Athletic Trainers in an Orthopedic Practice

Abstract

ATHLETIC TRAINERS at the University of Wisconsin Hospital have assisted orthopedic and primary-care sports-medicine physicians in the clinic since 1981. At the core of our success is the long-standing relationship of the certified athletic trainer and the team physician. We have extended the traditional on-the-field athletic training room model to the sports-medicine orthopedic clinic. This model has produced excellent clinic efficiency and flow and increased revenue for our hospital and physicians. Presently, the UW Health Sports Medicine Clinic has eight sportsmedicine-fellowship-trained physicians. Four of these have specialties in orthopedics, two in family medicine, and two in pediatrics. They are also the team physicians for the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department. A total of a 4.0 FTE equivalent of athletic trainers staff these clinics along with nurses, physician assistants, medical assistant, residents, and fellows. The athletic trainers are all hospital employees and are not employed by the physician group. The responsibilities of the various support staff are described in the sidebar.