AOSSM Expresses Gratitude to Sens. Thune and Klobuchar for Introducing S.2220 to Provide Licensure Clarity for Sports Medicine Professionals
Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 10, 2014 -- The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) welcomes the introduction of S.2220 by Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). This bill would provide licensure clarity for sports medicine professionals who travel to another state with an athletic team solely to provide care for that team. As the leading national association representing more than 3,000 orthopaedic surgeons who specialize in sports medicine, the AOSSM strongly supports S.2220’s effort to preserve sports medicine providers’ access to their medical liability insurance coverage when they travel across state lines with athletic teams. By protecting sports medicine providers traveling to a secondary state with sports teams, this bill enables team practitioners to efficiently provide high-quality health care services to injured athletes.
“Providing professional treatment as team physicians for the athletes we work with, no matter the state we travel to, should not put our careers or athletes’ well-being at risk,” said AOSSM President, Jo Hannafin, MD, PhD. “This bill allows team physicians to provide expert care to our athletes while travelling to out of state events without fear of state licensing and liability issues. The AOSSM and its members thank Senators Thune and Klobuchar for recognizing the role of the team physician and for helping provide this piece of mind.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar also commented on the bill’s introduction. “Treating athletes on the road is a fact of life for sports medicine professionals and they should be able to do so without facing unnecessary legal risks,” Klobuchar said. “This common sense bill will help improve the quality of care for our athletes and give sports medicine professionals the protections they need to do their jobs effectively regardless of what state they are in.”
The AOSSM is committed to preserving continuity of care for athletes. This bill will safeguard injured athletes’ timely access to health care professionals who best know their medical history.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine education, research, communication and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. AOSSM is also a founding partner of the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to prevent overuse and traumatic sports injuries in kids.
Lisa Weisenberger, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, http://www.sportsmed.org, +1 (847) 655-8647, [email protected]
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