Context Health care cost continues to rise; the US continues to spend dramatically more money than other developed nations per individual without increased health outcomes. More individuals are finding it harder to get access to a health care provider, especially those in medically underserved areas and populations. Objective To increase the knowledge of the athletic training educator about medically underserved populations and the roles athletic trainers (ATs) play as leaders in health care delivery. Background Current and future physician shortages are known and are only going to increase as more than one-third of current primary care physicians are expected to retire in the next 10 years. Forty percent of the population lives in areas that are medically underserved and designated by the government as areas of professional medical shortage; patients in these areas are primarily served by primary care physicians. Synthesis As with access to physicians, access to ATs has been shown to be based upon socioeconomic status and presents more challenges for the medically underserved. Early access to health care providers has shown to be important in adolescents, as negative health behaviors can carry into adulthood, leading to poorer health-related outcomes throughout life. Recommendation(s) To ensure that athletic training educational programs include opportunities to provide service to the medically underserved, education on social determinates of health, and the means by which ATs can fill critical holes in providing care for these patients. More research is needed to validate ATs' roles in providing quality health care. Additionally, more research is needed around how AT education can help meet patient needs. Conclusion(s) As the athletic training profession continues to evolve and responds to the growing demands of the complex health care system, access to an AT may provide a vital bridge to overall health care for patients within medically underserved populations.

Context: Postprofessional residency (PPR) programs continue to gain popularity as athletic training education prepares for a paradigm shift. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education has established didactic and clinical infrastructure for PPRs seeking accreditation. Accredited programs provide athletic trainers (ATs) with an advanced level of knowledge in a focused area of clinical practice. Objective: A case study report to introduce a novel PPR general medical rotation to illustrate the skills and knowledge of ATs, evaluate the impact of the athletic training residents in the rural family practice (FP) setting, and to discuss how employing an AT in this setting aligns with the triple aim of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Background: Currently, there is very little literature regarding PPRs. Additionally, very little research exists describing how ATs function within the ACA model of health care delivery. Description: The PPR developed a rotation for a rural FP outpatient clinic. Athletic training residents completed 3-week rotations in this setting working with multiple providers. Learning objectives were created to emphasize the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of general medical conditions. Objectives were assessed at the conclusion of the rotation. Finally, data were collected to evaluate the impact of athletic training residents in the ACA model of health care delivery. Clinical Advantage(s): The athletic training residents improved their clinical evaluation and diagnosis skills in a FP clinic through this educational opportunity. This rotation cultivated and fostered interdisciplinary education and interprofessional collaboration. Finally, the observational findings of this rotation revealed the impact of ATs appear to align with the objectives of the ACA health care model, supporting the use of ATs in this role. Conclusion(s): This rotation highlights an area of clinical practice future ATs could pursue. Accredited PPR programs must consider the evolution in health care delivery and the shift in athletic training education standards to develop strong PP programs.

Context: Postprofessional athletic training residencies (PP-ATRs) are formal educational programs that provide advanced professional preparation for an athletic trainer. These programs are intended to provide clinical and didactic education in a focused area of clinical practice. Identifying and procuring funding to support athletic training residencies can be extremely difficult.Objective: To provide a basic understanding of the foundational requirements of a PP-ATR and to explain some of the basic principles behind funding a PP-ATR. Conclusion(s):Orthopaedic and physical therapy residencies have been able to demonstrate supporting the costs of those residencies through billable patient visits and/or improving clinic efficiency. As they progress through training, athletic training residents are able to increase patient volumes by 3-4 patients in a physician practice setting. In addition, the resident also indirectly generates revenue for the practice, thus offsetting the cost of the residency.