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As we continue into the COVID19 pandemic, many of us are looking for ways we can help. If you are not already a member of Go4Ellis, please go to their website and sign up. The NATA and Go4Ellis have been hard at work together to connect thousands of ATs with understaffed hospitals and health care organizations. In an effort to assist these efforts, I have been reaching out and communicating with every county’s health departments and major healthcare facilities in the state to help them know more about where athletic trainers can be helpful for the people of their counties. For those interested, I have linked more information in the this Ablast content.

           

Along with more information on ways you can be helpful, you will also find more information on the Executive Council’s decision regarding the 2020 Clinical Symposia & Members’ Meeting, the upcoming Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers member election, and a reminder of where you can find additional CEU and COVID-19 resources in the coming blast.

           

As always, we are here for you. Please reach out to any of your Executive Council members with questions, concerns, or suggestions of how we can help support you in these times.

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We echo President Lindley’s talking points on the NATA response to COVID-19 pandemic. A few to highlight:

 

1. If you are an AT working in the hospital, clinical, physician practice, health care system, we encourage you to communicate with your employer your capabilities to assist with intake, screenings, triage, and other COVID-19 related solutions so as to prove how you can continue to help with this pandemic.

2. If you are an AT who finds you are temporarily separated from your daily duties and patient populations in settings such as secondary school or collegiate, please consider reaching out to your local and regional health care entities about your capabilities and availability as a health care provider.

3. Consider utilizing NATA’s extensive online learning platform for BOC-approved CEU content. Members may use their 10 free CEU credits to focus on advancing their clinical skills and clinical specialization from the NATA Professional Development Center.

4. For educators (secondary school or higher), remember the content in the NATA Professional Development Center may be a resource to supplement your students’ learning.

5. The NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo is 92 days away and is currently still planned to be held. Follow @NATAevents on Twitter and @NATAMeeting on Facebook for the most current convention information.

6. The NATA has developed a COVID-19 resource page to help members can access NATA and affiliate communication related to this pandemic.

7. If you have not already become a member of Go4Ellis, please consider signing up on the Go4Ellis page to assist in the COVID-19 relief.

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As we mentioned in our previous messages, we continued to monitor the recommendations of the CDC, the WHO, as well as state and local health departments. With those recommendations and they continued concern for our members, the ALATA Executive Council made the hard decision to not continue to plan our 2020 CSMM. We are heartbroken at this decision but feel this is in the best interest of our membership and community. We will however continue to host our annual town hall & business meeting on Friday May 22nd at 6PM as to fulfill the requirements of our association set by our Bylaws. We will distribute more information in the coming weeks regarding the town hall and business meeting link.

 

We are already in conversations now for planning of the ALATA 2021. The first decision that was made was to continue to host the meeting at The Lodge in Gulf Shores! We are in conversations now with the hotel so we will have more information of final dates in the coming weeks.

 

Also, in the coming weeks, you will be receiving more information on how this association, as well as others, can continue to support you in your CEUs and professional development. We are investigating ways that will be cost efficient and appropriate to each of the major settings within our state. Be on the lookout for all of that!

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ALATA, Alabama’s professional association for athletic trainers, will be holding an election for one vacancy occurring after 12/31/2020 on the Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers, the licensing and regulatory agency for the State of Alabama. To qualify, a nominee must be a citizen of the United States and have acted as an athletic trainer for at least three years within Alabama immediately preceding appointment. Any athletic trainer who is currently licensed in the State of Alabama has the right to nominate, attend, and vote on the Board position. ALATA membership is not required to participate in this process.

 

If you are an Alabama-licensed athletic trainer and would like to nominate a qualified licensee for the upcoming position, please email your nominations to ALATA Secretary Kyle Southall at alatasec@gmail.com.  Please provide the nominee’s full name and place of employment so that eligibility and acceptance of the nomination can be verified; also include your full name and Alabama license number.  Please email your nominations beginning May 1, 2020, and no later than May 15, 2020.  Nominations close at Midnight on May 15, 2020; and no nominations will be accepted once nominations close unless ALATA deems it necessary to reopen due to lack of qualified nominees.

 

The position will be voted on during the virtual ALATA Town Hall Meeting on Friday May 22nd at 6PM. Due to the COVID-19 social distancing requirements now in place, the Town Hall Meeting will be held electronically.  ALATA will provide specific instructions at a later date via email so you can “attend” the meeting and participate in the vote.  Eligible voters must be “present” to vote.   For more information, please contact ALATA at alatasec@gmail.com  or the Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers at athletictrainers@bellsouth.net.​

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NATA COVID-19 Resource Page

 

BOC Newsroom: Coronavirus

 

CAATE: Coronavirus Updates and FAQs

 

AHSAA COVID-19 Updates

 

AISA Webpage