St. Elizabeth has been at the forefront of sports medicine in Northern Kentucky for almost three decades since its inception in 1989 under the direction of Dr. Michael Miller, who still serves as medical director.
And now?
Today, St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine athletic trainers work with 15 high school programs in Northern Kentucky, with more coming on board next school year. St. Elizabeth also serves athletes from Thomas More College, Cincinnati Kings soccer and Top Flight Gymnastics.
“Our youth sports programs in this country have grown significantly over the past 25 years,” Miller said. “I believe the certified athletic trainer is the nucleus of the sports medicine team and they play a critical role in the health and safety of our young athletes.
“We will continue to see an increased utilization of athletic trainers, not only in high schools and middle schools, but in many other youth programs around the country.”
The role played by athletic trainers in the health and well-being of athletes has grown exponentially, particularly at the high school level.
“Twenty years ago, maybe you had the family doctor on the sideline treating lacerations,” said Dr. Tyler Browning, a primary care sports medicine physician for St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
“With the growth in sports medicine and athletic training has come a greater understanding of injury in young athletes and how best to treat them or try to prevent them.”
Erica Lanham, a St. Elizabeth certified athletic trainer, said her field has seen remarkable growth even just in the eight years since she received her undergraduate degree. Certified athletic trainers, now a fixture in high schools, have become the liaisons between student-athletes and doctors, coaches, administrators and parents.
“We’re catching these injuries that players and coaches can’t see or maybe don’t fully understand,” said Lanham, who works closely with Miller and Browning and has worked with Notre Dame Academy and Calvary Christian School. “If there’s 30 kids and one coach, they’re not going to see everything.”
Catching injuries early
“The use of athletic trainers is almost a standard of care in high schools now, and we’re seeing it progress down to the middle-school level,” Dr. Browning said. “I think that’s a good thing.”
Dr. Browning points to the advances in concussion diagnoses and pulling athletes out of competition. “We’ve learned so much in the past 10 years, and that word has spread throughout the school communities because of athletic trainers,” he said.
Among the aims of the National Athletic Trainers Association during National Athletic Training Month in March was to better educate the public on the role of athletic trainers (ATs) as health care professionals. According to NATA, “Athletic trainers should not be confused with personal trainers or ‘trainers’ who focus solely on fitness and conditioning. Always refer to an ‘athletic trainer’ or ‘AT’ to ensure clarity of profession and quality of care.”
Lanham said this is still a common misconception.
“We get called all kinds of stuff,” she said. “But athletic trainers have four-year degrees, if not masters’. We’re not running exercise programs, although some athletic trainers are certified strength and conditioning coaches. We are focused on injury prevention, diagnosis and rehabilitation.”
Dr. Browning said he enjoys the team aspect of sports medicine and the opportunity for community outreach it offers.
“In the field of sports medicine, it’s no different: People expect that St. Elizabeth is going to be the dominant medical resource in the area,” he said.
