Apr 16, 2020Athletic trainers jump to COVID-19 frontlines
Athletic trainers, much like many in the world of athletics, have been shut out of doing their everyday jobs. But trainers, among other healthcare professionals, in Ohio are being retrained and redeployed to the frontlines in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
In a recent report from WKRC Local 12 Cincinnati, Ken Rushford is highlighted as one of the athletic trainers using his previous experience to aid hospitals and provide care to those in need.
“Normally, I’d be working at St. Xavier High School with the athletes there,” Rushford said to WKRC. “Since the COVID virus has been around, Tri-Health has deployed us to other settings to assist the patients out there.”
Taking temperatures, checking blood pressure, taking pulses: the skills all transferred over to help during the response to coronavirus. Their jobs now consist of providing physical therapy, screening patients, even administering coronavirus tests.
Other healthcare professionals include nurse practitioners, physical therapists and more.
» Related: In Mississippi, athletic trainers find work helping hospitals
“Athletic trainers are more…than the men and women that get the towels, that get the water, that get the Gatorade and tape ankles,” Rushford told WKRC. “We can be out in the general population and do just about anything else the health care providers can do.”
To read the full story and see the video package produced by WKRC Local 12 Cincinnati, click here.
