Athletic Training - Policies
General Information
The Athletic Training Department at UVa-Wise provides care, prevention, management, and rehabilitation of injuries commonly occurring in intercollegiate athletics. The Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Trainer(s) also provide instruction and guidance to student athletic trainers who assist with the health care needs of the student-athletes in their respective sports.
Coordination of Care for Injured or lll Student-Athletes
Coaches will instruct student-athletes to report to the Athletic Training Room when he/she is advised of a student-athlete’s injury or illness. In the Athletic Training Room, a certified Athletic Trainer will evaluate the student-athlete’s condition and will refer the student-athlete to the necessary physician when appropriate. Coaches shall neither require nor permit an injured or ill student-athlete to participate without approval of the Athletic Trainer. Injured athletes are required to report for rehabilitation and treatment as instructed by the Athletic Trainers. Injury, medical condition and participation status reports will be provided to the coaches by the Athletic Trainers.
Payment of Medical Expenses
All student-athletes are required to maintain primary insurance coverage in order to participate in athletics at UVa-Wise. Student-athletes are responsible for notifying the Athletic Training Staff of any coverage or policy changes during the school year. If a student-athlete does not maintain or have primary coverage during the unfortunate event of injury, the student-athlete may be liable for all medical expenses and will not be allowed to participate in athletics until primary coverage has been reinstated.
Members of the UVa-Wise intercollegiate athletics teams may be covered for athletic injuries by the College’s athletic insurance policy under the following conditions:
1. The student-athlete must be an official member of an UVa-Wise intercollegiate athletic team.
2. The injury must have occurred while the student-athlete was engaging in athletic department supervised conditioning, practice or contests.
3. The student-athlete must have a physician referral from the Athletic Training Department. UVa-Wise has fostered positive relationships with medical providers in the area who have consistently provided high quality service to UVa-Wise student-athletes. Members of the UVa-Wise Athletic Training Department will refer student-athletes to these providers, unless extenuating circumstances necessitate a different provider. All student-athletes must be seen and evaluated by a certified Athletic Trainer before a referral to an approved physician will be made, except in cases of medical emergency. In such cases, student-athletes are required to notify the Athletic Training Department of their injury as soon as practical. Appropriate referrals are required for diagnostic testing and follow-up care.
4. The medical care must be rendered by the referred physician.
5. The student-athlete must submit a claim for the medical attention to his or her personal insurance for primary coverage.
If these conditions are met, the College will submit a claim for the balance remaining to the athletic insurance carrier for secondary coverage after explanation of benefit (EOB’s) and secondary statements are received by the Athletic Training Department. The UVa-Wise Athletic Training Department will assist the student-athlete with this process. Medical expenses recorded after the student-athlete has been released by the attending physician are not the responsibility of UVa-Wise. Any student-athlete who takes it upon himself/herself to be treated by other medical sources without specific authorization from the Athletic Training Department does so at his/her own expense.
