Healthcare for Vermont's Physically Active Population

Kate Harney, MA, ATC hates khakis. There are much better fabrics out there that don’t stain when you get blood on them and she would rather choose one of those to wear. Also, she believes that khakis and snow don’t go together. Her snow pants go much further with meeting her needs. And they have pockets.

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Kate and her comfy pants can be found at VTSU Johnson as the Head Athletic Trainer and Senior Woman Administrator for ten months out of the year. She has held positions in the state as an AT at Stowe High School and Norwich University. She also taught in Norwich’s undergraduate AT, Health Science, Physical Education and Exercise Science programs.

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Right now, she really, really needs an Assistant Athletic Trainer at VTSU Johnson (our VTSU system is short 5 ATs). It’s not just full time positions that are hard to fill, it’s trying to find coverage that’s a nightmare. Kate does not think it’s just a problem for her either, she thinks it exists everywhere in the state. The VAAT needs to find a way to help recruit students into our Norwich and Castleton AT programs, and we need to figure out how to bring certifieds into our state. Vermont ATs face the same problems that other states are facing, including low salaries, availability of full time jobs and work life balance. These are issues Kate wants to be a part of solving for the good of this community in her stretchy, non-khaki pants.

I have been working as an athletic trainer in Vermont for 6 years, all of which I have spent at Middlebury College. I served on the NATA student leadership committee as an athletic training student at the University of Southern Maine before attending Indiana State's DAT program. I worked in the high school setting as a graduate student during my time at Indiana State where I helped propel our school towards achieving the safe sport school award for the first time. I am interested in serving as the secretary for the VAAT because I believe it is important to be an active member within our professional organizations and to continue pushing the profession forward in a positive direction.