DALLAS, TX - The member organizations for athletic training and physical therapy are collaborating to promote the health and wellness of individuals as well as to engage in efforts to advance population health. We encourage our members and stakeholder communities to follow our lead by joining forces to increase the quality of patient care by:
- Educating each other and the public on academic preparation and contemporary clinical training of both professions
- Promoting regulation that represents the education and training of each health care profession
- Collaborating on increasing access to both athletic trainer and physical therapist services
- Promoting and encouraging leadership and participation of both athletic trainers and physical therapists in initiatives that advance youth sports safety and health while providing care to physically active people across all levels of competition and recreation
- Sharing best practices and successful models of interprofessional practice
- Collaborating on best practices and models of care that highlight the value of athletic training and physical therapy across health care
NATA and APTA are also committed to working together to explore the feasibility of developing principles on model state legislation, joint public relations initiatives, youth sports safety guidelines and initiatives, and other opportunities that will positively impact patient care.
Tory Lindley, MA, ATC, President, National Athletic Trainers’ Association
Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, President, American Physical Therapy Association
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The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is an individual membership professional organization representing more than 100,000 member physical therapists (PTs), physical therapist assistants (PTAs), and students of physical therapy. APTA seeks to transform society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) is the professional membership association for athletic trainers (ATs). Founded in 1950, the NATA has grown to more than 45,000 members worldwide today. The mission of the NATA is to represent, engage and foster the continued growth and development of the athletic training profession and ATs as unique health care providers.