Atrium Health is proud to serve as the Official Health Care Provider of more than 100 schools, offering expert Team Doctors and Athletic Trainers for your school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, and Lincoln counties, and the Fort Mill School District.
Our mission is to keep your student-athlete and our community healthy, safe and injury-free. Each month, we will be spotlighting some of our dedicated Team Doctors and Athletic Trainers and sharing tips and exciting news in the world of sports medicine and high school athletics.
Many high school athletes across North Carolina get their sports medicine care the old-fashioned way: from a coach with basic first aid training, or a teacher who took a 10-hour course to become a “state-approved first responder.” That patchwork system has left student-athletes in many communities without consistent access to real healthcare professionals.
Atrium Health wants more for the communities it serves.
Through their innovative partnership with the schools in the Greater Charlotte region, Atrium Health has created something closer to what you’d find at a Division I college program than a typical public school system. Licensed Athletic Trainers employed by Atrium work full-time on campus, building relationships with students and families while providing direct access to some of the region’s top sports medicine specialists.
The difference isn’t just in the quality of care, it’s in how quickly that care happens, and how seamlessly students move from injury to recovery.
Beyond the Tape and Ice
Katie Hanes-Romano has seen both sides of this equation. As Atrium Health’s Central Region Athletic Training Manager, she oversees programs across multiple school districts. But she also remembers her own high school experience, when no Athletic Trainer was available at all.
“We see our athletes every day,” Katie explains. “We know them by name, we know their faces, we know their families.”
That daily presence creates something most high school athletes never experience: genuine relationships with healthcare professionals who understand both their sport and their aspirations. These Athletic Trainers become mentors and advocates, not just emergency responders.
Morgan Edwards, a recent graduate, says her Athletic Trainer, Hannah Bramblett, exemplifies this approach at Cuthbertson High School in Union County, where her athletic training room has become a hub for both treatment and prevention. Between pulled quads and persistent scapular pain, Morgan dealt with multiple injuries that could have derailed her athletic career.
“I was just a freshman when I had my first injury,” Morgan recalls. “I didn’t even know someone like Hannah was there to help me. But she made time for me, just like she does for every athlete. She helped me stay calm, manage the pain, and get back to doing what I love.”
The Network Effect
What sets Atrium Health’s approach apart isn’t just having licensed professionals on campus. It’s the network they’ve built that activates when injuries require specialized care. In other school systems, families often struggle to navigate insurance requirements and specialist referrals. Students in Atrium’s program get fast-tracked through the health system’s sports medicine infrastructure.
Athletic Trainers have direct communication with team physicians from Atrium’s Musculoskeletal Institute, specialists who focus specifically on sport-related injuries rather than general pediatric medicine. When an Athletic Trainer suspects an ACL tear or identifies a concerning concussion, they can text the team physician directly and get students seen within days, rather than weeks.
“Our Athletic Trainers bridge the gap between injury and return-to-play,” Katie says. “They’re able to get athletes seen faster, get tests done faster, and really move them through the recovery process because of those established relationships.
Morgan’s father, Shaun Edwards, experienced this firsthand.
“Just knowing someone was immediately available made a huge difference,” he says. “We trusted Hannah completely. She helped guide us through the process and gave Morgan the right advice from the beginning.”
That seamless coordination extends throughout the recovery process. When students need physical therapy or follow-up care, Athletic Trainers help coordinate appointments and maintain communication with families. Morgan’s mother, Ginger Edwards, appreciated never having to wonder what was happening next.
“There was never a gap in communication,” she said. “If we had questions, we could reach out directly. But Morgan usually knew exactly what was going on because Hannah kept her well-informed.”
When Seconds Count
For Nelson Garner, Union County’s Athletic Director, the value of Atrium Health’s program becomes clearest in a crisis. Earlier this year, a football player sustained what appeared to be a spinal injury during practice. It was the kind of scenario that would normally create panic among teammates, coaches, and families.
“The Athletic Trainer on site did a phenomenal job of not only securing the student-athlete to the spinal board, but also bringing a calm and reassuring presence,” Nelson recalls. “That kind of response comes from experience and training.”
Beyond emergency response, Atrium Health’s program helps school districts exceed North Carolina’s requirements for Athletic Trainer coverage while providing broader health initiatives. The Heart of a Champion program offers comprehensive annual physicals that screen for cardiac issues and other health concerns before students begin their seasons.
“It’s one of the most comprehensive youth sports screenings in the region,” Nelson says. “It’s another example of how Atrium Health goes above and beyond.”
Building the Gold Standard
The impact on students like Morgan extends beyond their high school careers. Watching her Athletic Trainer’s dedication to every athlete has inspired Morgan to pursue Athletic Training herself. She says she wants to provide the same level of care for future student-athletes.
“Seeing how much she cared about every athlete really influenced me. This is what I want to do,” says Morgan.
In 2021, Hannah’s first year at Cutherbertson, she established a sports medicine student aid program. She has trained 8-10 student volunteers over the last four years. Morgan is a graduate from that program, and Hannah couldn’t be more proud. She knows exactly the kind of impact she’s had on Morgan, and it’s mutual.
“I hope that anyone who has had an encounter with me knows how much passion I have for what I do,” Hannah says. “The athletes are my reason why. I am lucky enough to have someone like Morgan work under me for all four years of high school. It would be a full circle moment in my career to work with her again one day.”
For Katie, that kind of influence represents Atrium’s broader vision for sports medicine. After nearly 20 years as an Athletic Trainer, she sees the Atrium Health Athletic Trainer program as a model that could reshape how healthcare systems support young athletes nationwide.
“We want to be the gold standard — not just in North Carolina, but nationally,” she says. “We’ve had applicants say they’ve heard about our program from professors and mentors. That says a lot.”
For families throughout the communities Atrium serves, this partnership has transformed what it means to be a student-athlete. Where parents once faced the daunting prospect of navigating complex healthcare systems alone, they now have trusted advocates who know their children and understand their goals.
“When you send your child to one of our schools for athletics, you can be assured they’ll have a qualified and caring Athletic Trainer taking care of them, plus a group of doctors supporting them behind the scenes,” says Nelson. “This is truly what a community healthcare partnership should look like.”
To learn more about why Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute is the region’s leader in orthopedics and sports medicine care, click here. To schedule an appointment with an Orthopedic or Sports Medicine specialist, call 704-863-HURT (4878) or schedule online.
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