Senate Bill 3963 Access to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitative Services Improvement Act of 2006

Fellow College and University ATCs,

Happy Thanksgiving!  All of us have many things to be thankful for on this day.  I hope each of you enjoy the holiday and share time with your family and friends.

After Thanksgiving, I would encourage each of you next week to consider writing a letter to your respective senators regarding Senate Bill 3963 Access to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitative Services Improvement Act of 2006.  As collegiate athletic trainers, we have a unique draw to politicians with the high visibility of our intercollegiate athletic programs.  They frequently visit campuses and often attend sporting events.  Please take the time to educate your senators regarding this bill which has important national healthcare implications regarding our profession of athletic training.  Invite your senators to visit your facilities, meet your staff and students and, if you have an athletic training education program, attend one of your classes.  I have attached a sample letter which I sent to our Georgia senators.  I simply took the model letter (click for example) from NATA and customized.  The NATA website has an excellent link providing additional information at: https://www.nata.org/members1/gov_affairs/bill3963/index.cfm

I believe that it is important for college and university athletic trainers to get involved.  Please encourage participation with your CUATC sub-committee members and college and university athletic trainers in your district.

Once again, have a great Thanksgiving holiday!  Take care and God Bless!

Ron

Ron Courson, ATC, PT, NREMT-I, CSCS

Director of Sports Medicine

University of Georgia Athletic Association

Butts-Mehre Hall

1 Selig Circle

POB 1472

Athens, GA 30603-1472

rcourson@sports.uga.edu

tel: (706) 542-9060

College and University ATCs,

I would like to echo the thoughts and encouragements of Ron Courson (below) in an effort to support Senate Bill 3963.  In my opinion this will and is having a tremendous impact in the collegiate setting as well as in other setting in our profession.  I would encourage each of you to get involved in the process by talking with those on your campuses and communities and learning about the political process.  This is not a time for us to be on the sidelines and behind the scenes but at mid field / court as this will have a bearing on the quality of heath care you are able to delivery to your student athletes, if not in the short term then in long haul.

I would also encourage you to learn who your state and district representatives are for College and University Athletic Athletic Trainers Committee (CUATC) and stay tuned to what they are doing.  I can assure you that you are represented well.  For more information on CUATC including your district representation please visit http://www.nata.org/members1/committees/cuatc/index.cfm . You may also access CUATC from our CSMF web site at www.csmfoundation.org .

Each of us can play a part, it is what being a member of an organization is all about.

Best wishes,

Brian Anderson, ATC