Cassie Kratz recently joined ATF Medical, bringing eight years of claims management and direct patient care to her Rehab Coordinator II/Rehab Technology position at ATF Medical.

Most recently as a Senior Claims Specialist for CorLife, the workers’ comp division of NuMotion, she managed day-to-day claims operations and supported a team of Claims Specialists. Cassie is accustomed to coordinating durable medical equipment and complex rehab technology along with vehicle modifications for injured workers.

How did her career progress?

While attending the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point, Cassie worked as a Direct Support Professional Caregiver at Innovative Services. She served a wide range of people with severe disabilities, including non-verbal quadriplegics, and assisted clients with activities of daily living. This included helping them use Hoyer Lifts and other DME.

“That job showed me the importance of locating the correct equipment and supplies based on an individual’s physical capabilities,” Cassie said.

After graduating with a degree in Health Science, she became an Adult Instructor with the CP Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She assessed client performance in specific skill areas and followed physical and occupational therapists’ plans to promote range of motion and independence. And she planned the curriculum for patient educational programs and taught some of them.

Intrigued with complex rehab technology, Cassie moved to CorLife in 2020, where she was introduced to workers’ comp. And she likes it.

“There’s a slight difference in someone who had a disability their whole life, and someone who wants to regain the independence they had prior to the injury,” she said. “Also, the workers’ comp CRT is more sophisticated. It’s never stagnant, there are always newer models and features that can help someone become independent. I’m always learning.”

Speaking of learning, Cassie appreciates how helpful ATF Medical’s technicians are. “They have super busy schedules and caseloads, but they still make time to explain something to me or get on a call with a client to talk through options. I am not alone when trying to solve a problem.”

Cassie, who lives just outside of Green Bay in the village of Luxemburg, has two sassy corgis that keep her busy. She also likes to bake and go boating. And she used to play in a volleyball league, but recently had to slow down because Cassie and her fiancé are expecting a baby! Hopefully, the corgis will approve of the new addition to the family.

Congratulate Cassie on the new position and the baby! Her email is ckratz@atfmedical.com.

Zorybel Bernabe is the latest member of the ATF Medical family.  She recently joined as Rehab Coordinator 1, Rehab Technology

Zorybel works closely with Jaymi Saunders on ATF Medical’s mobility team to ensure workers’ comp patients receive appropriate wheelchairs and other equipment along with equipment repairs. She enjoys communicating with claims representatives of third-party administrators and carriers and is passionate about building relationships with our patients.

“I’m so glad to be in a position where I can work directly with them,” she said. “It’s so rewarding when someone regains mobility after a wheelchair repair.  You know you have really helped them.”

Speaking of wheelchair repairs … she has coordinated several in her first weeks with ATF Medical. “It’s given me more knowledge of the equipment, parts, pieces, manufacturers, and product lifespan,” Zorybel said.

Having worked with Orchid Medical, an ancillary medical management company in workers’ compensation, before, during, and after its acquisition by Sedgwick, she brought a good understanding of home health care and workers’ comp to the position.  Most recently, she was a Provider Relations Representative. In that role, she built and maintained relationships with healthcare providers, ensuring that they were contracted, credentialed, compliant, and that they provided cost-effective, high-quality care.  Earlier she served Orchid as a Senior Complex Care Coordinator, arranging for injured workers to receive appropriate medical services and products.

She honed her care coordination skills in a previous position with Senior Helpers in Orlando, Florida.  As Team Scheduler and Coordinator, Zorybel coordinated staff and worked with family members of dementia patients to meet their care needs.

Now she’s working on the solutions provider side, focused on complex rehab technology. And she likes it. “My supervisor Jaymi has given me the best tools and resources and clearly described the different type of referrals and how to do the job,” she said.

Fluent in Spanish as well as English, Zorybel grew up in Orlando, Florida where still lives. She earned her BS in Biomedical Science from Orlando’s Advent Health University.

When not working, she will continue her travels to different Florida cities to sample different types of ethnic food.  Asian cuisine is her current favorite.

She has also decided that this is the year to do things that are outside her comfort zone. Any suggestions?

Please welcome Zorybel to the team by emailing zbernabe@atfmedical.com and if you’re in the Orlando area, think about joining her on one of those food adventures.

Welcome David Bedard, our new Manager of Complex Rehab

David Bedard discovered his passion for medical equipment when he was a 17-year-old high school intern at Lowell Medical Instrument Company. This was in Lowell, Massachusetts, just north of Boston.

The company asked him to work for them after graduation, and he ended up staying 8 years. David did everything from posting payments to customer service to evaluating patients and helping them obtain equipment.

“The owner was my first mentor,” David said. “The store also carried medical instruments and I got great exposure to the rehab world there.”

After moving to Florida, David continued in the field for over 30 years. He has worked in just about every aspect of rehab technology, home modifications, and assistive technologies in retail and home health settings.

Over the years, he earned the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) and the Certified Assessment and Modification Professional (C.H.A.M.P.) certifications. He has evaluated patients for custom mobility devices, created adaptive housing solutions, and recommended assistive technology to foster their independence and improve their quality of life. And he’s trained and managed others in the field.

Before coming to ATF Medical as Manager of Complex Rehab, he was with Orchid Medical, an ancillary provider specializing in workers’ compensation. He was a catastrophic care team leader for several years and later served as vice president of operations and vice president of quality assurance.

Now he oversees day-to-day operations and quality assurance for a team of ATF Medical’s ATPs and other professionals.

“We manage a claim from referral to finish, working through contractual agreements, evaluating patients, coordinating with the adaptive housing professionals, and ordering, delivering and fitting patients with equipment – everything,” David said. “And we communicate with claims representatives every step of the way.”

In addition, David coordinates ongoing training for our staff on products and services.

“ATF Medical has a real family atmosphere,” David said. “The culture is second to none – everyone welcomed me and made me feel like I’d been here for 20 years since day 1.”

He also appreciates company’s personal touch. “Unfortunately, this is a rare commodity these days,” David noted. “It’s refreshing to experience it as an employee and to be able to offer it to our clients and their injured employees.”

If you or someone you know is interested in joining the ATF Medical family, email Erin Zablocki at ezablocki@atfmedical.com.