Athletic Trainer Tiffany Evans joins Siloam Springs School District Athletic Department
1/6/2014
Ensuring student athletes stay healthy and safe is an important concern for parents. Siloam Springs Regional Hospital (SSRH) has made that a little easier by providing Athletic Trainer Tiffany Evans to support Siloam Springs School District’s athletics department and fellow Athletic Trainer Brian Nitz.
As an athletic trainer, Evans provides many services to the school district including: education on injury prevention; evaluation and treatment of injuries; on-site care during practices at the middle and high school level; on-site care at home games and away
games; rehabilitation of injuries in the schools; quick referrals to physicians when needed; and nutrition assistance.
“Supporting our local students is a priority at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital and by partnering with Siloam Springs Public Schools and assisting athletic trainer services, our goal is to care for the student athletes of our community,” Kevin Clement, chief executive officer at SSRH, said. “Tiffany Evans is a welcome addition to the team, and she is working closely with athletic staff to provide students with the best care.”
Evans earned her bachelor’s degree in athletic training and successfully passed the board of certification exam. She has been working to improve the health of athletes since 2011. For the past two years, Evans provided onsite care at Stockton High School in Missouri as an outreach athletic trainer. She and her husband, Caleb, recently moved to the Siloam Springs area.
“I originally went into athletic training as a way to get into physical therapy school,” Evans said. “As I began my job shadowing for the application process I realized that I was for sure an athletic trainer. I enjoy the dynamic environment of working with athletes, their willingness to get better and get back to their sport, and their desire to try new rehab methods and techniques.”
This past fall, Evans worked with the seventh through eighth grade football teams and assisted with the varsity football team. Now she is working with basketball seventh grade practices as well as the junior varsity and varsity games and practice.
“I have really enjoyed working for the district,” she said. “The coaches, players and parents have all been very welcoming.”
Although she is only halfway through the school year, Evans has been busy helping athletes get back on their feet.
“I am currently working with several basketball players who had surgery in the off season,” Evans said. “Our goal for them is to have them back on the court after the holiday break. I think my biggest impact has been felt in varsity football. Having two athletic trainers – myself and Brian Nitz – to care for the athletes has led to more students getting the treatment they need, more effective sideline management of injuries and the ability to treat and rehab multiple athletes at the same time.”
“For us, it’s huge to have extra coverage and another athletic trainer on staff,” said Kevin Downing, Siloam Springs School District athletic director. “We’ve noticed a difference and having more coverage has really helped. Tiffany fits in well with the program; the kids like her and respond well to her. And she definitely knows what she’s doing. It’s just really big for us to have two quality trainers. They’ve both been outstanding.”
“The students really like Tiffany – she fits in well and relates well with the kids and the coaches which is a huge thing.” Nitz said. He noted that having Evans on staff has allowed the schools to give better and more complete care to students.
“Especially for the junior high students and off-season athletes,” Nitz said. “Having her on staff has allowed me to stay with the off-season sports and make sure everyone is covered. Now we can do long-term rehab with a lot of kids that we sometimes couldn’t go on with before.”
Evans said she is looking forward to watching the girls’ soccer team play since she has been working with some of the students.
“I’ve been helping several athletes in the off season recover from surgery and I’m excited to see them back on the field playing,” she said. “My athletes are the best part of my job. I really enjoy getting to see them achieve their full potential.”
About Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
Siloam Springs Regional Hospital is a 73 licensed bed facility with 42 private patient rooms. It is accredited by the State of Arkansas Department of Health Services and The Joint Commission. Some services include inpatient and outpatient surgery, emergency medicine, medical, surgical and intensive care units, obstetrics, outpatient diagnostic services and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. With more than 30 physicians on the medical staff, Siloam Springs Regional Hospital provides compassionate, customer-focused care. The new facility, which opened April 2012, is located at 603 N. Progress Ave. in Siloam Springs, Ark. For more information, visit SSRH.net.
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