The NATA Employment Fair Practice Work Group has created five new resources to aid ATs and employers in the contracting process.
“The practice of athletic training and the larger landscape of health care has evolved significantly in the recent past and highlighted both the need and opportunity for athletic trainers to better understand employment contracting,” said David Gallegos, MA, ATC, Cert. MDT, Employment Fair Practice Work Group board liaison. “The Employment Fair Practices Work Group called upon industry leaders to study current contracting practice and offer insight and vision into an improvement framework. The pandemic has re-highlighted this need and identified an opportunity to offer education and resources in the business of athletic training health care delivery.”
“The Employment Fair Practice Work Group has searched for solutions to problematic AT outreach contracting practices since 2019,” said Employment Fair Practice Work Group Chair Stacy Ritter, MS, ATC. “Above all, the work group sought to ensure the contracts that ATs are offered are legal, ethical and fair to employers, ATs, their clients and the profession as a whole. The resulting resources are only the first step in improving contracting practices for ATs; more work is needed to secure meaningful, long-term change. Many thanks to those that contributed and continue to champion this cause.”
These resources can be found on the Business of Athletic Training webpage under the Employee/Employer Resources section, which is available to members only. Learn more about the new documents and how to use them below.
For ATs
Glossary for Athletic Trainers looks at the key terms to know and understand when beginning the contracting process. From “agreement supersedes” and “indemnification” to “KPI” and “ROI,” this documents covers the basics.
Athletic Trainer Tool: What To Look for in an Outreach Contract breaks down the two types of contracts – the AT and the employer; and the employer and the client seeking athletic training services – and covers who or what can be an employer and client. The resource is a checklist of critical items, preferred items and red flags of concern that ATs should look over prior to contract agreement.
Athletic Training Contracting: What You Need To Know About Referral Legislation is a multi-purpose document made to educate ATs about the definition of a kickback, the existing legislation to prevent fraudulent referral practices, the associated “safe harbors” and the applicability to the athletic training profession.
For Employers
Glossary for Employers is a resource ATs can provide to employers to help them understand more about the athletic training profession. The document covers terms such as athletic trainer, Board of Certification Inc., continuing education units, emergency actions plan, state licensure and more.
Employer Tool: What To Include in an Outreach Contract breaks down the two types of contracts and covers who or what can be an employer and client from the employer perspective. The employer can use this resource is a checklist of critical items, preferred items and items that should not be included when drafting an outreach contract.
