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Chris & Doug

Cerritos, CA – April 8, 2011 – Doug Shull, a quadriplegic from Morton, IL, and his lifelong friend Chris Ackerman took part in the Honda LA Marathon on March 20, 2011 with the help of a wheelchair donated by ATG Rehab, a subsidiary of Assistive Technology Group, Inc., with support from Quantum Rehab who manufactured the specially outfitted Litestream XF ultra light manual wheelchair. The donation from ATG Rehab was made as part of their ongoing commitment to support those with disabilities and the local community at large.

Mr. Shull, 54, and Mr. Ackerman, 53, graduated together from Morton High School in Morton, Illinois. Together, they competed in the marathon 25 years ago and decided to reprise their accomplishment in an endeavor to raise money for a children’s charity called World Vision. Tackling the marathon 25 years later required some nifty networking to locate a custom manual wheelchair to borrow for the run, but when ATG Rehab received the call they sprang into action. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, ATG Rehab team members customized and fit the chair for Mr. Shull to ensure the donated Litestream wheelchair was up to the task.

ATG team members Ron Lopez, Jose Gonzalez, Douglas Guzman and Henry Martinez assisted Mr. Shull in the fitting of the chair and fabricated a custom push handle for the back of the chair. Mr. Gonzalez and Mr. Guzman spent time with Mr. Shull, making sure it was configured properly for the 26 mile journey. Once complete, Mr. Shull had the ATG team perform several test runs. These running trials were important because they made it possible to calibrate the push handle to allow for Mr. Ackerman to reach full stride while safely pushing Mr. Shull.

Troy Kubinski, General Manager, Cerritos, CA office, said supporting Mr. Shull and Mr. Ackerman in their worthy effort was a reward in and of itself. “We are thrilled to have played a very small part in helping Doug and Chris pull off a truly incredible feat. Their story transcends physical accomplishments and disability and demonstrates a bond that only a lifelong friendship can achieve. It was a true pleasure.” Mr. Shull finished the marathon in four hours and 47 minutes.

About ATG Rehab

ATG Rehab is one of North America’s leading rehab equipment providers of wheelchairs and mobility equipment with U.S. locations coast to coast. Established in 1999, the ATG Rehab family of companies is privately held with over 27 locations servicing 19 states and is accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation. ATG Rehab is known for customized customer care with a trained, knowledgeable staff that delivers localized focus and outstanding service.

The company’s mobility and seating solutions include power wheelchairs, manual and lightweight wheelchairs, adaptive seating, standing and positioning frames, specialty ambulatory and toileting aids, specialty bathing aides, rental equipment and portable ramps.

ATG Rehab has contracts with over 100 local and national health insurance companies including the largest managed care providers. The company is also a principal participant in a nationwide provider network to ensure access to payers. ATG Rehab and its national network go the extra mile to provide case management, continuing education on seating and mobility, a custom fabrication shop, certified repair technicians, a dedicated network of healthcare providers and reimbursement support and expertise.

For more information visit atgrehab.com or visit ATG Rehab on Facebook.

To learn more about the charity World Vision, please visit http://www.hallan.com/dougsmarathon.

Company purchases Vanguard Home Medical Equipment’s complex rehab division

and Peak Wheelchairs of Colorado

Rocky Hill, CT – March 24, 2011 - ATG Rehab, a subsidiary of Assistive Technology Group, Inc., has acquired the complex rehabilitation business segment of Warwick, Rhode Island-based Vanguard Home Medical Equipment, a subsidiary of Landauer Metropolitan, and Peak Wheelchairs of Colorado, a complex rehab provider that offers custom seating, manual and power wheeled mobility products.

“Because ATG Rehab shares with Vanguard and Peak the desire to improve quality of life for people with advanced mobility needs, our acquisition of these companies offer a seamless transition, new products and expanded services for complex rehab clients in Rhode Island and Colorado,” said ATG Rehab CEO Paul Bergantino.

“ATG Rehab looks forward to building upon the complex rehabilitation services that Vanguard has provided during the past 15 years to more than 20 hospitals and rehab facilities in Rhode Island, including Hasbro Children’s Center Hospital, Southern New England Rehabilitation Center, Meeting Street Center, and the Trudeau Center to name a few. With the Vanguard acquisition, ATG Rehab now serves over 2,000 hospitals, rehab facilities, and clinicians and more than 35,000 clients in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island,” said ATG Rehab Northeast Regional President Frank Biondello.

ATG Rehab’s Rhode Island office will be located at 155 Jefferson Blvd., Suite #2, Warwick, R.I. The office will be managed by Rick Power, who, with Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) John Thorpe, brings more than 40 years of sales, operations, and service and customer support experience within the complex rehab industry.

The acquisition of Peak Wheelchairs of Colorado brings Rich Salm, ATP, Certified Rehabilitation Technology Supplier (CRTS), and Rob Scott ATP, two highly qualified ATPs, to ATG Rehab’s mountain region. Peak Wheelchairs serviced clients in the Denver and Northern Colorado areas.  ATG Rehab’s northern Colorado offices are located at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado and in Lakewood, Colorado Springs and Windsor. The main office in the mountain region is located 9197 West 6^th Ave, Lakewood, Colo. ATG Rehab’s Lakewood and Colorado Springs offices work with over 100 hospitals and rehab facilities – including Children’s Hospital, Craig Hospital and Northern Colorado Medical Center. ATG Rehab now services more than 5,000 people across Colorado. “We’re delighted to welcome Peak’s professional staff to the ATG team,” said ATG Rehab Mountain Region President Michele Longo. “Together, we will continue to offer our clients proper fit, quick delivery, responsive service and fast repair turnaround for their wheelchairs and mobility equipment.”

About ATG Rehab

ATG Rehab is one of North America’s leading rehab equipment providers of wheelchairs and mobility equipment with U.S. locations coast to coast. Established in 1999, the ATG Rehab family of companies is privately held with over 27 locations servicing 19 states and is accredited by the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation. ATG Rehab is known for customized customer care with a trained, knowledgeable staff that delivers localized focus and outstanding service.

The company’s mobility and seating solutions include power wheelchairs, manual and lightweight wheelchairs, adaptive seating, standing and positioning frames, specialty ambulatory and toileting aids, specialty bathing aides, rental equipment and portable ramps.

ATG Rehab has contracts with over 100 local and national health insurance companies including the largest managed care providers. The company is also a principal participant in a nationwide provider network to ensure access to payers. ATG Rehab and its national network go the extra mile to provide case management, continuing education on seating and mobility, a custom fabrication shop, certified repair technicians, a dedicated network of healthcare providers and reimbursement support and expertise.

For more information visit atgrehab.com or visit ATG Rehab on Facebook.

ATG Rehab participated in the “Redwood Community Resource & Technology Fair” which was held on March 24, 2011 from 4 PM to 7 PM in the cafeteria at Redwood. The fair gave consumers a hands on experience for many assistive technology devices. Being able to touch and feel devices and speak with professionals who deal with this equipment on a daily basis was beneficial to all.

Redwood’s event to “Explore products and services that empower individuals with disabilities” was huge success. Contact Terry Callahan for more information.

Redwood – 71 Orphanage Road – Ft. Mitchell – Kentucky – 41017 – www.redwoodnky.org – (859) 331-0880

See Flyer

A Provider’s Perspective

A Discussion with Mike Mowry, ATG Rehab

Feb 01, 2011
Mike Mowry, ATP, has been with ATG Rehab for more than seven years. A graduate from Quinnipiac University with a degree in health science and gerontology, he provides seating & mobility services to the Connecticut and New York areas.

Before joining ATG Rehab in 2003, Mowry worked in the private sector as an administrator providing services to adults and children with special needs. With ATG, he has worked with a diverse group of consumers, including seniors. But most of his clients now are children and young people with diagnoses ranging from cerebral palsy to muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy…

Rest of Article from Mobility Management…

ATG Rehab is committed to keeping you connected and informed about the latest in technology and information regarding important issues facing your patients. As our industry is ever-changing, staying informed and current can be a challenging task. To help you stay informed, we supply these updates in the form of an informational newsletter that is generated and delivered to your in-box once per quarter, so sign up today by clicking on this link…

In recent weeks, stakeholders in the home medical equipment and services community have gathered a growing body of evidence regarding problems with the Round One rebidding process in Medicare’s “competitive” bidding program.

We are asking providers, patients, family members, and referral sources to report problems to the Association related to the bidding program. There you will find separate forms for:

• HME providers
• physicians and clinicians
• case managers, discharge planners, and referral sources
• Medicare beneficiaries, family, and caregivers.

We will report the problems to policymakers to document the flaws and negative consequences of the bid program.
Please fill out a Competitive Bidding Feedback Form or call the toll-free number, 888-990-0499.

ATG Rehab was fortunate to have Dr. Barb Crane teach an advanced seating and positioning class at our Rocky Hill, CT training center on the 9th of November.  The class entitled, “Been There, Done That – Advanced Solutions for Seating & Wheeled Mobility”, offered the 38 clinician attendees focused materal presented by one of the best instructors in the industry.  The 6-hour course consisted of such topics as, wheelchair seating biomechanics, pressure mapping, manual wheelchair propulsion biomechanics, and powered wheelchair mobility.

Barbara Crane is an Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT.  She received a BS in Physical Therapy from the Univerity of Connecticut, a MA in Genontology from Saint Joseph College, and her PhD in Rehabilitation Science & Technology from the University of Pittsburgh.  She holds a certification as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) from RESNA.  She has over 20 years of clinical experience in adult neurological rehabilitation with a specialty in assessment and recommendation of custom wheelchairs and seating systems.  In addition, Barb lectures extensively at local, national and international seating and wheeled mobility conferences.   

Barb Crane, PhD, PT, ATP sharing her knowledge in Rocky Hill.

This group of distinguished clinician’s included, Dr. Barb Crane, University of Hartford; Lisa Ann Troy, New England Pediatric Care; Val Taff, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Hartford; Gretchen Relva, Hosptital for Special Care; Michelle Kerr, Spaulding Rehabilitation; Caitlin DePalma, Naugatuck Schools; Deb Musumeci, Ability Beyond Disability; Dave Neises, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Theresa Berner, Dodd Hall OSU; Tara Riehm, Lutheran Hospital; and Nancy Shuster, Aces.

In the short evening session, we had a terrific exchange of ideas and input with these individuals and value their attendance and thoughtful feedback.  We found that many of the services and programs we already have in place have made a big impact, but we also learned there are some key additional ways we can further advance our services to clinician’s and customers.

From Left to Right; Gretchen Relva, Tara Riehm, Val Taff, Caitlin DePalma, Theresa Berner, Barb Crane, Lisa Ann Troy, David Neises, Michelle Kerr and Deb Musumeci (not pictured Nancy Shuster)

ATG Rehab’s Tacoma Office Manager Michelle Marchand
Receives Seating & Mobility Specialist Certification

[TACOMA, Wash., October 22, 2010] – Greater Tacoma residents who rely on the latest technologies for wheelchairs, seating and other mobility devices have a knowledgeable ally with the expertise and resources to serve their needs.

Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) Michelle Marchand, who manages ATG Rehab’s Tacoma, Wash., office, is one of the first mobility professionals in the nation to receive a newly developed Seating and Mobility Specialist (SMS) certification from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). RESNA began offering the new certification in March.

The new SMS certification is offered to professionals who demonstrate direct seating and mobility service delivery experience and initiative in a number of professional service categories including performance of seating and mobility assessment, funding resources, coverage and payment, implementation of intervention, outcome assessment and follow-up and professional behavior.

“Building on RESNA’s Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification, the new SMS certification distinguishes individuals who work with complex rehab clients, provide custom seating and mobility solutions, understand the electronics of sophisticated mobility devices and understand disease progression,” said ATG Rehab CEO Paul Bergantino. “Michelle received this certification because of her ability to meet and exceed all these requirements. ATG Rehab is proud to have her lead our Tacoma office and ably serve our clients in this region.”

Understanding the Unique Clinical, Accessibility & Funding Challenges  -  By Laurie Watanabe – Jun 01, 2010

Bariatric seating & mobility, as a specialty, may be this industry’s perfect storm.

While some patients in the bariatric category — defined as weighing more than 300 lbs. for the purposes of this article — do well with consumer mobility products, many more are truly complex rehab clients who need personalized assessments and customized assistive technology. Add in the difficulty of fitting the equipment into the user’s environment, funding sources’ incomplete understanding of this niche, and society’s lack of empathy, and the result can be a threat to access for patients and a never-ending struggle for the providers who work with them. (READ MORE…)

ATG Rehab’s Jacquie Ohanesian, ATP, CRTS and Cody Verrett, VP Sales & Marketing are interviewed in this article.