COVID-19 Resources for Illinois Athletic Trainers

President's Message

Members,

In these unprecedented times your IATA BOD wants you to know that we are here for you. This communication is to provide you with resources. I had a meeting with many other state presidents, other leaders and NATA President Lindley today concerning the COVID-19 response and what we can do to provide support to you. We understand and are also living the reality of this pandemic.

For those of you in the traditional setting or other settings where your supplies are not being used, with the support of your administration, we would encourage you to donate these supplies to a local hospital or other healthcare facility that is in need. Additional ways that you can help are by donating blood to help those who have other medical issues requiring the need for blood. A couple of resources for this include Vitalant or the Red Cross. We would like to be able to show thanks and identify our members who have helped during this crisis. If you have worked on the front lines, donated supplies, or in some other way helped, please indicate so in this form.

Below are some resources concerning potential employment working on the front lines. These are resources for working in hospitals and and other front line positions to support the COVID-19 pandemic. If you or your employer are interested in addressing the staffing shortages in hospitals and other facilities, the IATA BOD is here to help. As your IATA President, I am willing to send a letter of support and have conversations with decision makers at hospitals and other healthcare facilities on your behalf. This letter will be about how Athletic Trainers can help on the front lines by addressing medical staffing shortages with our education and skill set. Please fill out this form to get this process started if you are interested in working on the front lines. Please have contact information for the decision maker ready when you fill out this form. I want to remind ATs across the state that we have many resources available to us, not just the ones listed in this email.

As of today, the Capitol Hill Day in Washington DC this May and the NATA Convention in Atlanta in June are still on as scheduled. The NATA will continue to work with appropriate resources to update these events as further information is available.

Your IATA BOD wishes you, your family, and friends continued health and safety.

Best Regards,

Holly Odean-Carpenter,MS,ATC

President, Illinois Athletic Trainers Association

ATs Care Resources

We recognize that currently, many of our lives have been significantly changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cancellations of meetings, working from home, and social isolation have affected our daily routines, and it is normal to feel a lack of control over the current circumstances.

ATs Care wants to ensure that as we are taking care of our families and patients, we continue to take care of ourselves. Resources for the COVID-19 response, including resources for self-care and mental health wellness can be found on NATA’s COVID-19 resource page. ATs Care is always available to be a supportive network as you need us. To reach our team quickly, please email ATsCare@nata.org.

Please take a minute to look at the infographic from ATs Care, titled Self Care Following a Critical Incident. There you will find suggestions of what to look for when identifying an AT in need, among other self-help suggestions.

ATS CARE CONTACT FORM

Go4Ellis to Place ATs in a Position to Help

The per-diem athletic training employment app, Go4Ellis has shifted their focus from sports healthcare to connecting athletic trainers with healthcare entities that are experiencing a shortage of medical personnel. Go4Ellis is offered as an NATA member benefit, and the NATA is currently encouraging ATs who are able, to download the app and/or update their profiles. For more information about this opportunity to help, please visit the Go4 Ellis website.

Please let us know, by filling out this form, if you reach out to a hospital or health organization, so that we may assist your efforts.

IDFPR Accommodates COVID-19 for Licensure Renewal Deadline

On March 18th, the IDFPR released a statement outlining the extension of the licensure renewal deadline for many professionals across the state. Licenses that expire between March 1st and July 31st of this year have a new expiration date of September 30th. This include the athletic training license. Furthermore, the continuing education requirement deadline will also be extended to September 30th. For more information, please read the IDFPR's press release.

See the IDFPR website for a list of all of the professions with renewal deadlines extended to September 30th.

Unemployment FAQs

Unemployment benefits may be available to some individuals whose unemployment is attributable to COVID-19. Illinois recently adopted emergency rules to try to make the unemployment insurance system as responsive to the current situation as possible. Please use the following resources if you are considering unemployment insurance in Illinois: State of Illinois Unemployment FAQs

Equipment Donations

Athletic trainers across the country have started to donate equipment that they aren't currently using to hospitals and health organizations that are in need of personal protective equipment (PPE). If you are able to do this, please consider donating items that you're not currently using to a local hospital or health organization. If you do donate, we would like to keep track of where your donations are going. Please fill out this form after you've donated PPE equipment. The most pressing needs right now include face masks and gloves.

The State of Illinois has developed this resource for identifying appropriate donations and recipients: https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/serve/Disaster/Pages/COVID-19-PPE-Donations.aspx

BOC Statement

All certified athletic trainers should have received a statement from the BOC regarding changes they've made in light of the current circumstances. If you missed this information, a summary is available below.

The BOC office remains available to handle questions and receive documents related to AT candidates and/or continuing education. Please contact BOC@bocatc.org or call (877) 262- 3926 for help.
The March/April exam has been canceled. Once testing is available again, the BOC will communicate scheduling options with candidates and program directors via email.
The BOC is communicating with Approved Providers regarding cancellation of events.
The BOC is working with ATs knowing that there will be lapses in ECC certification and issues finding classes due to cancellations.