Providence Health & Services has hired athletic trainers to work at seven Valley high schools where they will attend practices and games to help manage student athletes’ injuries, enhance the safety of athletics and provide rehabilitation to get players back in the game.
The program is designed to prevent, diagnose and treat students’ injuries and illnesses, before they escalate.
As part of their commitment to improve the health of the Valley communities through outreach, Providence Holy Cross, Providence Tarzana and Providence Saint Joseph medical centers will fund the program, with plans for expansion next year. The certified athletic trainers will work at Alemany, Burbank, John Burroughs, Notre Dame, Providence, Sierra Canyon and Taft high schools. Plan call for expanding the program to more Los Angeles Unified School District Valley campuses.
California is one of few states that do not require athletic trainers at high school sports. But data show a need:
Since 2007, 26 students in California have died due to injury or illness while participating in sports
The high school athletic population leads the nation in athletic-related deaths
Among children, 15- to 17-year-olds experience the highest rate of emergency department visits for sports injuries
“We believe many of these injuries – and possibly some of these tragic deaths -- could have been prevented if someone trained in recognizing and immediately managing catastrophic injuries had been available,” said Dale Surowitz, chief executive of Providence Tarzana and chairman of the health system’s regional Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinical Institute. “Our research shows that having athletic trainers at high school sports events results in fewer serious injuries. Providence is committed to providing care where care is needed.”
The Providence athletic trainers are health care professionals, certified by the national Board of Certification, Inc. They are highly qualified, with master’s or bachelor’s degrees in athletic training. Trainers are multi-skilled and trained to collaborate with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnoses, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions.
As a mission-driven organization, Providence provides a number of services and programs in the communities it serve with the goal of satisfying unmet needs outside its hospitals.
