ATHLETIC TRAINING

Viterbo University Athletics has affiliated with Gundersen Lutheran Sports Medicine to provide state of the art sports medicine care for its student-athletes. This affiliation allows the University to have benefit from the services of Gundersen Lutheran’s Athletic Training Staff during the academic year.

Certified Athletic Trainers (ATC) are allied medical professionals, recognized by the American Medical Association, whose work focuses on the prevention, recognition, evaluation, emergency care, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. It is the responsibility of the AT staff to insure the student-athlete’s safe return to participation after an injury by facilitating comprehensive care. Each of Gundersen Lutheran’s ATCs is Certified by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification and licensed to practice in the State of Wisconsin.

Gundersen Lutheran Sports Medicine employs 11 full-time and 8 part-time ATCs who provide outreach services to 30 Coulee Region schools.

The special affiliation between VU and GL allows streamlined access to Sports Medicine Fellowship Trained Orthopedic Surgeons and Family Practice physician when necessary. Additionally, VU athletes benefit from receiving some of the injury rehabiliation services from GL’s experienced physical therapists.

Additionally, in 2003, the University entered into a contract for initial eating disorder assessments with Gundersen Lutheran Nutrition Services/Eating Disorders Clinic.

Periodically, the athletic trainers arrange for special consultations and presentations from other medical specialties such as Otolaryngology, Urgent Care, Family Practice, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery—thus providing comprehensive care and medical education to the VU student-athlete.