Intermountain Healthcare wins bid to place athletic trainers in Iron County schools

CEDAR CITY –  The Iron County School District voted unanimously Wednesday evening to grant Intermountain Healthcare the bid to put an athletic trainer in each of the three high schools in the county – Cedar High, Canyon View High and Parowan High.

Kyle Wood-3A State Championships, Cedar  City, Utah, Mar. 1, 2014 | Photo by Robert  Hoppie, St. George News
Kyle Wood-3A State Championships, Cedar City, Utah, Mar. 1, 2014 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, St. George News

An athletic trainer is a health care professional that provides expertise in injury prevention, evaluation of existing injuries, first aid and emergency care, and the recovery and rehabilitation  of injuries.

Most schools provide an athletic trainer that is hired through the institution. The collaboration with the Iron County School District and Intermountain Healthcare is a unique opportunity for the area.

Iron County families will be surprised at the value an athletic trainer will be to a high school, said Ted Hugunin, director of rehabilitation services at Dixie Regional Medical Center.

Canyon View at Dixie, St. George, Utah, Apr. 16, 2014 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, St. George News
Canyon View at Dixie, St. George, Utah, Apr. 16, 2014 | Photo by Robert Hoppie, St. George News

“It’s a huge layer of security and education about preventing injuries,” Hugunin said, “the resource and the reassurance that a student athlete is getting the right care at the right time.”

The school district agreed to pay $7,000 a year to each of the three high schools for their trainers, while Intermountain Healthcare will pay the rest of the trainer salary, benefits package, trainings and supplies.

After the hiring process, a two-month orientation will take place to prepare trainers for the upcoming high school football season.

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4 Comments

  • Patti April 25, 2014 at 9:27 pm

    Worse decision ever made. Just ask us down here in St. George. The Dixie trainer only works hard during football season. Sad day for Iron County. Hope u don’t suffer as much as we do down here.

  • Patti April 25, 2014 at 9:28 pm

    Oh yeah good thing I’m a nurse and my doc comes to every game. That’s how bad Intermountain is… No support!!!

  • Steve April 26, 2014 at 12:45 am

    Why is a multi-million dollar non-profit entity eating up tax payer education funds for an after school activity that has little to do with education?

  • Dave April 26, 2014 at 2:19 pm

    Inter mountain uses the trainers as a self referral system to their employed physicians. Not the best care for our student athletes. Parents use your own judgement and always get a second opinion. Physicians not employed by IHC are often overlooked and will not be referred to. This is illegal especially for a non tax paying institution. Parents please support the physicians who have supported your schools and communities for years.

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