Definition

§ 8351. Definition. 1. As used in this article "athletic trainer" means any person who is duly licensed in accordance with this article to perform athletic training under the supervision of a physician and limits his or her practice to secondary schools, institutions of postsecondary education, professional athletic organizations, amateur athletic organizations, non-profit athletic organizations, dance organizations, military academies and facilities of the United States, fire training programs or academies, and police training schools and academies. An athletic trainer may also, under the supervision of a physician in a health care organization or a physician's private practice, carry out comparable functions on orthopedic athletic injuries.

2. Supervision of an athletic trainer by a physician shall be continuous but shall not be construed as requiring the physical presence of the supervising physician at the time and place where such services are performed, provided however, that such supervision shall include a signed written agreement or protocol created collaboratively between the supervising physician and licensed athletic trainer. The written agreement or protocol shall address and describe the nature and scope of athletic training services to be performed by such licensed athletic trainer, in accordance with this title. Such written agreement or protocol shall be reviewed at least once a year by the supervising physician and athletic trainer and revised if necessary. No physician shall supervise more than four athletic trainers, except that such limitation shall not apply for athletic trainers practicing in secondary schools, and institutions of postsecondary education, who are practicing under the supervision of a physician who serves as the medical director for such school or institution.

3. An athletic trainer shall make a written or oral referral to a physician of any individual being treated for an orthopedic athletic injury whose symptoms have not improved for a period of four days from the day of onset. An individual treated for an orthopedic athletic injury by an athletic trainer in a healthcare organization or a physician's private practice shall receive a medical evaluation or reevaluation if treatment by the athletic trainer exceeds two weeks.

4. The scope of work described in this section shall not be construed as authorizing the management and treatment of acute, subacute, or chronic neurological pathologies and comorbidities or neurological disease processes. Athletic trainers may, however, perform an initial evaluation and triage of emergent neurological conditions such as potential concussions, spinal cord injuries or nerve injuries that result from engagement in athletic activity, and following the individual's clearance by the supervising physician, the athletic trainer may work with the individual pursuant to the signed written agreement or protocol to manage, monitor and treat concussions and peripheral nerve injuries in such settings as part of the rehabilitation to return to athletic activity subject to the limitations of subdivision one of this section.