March is National Athletic Training Month, and we want to celebrate our exceptional team of athletic trainers in our Advanced Health Services clinic.
Impact on Patient Care
One of the biggest responsibilities of the Advanced Health Services team is to make it easy for student athletes to obtain appointments with our specialists when they’ve been injured. Our athletic trainers aim to make the whole process as seamless as possible for the athletes, their parents, their coaches, and their athletic directors. According to Jennifer Brockhoff, director of Advanced Health Services, “Our goal is to make it a smooth transition from getting the athlete off the playing field or court into the clinic when they need to be, and then back to the field or court as soon as they need to be.”
The Athletic Trainers
Our athletic trainers provide sports medicine services for seven area high school and occupational medicine services for Northeast Kansas businesses. When the program first started, our trainers only provided services for Atchison High School, but now they also service Hiawatha, Pleasant Ridge, Maur Hill, Jefferson County North, Oskaloosa, and Horton. They most recently expanded to offer sports medicine and athletic training services in our Leavenworth Clinic.
There are five board-certified athletic trainers that staff our Advanced Health Services clinic:
- Jennifer Brockhoff – Director Advanced Health Services
- Tyler Heintzelman – Athletic Trainer, Technician
- Logan Lauer – Athletic Trainer, Technician, Leavenworth Clinic
- Brandon Pokrandt – Athletic Trainer, Technician
- Jeff Hale – Athletic Trainer, Technician
Sports Medicine
Our trainers are very involved with the sports programs of seven area high schools. Twice a week, they go into different high schools in Northeast Kansas and hold injury clinics. If the injuries are serious, the athletic trainers refer the students to a provider for a more comprehensive evaluation.
Our athletic trainers also attend high school sporting events in Northeast Kansas. They are on hand at all football, basketball, baseball, softball, and wrestling events in case an athlete gets injured during the game or match. Being involved in high school sports is a great way for the trainers to cultivate relationships with student athletes, families, and coaches in the community.
Our trainers attend the sporting events of the following schools:
- Hiawatha – Jennifer Brockhoff
- Atchison – Brandon Pokrandt
- Pleasant Ridge – Logan Lauer
- Maur Hill – Tyler Heintzelman
- Jefferson County North – Jeff Hale
- Oskaloosa – Jeff Hale, Brandon Pokrandt, Tyler Heintzelman
- Horton – Jennifer Brockhoff, Brandon Pokrandt, Margo Chartier
Occupational Medicine
Our athletic trainers are all cross trained to provide occupational medicine services as well. They work with businesses and organizations in Northeast Kansas to perform annual hearing testing, wellness screenings, spirometry testing, annual fit testing, pre-employment physicals, and drug screenings.
Adjustments during Coronavirus Preparedness
Our athletic trainers have been particularly flexible as needs have changed due to COVID-19 preparedness. There is less need for sports medicine services since KSHAA ended high school sports for the 2020 school year; however, many employers are still hiring new employees. The clinic continues to perform DoT wellness and employment exams and other business health services. Our athletic trainers have also been available to assist with COVID preparedness procedures in the clinic, taking temperatures and screening people as they enter the building to ensure all patients have access to medical care during this time.