Athletic Trainer

Athletic Trainer

Position Summary

Assist the physician in providing quality care to patients by accurately determining and communicating the patient's current and previous medical condition, utilizing triage skills, taking patient histories, performing initial evaluations, providing instruction on exercise prescriptions and general patient education while helping to maintain patient flow.

This position will be working with two physicians, in various sites across NYC, Westchester and NJ.

Responsibilities

• General Patient Care:
• Works within the scope of practice as defined by physician and clinical team coordinator.
• Acts as a liaison between the patients and physician.
• Sets up examination/consultation/treatment rooms at the start of each day including but not limited to setting up doctor specific supplies and paperwork.
• Cleans rooms in-between patients and at the end of the day.
• Disposes of contaminated items according to OSHA guidelines.
• Escorts patients/guardians with their charts/films into examination/consultation/treatment rooms/assists patients with examination clothing.
• Ensures patient has completed all paperwork; enters data into Epic; complies with Meaningful Use.
• Obtains initial history and takes vital sign.
• If directed to do so, complete physical exam and confer with physician regarding findings, potential diagnosis and treatment options.
• Assists physician in preparing for examinations and minor procedures such as corticosteroid and platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections.
• Under physician supervision administers prescribed medications and treatments.
• Observes, records and reports patient's condition and reaction to drugs and treatments to physician.
• Remove sutures, stitches and staples as directed by physician.
• Remove and/or apply dressings, casts, slings, splints and braces as directed by physician.
• Completes test requisitions as needed and instructs patients/guardians on the requisitions.
• Maintains and coordinates with other teams the doctors' prescribed treatments and surgical cases for the patients.
• Assist physician with external Sport Medicine team care and coverage where applicable.

• Surgical Patient Care:
• Reviews pre-operative instructions and explains the surgical process to patients who are about to have surgery.
• Performs patient education duties; shows surgical videos, hands out brochures, and directs patients to specific Internet sites for more information.
• Collects pre-operative clearance data to be shared with residents and physician with attention to possible medical complications and necessary additional work ups.
• Acts as a liaison in recovery room setting on surgical days in combination with recovery staff and physician, providing prescriptions and post op and discharge education and instructions.
• See post-op patients for wound checks and post-op care and notify physician of findings if abnormal.
• Formulates, coordinates, and updates patient care plans from pre-operative to post-operative and follow-up care throughout the patient's management within orthopedic surgery.
• Ensures that all pre-operative patients have had all pre-surgical radiological and nuclear medicine exams within a reasonable time period (including, but not limited to, x-ray, MRI, CT, PET, bone scan).
• Works with Surgical Scheduling Unit to ensure all proposed surgical cases are contacted and scheduled.
• Rounds on all in-house post-operative patients with or without physician.
• Reviews post-operative discharge instructions with patients including regarding wound care and pain management.
• Ensures all post-operative patients have a scheduled first post op appointment with physician and orders for post op x-rays have been placed if needed

• Chart Prep:
• Chart preparation and placing x-rays orders according to protocol for office hours using Epic.
• Contacts all patients and fax/email requisitions for outside radiology orders as needed.
• Reviews provider schedule prior to office hours and placing x-rays orders according to protocol for add on patients using Epic.

• Administrative:
• Returns patient phone messages at designated times throughout the day; documents action taken in patient chart
• Oversees appointment bookings and ensures emergency situations are scheduled appropriately
• Communicates physician referral requests to staff for necessary processing
• Triages incoming telephone calls; instructs patient and family regarding treatment instruction, then documents action taken in patient chart
• Ensures that pertinent laboratory and radiology results are reviewed by the physician and communicated to patient
• Telephones prescription requests to pharmacy; documents action in patient chart and obtains physician signature of approval
• Fill out necessary forms, i.e. disability forms, workman's comp, handicap parking as needed
• Assist with patient correspondence as needed, i.e. letters of medical necessity, school notes, insurance inquiries, etc.
• Acts as a scribe to physician and completes encounter forms

• Training:
• Ensures all physician specific guidelines, handouts and protocols are updated as needed
• Participates in training of new clinical staff on team and continuously act as a source of information and provide training as needed
• Assists new staff in becoming oriented to the Team, Department, Hospital and University

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus three years of related experience
• NY State ATC License
• Certification through NATABOC
• All current licensure maintained
• Entry level graduates with NATA certification will be considered

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working in orthopedic practice preferred
• CPR/AED certification

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.