Athletic Trainers in Surgery: Breaking Down Walls, Building Pathways

Abstract:
Evidence has been published to demonstrate the enhancement of physician practice efficacy or physician satisfaction with the addition of a certified athletic trainer. Within recent years the influx of ATs working with orthopedic surgeons has also extended some the opportunity to advance skills and function in a sterile environment as a surgical assist. Various pathways exist to support ATs in the opportunity to gain privileges, as well as many potential barriers.  Although athletic trainers may become qualified, the concept is still not widely accepted. In addition, many ATs do not feel confident navigating the process complexities. More discussion is needed to address the knowledge gap of resources that may help an ATs overcome obstacles along the way. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the resources that already exist to support an athletic trainer’s quest to create an advanced opportunity in the operating room (OR).
  • Analyze the practice gap of AT integration into surgery and potential barriers that ATs may need to overcome.
  • Evaluate practice act variabilities, personnel influences and advocacy strategies to consider in the process of earning privileges to assist orthopedic surgeons.

Level:
Essential

Domain(s):
Domain 5: Health Care Administration and Professional Responsibility

Orthopedic Domain(s):
Domain 2: Procedural Knowledge

CEUs:
1.0 Category A

Keywords:
Surgical assistant, orthopedic surgery

Enhanced Access On-Demand Course Expiration:
Access to this course will expire at the end of the membership year on December 31 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
For full details, refer to the Expiration Date Policy on our FAQ page.

Michelle Holt, MA, LAT, ATC

Michelle Holt is chair of the Physician Practice Panel on the NATA’s Council on Practice Advancement. Michelle recently joined the team at Columbus Orthopedics and Sports Medicine clinic in Columbus, Nebraska to pioneer the clinic AT role there. She relocated from Arlington, Texas where she worked six years at Sideline Orthopedics and Sports broadening skills in clinic and also assisted in surgery. Michelle originally hails from the central valley of California but graduated from Texas Christian University and became certified in 2010. After doing an internship at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Florida, she earned her masters degree at San Jose State University in athletic training while working as a GA at Stanford University. Texas called her back to become the first Athletic-Trainer-In-Residence at NATA in 2013, followed by working 3 years at Chisholm Trail High School in Fort Worth before transitioning to the clinic. Michelle is a dedicated volunteer having served previous terms on SWATA’s executive board, Young Professionals committee, and as former D6 NATAPAC Director.

Brandy Jones-Neelam, MS, LAT, ATC, OTC

Brandy Jones-Neelam, MS, LAT, ATC, OTC, is a healthcare leader and certified athletic trainer with extensive experience in orthopedic practice management, clinical operations, and sports medicine. She currently serves as Director of Clinical Services at Orthopaedic Specialists of North Carolina, overseeing multi-site clinical operations across orthopedic clinics, urgent care, physical therapy, and ambulatory surgery centers. In this role, she leads staffing, budgeting, workflow optimization, and quality initiatives, while serving as an athenaOne Clinicals superuser focused on documentation accuracy and system efficiency.

Brandy’s background includes progressive leadership roles in clinical services, sports medicine program coordination, and athletic training residency education, as well as prior academic appointments as a Clinical Education Coordinator and Assistant Professor. She remains clinically active as a credentialed surgical first assistant and licensed athletic trainer. Brandy is also highly engaged in professional service through leadership roles within the National, Mid-Atlantic, and North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Associations, reflecting her commitment to advancing athletic training practice and patient care.

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