One key component to ensuring the best possible medical care for athletes is to have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place for each and every sports venue. It is standard practice for Athletic Training and Sports Medicine departments at all levels to have an action plan in place in case of an emergency.
Tory Lindley, MS ATC, who serves as President of the National Athletic Trainer's Association, recently contributed an article in the USA Today High School Sports section about the importance of EAPs. He discusses what an EAP is, and their importance in,
"providing a quick, appropriate and coordinated response in the wake of an injury." Click here to access the full article.
EAPs are designed to be
venue-specific, identify personnel involved and their roles, the communication process, emergency equipment location, transportation guidelines, response time, and more. A venue specific EAP should be easy to find, define who is in charge of the situation, outline the chain of communication, list of equipment needed, directions to the venue/injury site, and a plan for where to transport the injured athlete.
At Orthopedic ONE, we have EAPs in place at all facilities and venues where we provide Sports Medicine coverage. As a coach or parent, please feel free to approach our athletic trainers on duty about the EAP in place. If you are comfortable and able, it may be of great help to assist in response efforts with the athletic trainer if a situation should arise.
While it is not possible to have all games or training sessions at the club sports level covered by medical personnel, it is important for parents and coaches to be as prepared as possible to handle a situation if one occurs. Consider preparing and implementing an EAP of your own based on these tips, and feel free to speak with our athletic trainers for guidance.
Orthopedic ONE Clinic Hours
- Mondays from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at SuperKick (with Chris Kent, PT, AT)
- Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at Liberty Park South (with Josh Horn, AT)
Please continue to utilize the Orthopedic ONE Sports Injury Hotline at 614-827-8210 for sports injury concerns requiring immediate response.