety of topics that include the role of the athletic trainer in the physician extender and industrial/occupational medicine roles as well as Third Party and Insurer Reimbursement. Tentative agenda and speakers are located on the at GLATA Committees website for COR: www.glata.org/index.cfm?nodeID=21271. GLATA Student Senate Chair: Christopher Ibach Page 6 My name is Christopher Ibach, and I have the honor of serving as the GLATA Student Senate Chair this year. The Student Senate has been hard at work since the spring on many projects. We have put together our Student Education Program and secured fantastic speakers for these presentations at the GLATA Winter Meeting 2014. This year we are excited to continue our Saturday morning learning labs with presentations on ‘palpation through stereogenisis drills, and hands on work with the newest spine boarding techniques. The Student Senate is also proud to announce our new service project for this year’s GLATA Winter Meeting. This year we are asking those attending to bring an item for donation to the local Ronald McDonald House. Please visit our Student Senate web page, http://www.glata.org/en/ students/winter_meeting_student_program/ronald_mcdonald_service_project/, for more information and items requested from each state. The Student Senate is also looking for a new Student Senate Advisor to take the place of one of our current advisors whose term is ending. Please visit our website, http://www.glata.org/en/students/2014_student_senate_advisor_application/, to learn more about the position as well as download an application to apply. The deadline for application submission is December 1st, 2013. On behalf of the GLATA Student Senate, I would like to thank everyone for their continued support of Athletic Training Students, and the commitment to developing the Athletic Trainers of the future. GLATA NEWSLETTER GLATA Young Professionals Committee Committee Coordinator: Jessica Miller, MS, ATC, PES, CES WHAT YOU NEED to KNOW ABOUT NPI Numbers: The National Provider Identifier is a unique 10 – digit identification number issued to health care providers in the United States. The NPI is issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This transition to the NPI was mandated as part of the Administrative Simplifications portion of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). NPI numbers provide credibility for healthcare professionals. The NATA strongly encourages every member to obtain their NPI number, but it’s especially important for young professionals to apply. An ongoing goal set by the NATA is athletic trainers equal access to Medicare. If our population registers for their NPI, than we have a greater chance of being recognized by Medicare, accomplishing our goal of being reimbursed for our services. Our profession is making many great changes, and many more are yet to come. District IV established professionals have worked long and hard to make this profession what it is today. It’s extremely important for District IV young professionals to step up and help out with this initiative. Showing your support comes down to taking 5 minutes and applying for an NPI number. Apply: https:// nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/StaticForward.do?forward=static.npistart To fill out your application use: Provider Code 22 (Respiratory, Rehabilitative & Restorative Service Providers) and Taxonomy Code 2255A2300X (Athletic Trainer). YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NEEDED! The GLATA Young Professionals’ Committee is seeking young professionals to assist with the Professionalism Round Table Discussion at the GLATA Annual Meeting this year. This session will run on Thursday, March 13. This is a great opportunity for young professionals and students to network and work together. This will be a very interactive session with scenarios presented by experienced athletic trainers. Please contact Bria Wanzung at [email protected] if you are interested in assisting with this session! GLATA YPC MEMBERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The GLATA YPC is proud to recognize and exceptional young professional every month. Please check out the GLATA YPC page every month to who is this month's Spotlight! http://www.glata.org/en/members/ young_professionals/yp_spotlight/ Do you know a young professional doing great things? Or is your mentor or mentee doing great things? Nominate them to be spotlighted by the Young Professionals Committee. Please Visit: http://www.glata.org/en/members/ members_only/young_professionals/yp_spotlight_submission_form/ SEEKING NEW GLATA YPC MEMBERS: GLATA and the YPC are looking for engaged and passionate professionals to serve as the Illinois, Michigan & Minnesota YPC Representatives. The term of service is one year, twice renewable, for a total service time of up to three years. Visit the YPC Applicant Qualifications document at http://www.glata.org/en/members/young_professionals/ to see if you meet the requirements to serve. If you have questions about service please contact the current YP representative listed below. To apply please send a letter of interest, resume/vitae, to the corresponding state leadership or YPC chair. Current YP Representatives: IL: Bria Wanzung - [email protected] IN; Cody Inskeep—[email protected] MI: Jeremy Marra - [email protected] MN: Mary Joos - [email protected] For Applications: IL: Joe Whitson - [email protected] MI: Kirk Brumels PhD, ATC - [email protected] MN: Dawn Hammerschmidt PhD, ATC, ATR - [email protected] YPC Chair: Jessica Miller MS, AT, ATC - [email protected] Page 7 GLATA NEWSLETTER NATA College and University Committee District IV Representative: Joe Whitson, MSEd, ATC Below is a summary of the minutes for the 2013 NATA CUATC meeting held in Las Vegas on June 24, 2013. The CUATC met with several parties involved in the ongoing discussion of the future of the preferred degree type for ATEPs including CAATE and the NATA PEC. It was a great, open discussion and we provided our views and feedback. This issue is ongoing and discussion continues between CAATE, NATA, NATA REF and the BOC. The Value Model has been released. Please visit: http://www.nata.org/revenue-models. The CUATC will begin a review and update of the AMCIA. Please visit: http://www.nata.org/appropriate-medical-coverageintercollegiate-athletics for the current version, and please send any and all feedback to a CUATC member. The CUATC has announced the release of the 10/10 Coaches Education Program. Please visit: http://www.nata.org/CUATC to view and download the presentations. Work is underway for several more topics. T The CUATC has announced award winners for the past year. Please visit the CUATC web page to view the winners, and please remember to nominate fellow athletic trainers for future awards. The CUATC met with Matt Brewer of the NCAA to discuss changes to the Self-Certification process for the future, including a possible Health and Safety section that will allow ATs to provide metrics for their specific institution. Dave Klossner presented an update from the NCAA Competitive Safeguards Committee, including the following: new chair for CMAS, change of marijuana threshold for NCAA testing program, FB automatic ejections for spearing, SCT passed for DIII as well as education requirements pre and post waiver, concussion grant approved for follow up study, EKG study expanded to DII and DIII, new nutrition fact sheets from SCAN 4, sign up for sports science newsletter online. New chapters in SM handbook: Rhabdo, "safe environment", strength and conditioning, interdisciplinary health care team. New video has been released on NCAA Player Safety. Check it out at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/ncaa/web_video/ football/2013playerSafetyTarget. NATA Committee on Emerging Practices in AT District 4 Representative: Meg Schneider, MS, ATC The NATA Clinical and Emerging Practices Athletic Trainers’ Committee (CEPAT) is proud to announce the official launch of the Clinical Opportunity in Emerging Settings (COES) database. CEPAT has been eagerly creating this valuable tool to assist athletic training students in their search for that perfect clinical rotation in the emerging settings. The COES database is free to search, and it is free for facilities to post their clinical rotations within the database– a win/win for students and athletic training facilities and programs. After surveying the NATA membership, CEPAT was able to build and develop a searchable clinical rotation database consisting of more than 100 clinical opportunities broken down by state, district, setting, and/or rotation schedule. The database will continue to grow as more opportunities are added. Where is the COES Database? The database is located on the CEPAT portion of the NATA website at www.nata.org/CEPAT. It is only available to NATA members and student members, so facilities can feel confident that only logged-in members will have access to their information. Results provide a facility name, point of contact, email and general program information. Students can then contact selected facilities and open the doors to new opportunities! For ATs in emerging settings who manage these clinical opportunities, this is a free way to advertise your opportunities to new students around the country. The database can be quickly edited to meet your needs; the person who initially posts a clinical opportunity position can change it, delete it or add a new position by using the link on the CEPAT homepage (www.nata.org/CEPAT). If you’re interested in posting your facility/program in the COES Database, visit www.nata.org/clinical-site-disclaimer. For more information, please contact Amanda Muscatell at [email protected]. Page 8 GLATA NEWSLETTER NATA Foundation District 4 Representative: Walter “Kip” Smith MEd, LAT, ATC In a recent Board of Directors conference call, it was pointed out by President, R.T. Floyd that NATA Foundation donations from individual members in most districts have dropped comparatively to a year ago. In my opinion donating to the NATA Foundation gives back to each member exponentially because of the commitment and how entrenched it is with its program offerings. We, nationally and as a district, are members supporting members through: Scholarships—to assure our brightest students have the funds necessary to complete their educational pursuits and join the profession Research Grants—which funds cutting-edge studies that position the profession as leaders in the health care community Free Communications Presentations—that provide a mechanism for providing us with the most up-to-date evidence based research available on a variety of sports medicine-related conditions and topics Building Blocks for Clinical Practice—translates research into straight-forward flyer for clinicians to use in their daily practice Shoe Box Society—a mechanism to show a lifelong commitment to the profession by giving back through estate planning. Position Statements Research Mentoring Program—connecting young investigators with more seasoned research mentors to provide guidance and assistance as they navigate the grant-writing and research processes These are just a few examples of how the NATA Foundation gives back to the profession. And a key component of many programs is to bring evidenced-based research to clinical practice. The NATA Foundation continually needs funding to sustain these important programs in the areas of research, education, and scholarships. So, please help to increase membership donations in 2013 and beyond! No amount is too big or small. It is support of the NATA Foundation that is IMPORTANT! Please click here https:// www.natafoundation.org/development/annual-fund/online-donation-form to make a contribution to the future of our profession. Thank you! Follow us on Twitter! @D4Updates Page 9