Get Ready to Roll! The MWCEA Annual Conference Starts Sept. 18.

Wednesday, September 14th, 2022

MWCEA Annual Conference — Sept. 18-21

Pack those bags and head to Ocean City, Maryland for the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Education Association’s Annual Conference.

Be sure to visit ATF Medical’s Booth #82 and chat with Rick Wyche.  He’ll tell you about the latest in rehab technology and how we can customize solutions for your injured worker.

 

Coming Soon: Maryland Workers’ Comp Conference

Thursday, September 1st, 2022

The 2022 MWCEA Conference

September 18 – 21, 2022

Make plans to attend the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Education Annual Conference (MWCEA).

ATF Medical’s Rick Wyche will be there, ready to tell you about the latest in rehab technology. There are more amazing accessibility and mobility products available now than ever.  Find out how we can customize a solution for your injured worker.

The 2022 MWCEA Conference will be held September 18-21 at the Ocean City Fontainebleau Resort in Ocean City, MD.

Support CMS Coverage of Seat Elevation for Power Wheelchairs

Tuesday, August 30th, 2022

Photo: Courtesy of Permobil

CMS is taking comments as it decides if it should cover seat elevation systems for power wheelchairs.

Among other things, Medicare requires durable medical equipment (DME) to “primarily and customarily be used to serve a medical purpose and make a meaningful contribution to the treatment of the individual’s illness or injury…when used in the home.”

Workers’ comp pros know these systems facilitate safe transfer to other surfaces and improve circulation and skin integrity– helping prevent pressure injuries (wounds.) Seat elevation also reduces the risk of muscle strain that comes from wheelchair users constantly looking and reaching upward.

The comment period, open until Sept. 14, gives workers’ comp a chance to help CMS understand these medical benefits.

There are links to great resources in Laurie Watanabe’s Mobility Management article.

Submit your comments here and email a copy to ezablocki@atfmedical.com

Other Links:

NCA – Seat Elevation Systems as an Accessory to Power Wheelchairs (Group 3) (CAG-00461N) – Submit Public Comments (cms.gov)

Industry Rallies Support During Seat Elevation Comment Period — Mobility Management (mobilitymgmt.com)

Visit ATF Medical at the GA Workers’ Comp Conference!

Monday, August 29th, 2022

From left: ATF Medical’s Rick Wyche, Erin Zablocki & Curt Moreen

Come by Booth 13 and say hello if you’re at The Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation Annual Educational Conference (Aug 29-31). We’d love to meet you…or see you again.

ATF Medical is sponsoring the conference’s Kid’s Chance Masquerade Extravaganza. Please join us in supporting this life-changing charity. There will be music, dancing, casino tables, and a silent auction and the fun starts at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

Georgia is on Our Minds

Thursday, August 25th, 2022

The Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation Annual Educational Conference, that is.

Being held August 29-31 in Atlanta, the conference theme is “Return of the Champions” so visit ATF Medical’s Champions Erin Zablocki and Rick Wyche at Booth 13.

They’ll tell you all about our patient-protecting, cost-saving Pressure Injury Prevention & Intervention program and the latest in rehab technology.

ATF Medical is sponsoring the conference’s Kid’s Chance Masquerade Extravaganza. Please join us in supporting this life-changing charity. There will be music, dancing, casino tables, and a silent auction and the fun starts at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

The gala and the conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hotel.  For more information and registration details, please click this link.

 

Autonomy for Workers with Spinal Cord Injuries

Thursday, August 18th, 2022

Photo courtesy of Accessibility Services, Inc.

A spinal cord injury left an injured worker paralyzed in both legs and one arm. While recovering in a rehabilitation center, he learned to use an environmental control unit—aptly named autonoME (pronounced autonomy).

With this sophisticated system he could raise and lower his bed, turn lights on and off, shift positions to prevent pressure injuries, watch TV and even change the channels. autonoME frees up aides and other caregivers, but more importantly, it gives the patient more control over his life.

So impressed with the patient’s ability to use the system, the treating physician prescribed this brand of ECU when the worker transferred to a long-term care residential facility. ATF Medical filled the prescription through . (lAccessibility Services, Inc. (ASI), a Florida-based company that produces customized ECUs and assistive speech technologies for hospital and residential use.

autonoME units are found in many VA hospitals and in the homes of veterans who have had spinal cord injuries. Also used by ALS patients, the units can be adapted to accommodate disease progression.

These units have a vast array of accessories and are highly customizable. Our patient’s unit was programmed so he can open and close doors, make phone or Zoom calls, watch Netflix, read books on Kindle, play games, and go on You Tube. And ASI continues to add apps.

autonoME Residential enables patients to control their thermostats and fans and open, close, and lock doors. If using wheelchairs, injured workers can let themselves in and out of the house and lock the door behind them.

The software easily integrates with mobile phones, automatic doors openers and RING-type consumer products so injured workers at home alone can see the person at the door before opening it. The system has chimes to alert caregivers in the home, and it can send SMS text messages to family members who aren’t at home when the patient needs them.

The software runs on a light-weight Microsoft Surface Pro tablet. Our patient operates his through voice activation. Touch (the tablet weighs only two and one-half pounds), head tracking, eye movement, and sip-and-puff technologies are also available.

Many workers who suffer traumatic accidents lose the ability to do the little things most people take for granted. Being totally dependent on caregivers for something as small as turning off a light is debilitating. Regaining function gives people more control over their activities, vastly improving the quality of their lives.

If you have an injured employee who could benefit from a system like this, please contact Rick Wyche, rwyche@atfmedical.com.

What Do CRT and CRTS Mean?

Monday, August 15th, 2022

Photo courtesy of Permobil

August 15-19 is National CRT Awareness Week, a good time to talk about CRT and CRTS.

CRT is a popular term that stands for all kinds of things, including cognitive rehabilitation therapy, critical race theory, and Certified Respiratory Therapist. But in our space, CRT refers to complex rehabilitation technology, which is medical equipment that is configured for a specific injured worker.

The need for customization distinguishes CRT from out-of-the-box durable medical equipment like walkers. CRT equipment and devices are adapted and configured to meet the functional, medical, social and physical needs of a specific person.

Many CRT devices deploy advanced electronics and controls to provide individual seating, positioning, and mobility. Some can be programmed to move patients who are unable to move or shift their weight at regular intervals, pressure relief techniques that prevent pressure injuries.

CRT equipment you’re likely to see on complex claims are:
• Sophisticated power chair systems 
• Rehab exercise systems
• Vehicle lifts
• Customized manual wheelchairs
• Alternative seating & positioning products
• Gait trainers
Standing devices

There is also a professional designation, CRTS, which stands for Certified Rehabilitation Technology Supplier. These professionals undergo a certification process, which includes courses on seating, mobility, and skin integrity. The National Registry of Rehabilitation Suppliers administers the certification.

A CRTS, Occupational Therapist (OT), Physical Therapist (PT) or an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) performs a thorough evaluation of the injured worker, their environment and physical limitations. The specialist then researches options and recommends the rehab technology products. They also conduct the fittings and manage the programming while educating the injured worker on the equipment’s use and care.

ATF Medical works with state-of-the-art CRT manufacturers and our experts stay on top of the latest product releases and upgrades to ensure injured workers receive the most appropriate equipment for their conditions.

We manage the entire process—from referral through the lifetime of the claim, including maintenance and repairs.

Claims reps shouldn’t have to learn everything about the vast array of equipment and features. Nor should they have to deal with day-to-day ordering and scheduling issues.

If you’d like to know more about our CRT solutions, please contact Rick Wyche, rwyche@atfmedical.com

Related:

http://What is Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) equipment? (permobil.com)

New Technologies Speed Wheelchair Repairs/Prevent Accidents

Preventing Pressure Injuries

Monday, August 1st, 2022

Pressure injuries are painful and difficult & expensive to treat…and most are avoidable.

An injured worker with a catastrophic injury has enough on their plate. The last thing they need is a painful pressure injury, also known as a wound, pressure ulcer or bedsore. Especially one that didn’t have to develop. And most pressure injuries are avoidable. ATF Medical’s Edwina Murphy discusses this in this WorkCompWire Leaders Speak article.

ATF Medical offers a comprehensive, cost-effective Pressure Injury Prevention & Intervention (PIPI) program. For more information on the PIPI, please email referrals@atfmedical.com.

Related Link:

Prevent Pressure Injuries with ATF Medical’s new PIPI Solution – ATFMedical

New Technologies Speed Wheelchair Repairs/Prevent Accidents

Thursday, July 21st, 2022
woman making an adjustment on a wheelchair

ATF Medical’s Executive Director of Sales, Marketing & Business Development Rick Wyche discusses new technologies for wheelchairs in WorkCompWire’s Leaders Speak. Learn how to harness technology to reduce the time it takes to repair wheelchairs. Other technologies help prevent pressure injuries and avoid crashing into walls and tipping over. Read the article now!

What is a CEAC and Why Are They Working on My Claim?

Thursday, June 9th, 2022

Stair lift on yellow staircase
Automatic stair lift on staircase

Standing for Certified Environmental Access Consultant, CEAC is a certification held by many professionals who develop adaptive housing solutions. Environmental access refers to the process of physically changing a home, in our case, to foster independence and functionality for an injured worker.

The concept for this accreditation arose because the market was full of remodeling contractors, interior designers, and rehab professionals–all with varying levels of understanding about home modifications. The CEAC program was created to reduce the disparity in their training and practices.

VGM Live at Home administers the CEAC credentialling program. It involves a six-part, self-study educational program, unit reviews, and a comprehensive final exam. The course prepares rehab and construction professionals to take an overall look at the injured worker and their abilities along with safety hazards, and the home environment, and recommend appropriate changes. A variety of professionals, including physical and occupational therapists, assistive technology professionals, remodeling contractors and builders, and interior designers, can take the course to qualify for the certification.

The CEAC certificate symbolizes competence that separates environmental access professionals from a para-professional trade. In addition to our CEAC-certified partners in the field, ATF Medical has three CEACs on staff.

One is our Supervisor of Adaptive Housing Karissa Peffer.  Karissa coordinates adaptive housing solutions, collaborating closely with contractors and professionals to make sure home modifications are appropriate for the injured individual’s physical condition and lifestyle.

Rachel Amentt, who is a Coordinator II in Adaptive Housing, recently received her CEAC certification. And our Executive Director of Rehab Technology, Erin Zablocki, was one of the first five people in the nation to earn the Master CEAC designation. Already a CEAC for several years, Erin took additional training in core product categories for the field to earn the Master accreditation.

ATF Medical’s professionals continue to learn and grow in their fields, and the company covers the cost of their continuing education. We do this to ensure that our adaptive housing solutions are clinically driven and outcome centric. You can spend all the money in the world on a home mod, but if it doesn’t work for the specific injured worker, it’s all for naught.

A team of specialists collaborate on each of ATF Medical’s adaptive housing projects. Assistive Technology Professionals, Occupational Therapists, and—yes—CEACs work together. We look at every angle and consider the medical equipment, assistive technologies, the home’s construction, and the person’s lifestyle before recommending an adaptive housing solution.

We’re constantly looking at new technologies and new construction methods. And we’re constantly educating ourselves so that we can equip every seriously injured worker to live their best life.

For information on our adaptive housing solutions, contact Erin Zablocki, ezablocki@atfmedical.com.