Athletic Trainer

The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics LL; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics LL in Bethesda, MD is seeking an Athletic Trainer to support patients from initial check-in through discharge. You will translate physician needs into calm, well-managed visits and help patients understand and follow treatment plans.

Responsibilities include documenting patient histories in the EHR, providing home exercise guidance, and assisting in in-office procedures while ensuring HIPAA/OSHA compliance and patient safety throughout every interaction.

Qualifications

• Current NATA-BOC certification.
• State licensure or registration as an Athletic Trainer.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced clinical environment.
• Strong communication skills to translate clinical information between patients and physicians.

Responsibilities

• Owns the patient experience from check-in to check-out, guiding patients through the clinic to keep visits on pace.
• Serves as the clinical liaison between patient, medical assistant, and physician, ensuring timely information flow.
• Collects and documents patient history and clinical data accurately in the EHR.
• Provides patients with home exercise protocols and ensures they understand them.
• Fits patients for braces and crutches and educates proper use.
• Maintains HIPAA and OSHA compliance at all times, including safe handling of blood and bodily fluids.
• Takes and interprets vital signs and flags abnormal results.
• Assists with wound care, dressing changes, and post-operative procedures.
• Coordinates or assists in MRI authorizations and clinical inventory management.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Adaptability in a fast-paced clinic

Clinical documentation in EHR

Job description

For most of our patients, the Athletic Trainer is the first clinical face they see and the person they trust most throughout their visit. You set the tone for how a patient experiences our practice — translating what the physician needs into a calm, well-managed visit, and translating what the patient is feeling into information the physician can act on. In a fast-paced orthopaedic clinic, your judgment and steady presence directly shape whether a patient leaves feeling cared for and confident in their treatment plan.

Core Responsibilities

• Owns the patient experience from check-in to check-out — guiding patients between the waiting room, exam room, cast room, and X-ray area, and keeping the visit on pace.
• Serves as the clinical liaison between the patient, medical assistant, and physician, making sure the right information reaches the right person at the right time.
• Collects and documents patient history and clinical data accurately in the EHR.
• Provides patients with home exercise protocols as directed by the physician, and ensures patients understand and can follow them.
• Fits patients for braces and crutches and educates them on proper use.
• Maintains strict compliance with HIPAA and OSHA guidelines at all times, including safe handling of blood and bodily fluids.

Secondary Responsibilities

• Takes and interprets vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, respiration, temperature), flagging abnormal results.
• Performs suture or staple removal for post-operative patients.
• Assists the physician directly during in-office procedures.
• Performs wound care and dressing changes.
• Monitors the clinical phone line and patient portal, responding to patient questions and providing follow-up instructions.
• Assists with clinical inventory management, tracking, and ordering.
• Coordinates or assists in coordinating MRI authorizations.

What Success Looks Like

By 90 days, a successful Athletic Trainer in this role will:

• Manage the patient flow for an assigned physician’s clinic with minimal oversight, keeping visits on schedule.
• Accurately and independently document patient history and visit data in the EHR.
• Be a trusted point of contact for patients during brace/crutch fitting and home exercise instruction, with patients reporting clear understanding of their care plan.
• Demonstrate full compliance with HIPAA and OSHA protocols without prompting.

Qualifications

Required

• Current NATA-BOC certification.
• State licensure, certification, or registration as an Athletic Trainer (or actively in process of obtaining).
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced clinical environment and managing multiple patients simultaneously.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate clinical information clearly between patients and physicians.

Preferred

• Prior experience in a medical or clinical setting, orthopaedic experience a plus.
• Familiarity with electronic health record (EHR) systems.
• Experience with wound care, suture/staple removal, or assisting with in-office procedures.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

This is an active, hands-on clinical role. Candidates should be able to:

• Stand, walk, bend, kneel, stretch, and stoop for extended periods throughout the clinic day.
• Lift and assist patients as needed, including support during transfers or ambulation.
• Demonstrate fine motor control and eye-hand coordination sufficient for tasks such as suture or staple removal and wound care.
• Hear and see clearly enough to interact with patients directly and accurately document information in the electronic chart.
• Manage high-stress, fast-paced situations while multitasking and communicating effectively with patients, physicians, and staff.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.