NATA Offers Help to Understaffed Hospitals During COVID-19

Hospitals and health care systems across the country are under siege from the COVID-19 pandemic facing concerns over whether they have enough staff to care for all the sick.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) through a partnership with Go4Ellis, a mobile per-diem job platform, wants to connect understaffed hospitals with thousands of athletic trainers who are qualified to help in medical emergencies through an app and hotline.

Athletic trainers, who have been trained in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries and sport-related illnesses, can help overwhelmed hospitals with triage, intake, patient care and assessment and sterilization.

“As we hear about understaffed hospitals and the stressed health care systems, we want government entities and health systems to know that the 45,000+ athletic trainers that we represent are medical professionals that are prepared to go to work during these uncertain times,” said Torey Lindley, MA, ATC, president of NATA.

“Athletic trainers are skilled in the full continuum of care, from prevention and diagnosis to rehabilitation. We work alongside physicians in a host of settings—sports, military, industrial, higher education, performing arts and clinical. Many of our members have already joined their peers in the clinical settings to support testing, transport and documentation. We are proud to have a partner in Go4Ellis that quickly and easily connects those in need of help with those ready to serve.”

The app originally created for youth sports event operators and others looking to hire an athletic trainer for games, practices and tournaments, is now being repurposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health care systems and government health departments can now use it to hire additional staff to help care for their patients.

Creating an account doesn’t cost anything and the hiring process can take as little as just hours instead of weeks or months.

“Athletic trainers are uniquely qualified and trained to calmly and decisively act during crisis situations. Our diversified, clinical skill-set will allow our profession to support the health care demands during this time,” Chief Medical Officer K. Ellis F. Mair, EdM, ATC, added.

“As a profession, we are well prepared to help bear the burden that many hospitals, health systems and government entities are facing though helplines, patient education, collecting patient histories, triage and COVID-19 testing.”

To hire an athletic trainer, visit http://www.ATSReadyToHelp.com or call 1-833-GO4-ATCS (1-833-464-2827).