Program leaders say athletic trainers covered nearly 1,300 student-athletes and recorded 74 concussions in fall and winter

Britt Eudy, the program director, told the board the district’s contracted athletic training program serves nearly 1,300 student-athletes across three high schools and provides free services to athletes and some staff.

"Our total athlete exposure is just shy of 105,000," Jennifer Jewell, the program’s clinical coordinator, told trustees as she reviewed fall and winter data. She said trainers averaged about 148 days on site during those seasons and covered about 570 games and contests with full home-event coverage.

The program relies on partners such as Portnuff and Ardent, Eudy said, and recently moved to Epic as its electronic medical record system so physicians and trainers can view notes and coordinate care more quickly. Eudy asked the board to consider additional field supplies and UTVs for faster on-field response at some sites.

Trustees heard several operational details: the report lists four ambulance transports during fall and winter; 74 concussions were recorded in the fall/winter period, with spring seasons expected to add roughly 10 more district-wide; and the program estimates the value added per athletic-training contact at about $25 when compared to billed health-care visits.

Eudy emphasized that services are free at the point of care and that Portnuff covers consumables and many supplies. "Portnuff covers that," she said when asked who paid for tape, ice and mats. Staff also credited the Epic implementation with improving same-day and next-day physician access for student-athletes.

Board members asked about line-item clarity and the calculation behind the program’s "value added" estimate. Staff said the $25 figure is an average drawn from Medicaid and other typical fees, not a billing amount charged to families.

The district did not vote on funding changes at the meeting; the presentation was provided for review and to help the board consider supply and equipment requests in later budget discussions.