United Rehab News

1st Annual United Rehab Specialists Educational Symposium and Product Showcase (URSS)

 Read more »

Welcome, Melissa Simon, PT to our Rehab Staff

Please join URS as we welcome Melissa Simon, PT, NCS to our Rehab Specialist team. Melissa comes to us as a seasoned Physical Therapist on the Spinal Cord Injury team at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, TX. She has also just passed her ATP (Assistive Technology Professional) certification. Welcome aboard.

Indulge Magazine Fort Worth Star Telegram Article Featuring Accessible Home.

 Read more »

Kyle Cox passes ATP Exam.

Please join Team URS as we congratulate Kyle Cox on the succesful completion of his ATP requirements and exam. Congratulations on becoming the next addition to the largest team of Certified providers in Texas.

Call to Action 7/14/2011 Extremely Important*****

To all clients of United Rehab Specialists

This is an extremely important CALL TO ACTION. Please read this email in its entirety.

 On Tuesday, July 12 at 9am HHSC held a public rate hearing in Austin.  This rate hearing was to discuss proposed rate reductions for DMEPOS items – across the board!  The smallest percentage cut taking place is 6%, with some as large as 20% and one (E0265 Full Electric Hospital bed) being eliminated as a benefit with a 100% rate reduction.

Texas Rehab Providers Council (TXRPC) Membership pulled together with a show of force at this meeting.  For almost two hours, testimonies were given with the goal of tabling or postponing until further review the proposed rate reductions.  The rate analysts who were taking testimony understood the information presented, however they cannot overturn this current proposal as it is a mandate from the Texas Legislature.  The only way to get these rate cuts rescinded or reduced is to make some noise.  There are HHSC staff members who can help achieve this goal if they are informed of the access to care issues that these reimbursement reductions will cause.

Consumers are ESSENTIAL to this process. If these cuts are enacted, it will severely limit your access to care. We strongly urge you to email your comments in opposition to these cuts to the HHSC staff members listed below. Please explain how limiting your access to care will personally affect you and your quality of life.

These proposed cuts are the most drastic rate reductions in the history of our company. We urge you to immediately email the individuals below to reconsider these cuts to prevent a devastating access to care issue for you and all Medicaid beneficiaries in Texas. Please urge the HHSC to suspend this action and tell them that Complex Rehab must maintain its current level of funding to prevent access to care issues!!!

 Please email your comments to:          

 Thomas.Suehs@hhsc.state.tx.us             HHSC Executive Commissioner

Jose.Gonzalez5@hhsc.state.tx.us           HHSC Medical Director

Rhonda.Alexander@hhsc.state.tx.us      Works for Medical Director Gonzalez

Donna.Claeys@hhsc.state.tx.us              Nurse for MD Gonzalez

Jennifer.Stansbury@hhsc.state.tx.us      Senior Policy Analyst

Dan.Huggins@hhsc.state.tx.us                Rate Analysis Department

Please send a copy of your comments to:

Customerservice@united-rehab.net

Senate Hearings Provide Advocates the Opportunity to Give Input on State Budget.

Help protect your access to complex rehab technology!

Not able to attend CELA 2011?

You can still help protect your clients' access to Complex Rehab Technology

On February 16, in conjunction with CELA 2011, we are organizing a National Call-in Day for Complex Rehab Technology.  

Our goal is to have 5,000 consumers, clinicians, suppliers, manufacturers and other interested and concerned parties call their Members of Congress, on February 16, and tell them to support the Separate Benefit Category for Complex Rehab Technology under Medicare. Visit www.CELAadvocacy.org

What you can do to help!
1) Make sure that you and everyone else you know take only 10 minutes out of the day on February 16 to call their Members of Congress
2) Download and print out copies of the National Call-in Day Flyer and distribute them to all your clinical resources such as Physicians and Therapists. Ask your friends, family members, and possibly teachers, to call as well.

Finding Your Members of Congress?
Just 5 Easy Steps!
(1) 
Go to www.nrrts.org
(2)
 Find the "Contact Your Legislator" area in the
upper righthand corner of the home page
(3)
Enter your zip Code
(4)
Click on the name of your Member
(5)
Click "Contact" and you're ready to call!

Join us to help protect your access to the Complex Rehab Technology you need!

Join us to help protect your access to the Complex Rehab Technology you need!

Happy Holidays from the team at United Rehab Specialists

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday season as we close down 2010 and welcome 2011. Thank you to all of our patients, their families and our partners (Therapists and Physicians) in the medical community for a great year.

Congratulations to the newest ATP on staff at URS Dallas.

Please join me in congratulating and celebrating our latest ATP, Keith Knowles. He has been with the company for 4 years working with advanced service, evaluation and fitting services. He joins the largest collection of certified rehab providers in the State of Texas.

Finding the right provider

How to select a Rehab Technology Supplier for Complex Rehab Seating and Wheeled Mobility Systems Choosing an appropriate rehabilitation technology supplier can be more difficult than you might think. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make this task a lot easier. In most cases, you should check with your insurance carrier for a list of preferred providers. Unfortunately, this is not always the way to find the best supplier. Insurance companies typically seek out a few durable medical equipment (DME or HME) suppliers who are willing to offer the lowest price. Generally speaking, the lower the price, the fewer the services that are available. Sometimes these suppliers are skilled at providing rehabilitation technology products and services, but most of the time they are not.

Usually they are good at two things - low prices and providing basic home medical equipment. This may be acceptable for oxygen or for a bedside commode, where there is no real need for specialized adaptation. However, when you need a power wheelchair or a pediatric wheelchair with specialized seating, the basic DME/HME supplier is generally not the best place to go. Here are a number of other important points to help you locate a qualified Complex Rehab professional: Utilize the NRRTS website, www.nrrts.org, to find NRRTS registrants. Go to the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America's (RESNA) website (www.resna.org) and link to their directory of credentialed Assistive Technology Practitioners (ATP). If you are a consumer, contact your physical or occupational therapist and request an evaluation. Be sure to ask the therapist to invite the rehab technology supplier in your area that has a proven track record of quality and professionalism. If you do not have a physical or occupational therapist, contact a nearby rehabilitation center and request to speak to one of their seating and mobility clinicians.

Sales Force Additions

URS of Dallas is proud to welcome two new additions to our Rehab Sales force. Billy Johnson and Raymond Lee will be joining our Rehab team for the DFW Metroplex.

New Location in Dallas

URS is proud to announce the opening of our new location at 4801 Reading Street, Dallas, TX 75247. Please visit us for all your equipment and repair needs at our new 16,000 square foot facility with in-house evaluation and service by appointment. We also have a fitting room available with a Humancare Overhead Lift system demonstration unit installed so that our patients can see firsthand how it works and how it can be of benefit. Patients can also see a Porch lift demonstration unit that is designed to make accessibility into homes and buildings easier with steps or entrances greater than ten inches tall.

URS's Safe Patient Handling presentation approved for CEU credit.

We are pleased to announce that our course entitled "Safe Patient Handling: Making the Unsafe Safe" has been approved for continuing education credit by the Texas Physical Therapy Association and the Commission for Case Manager Certification.  The course approval numbers are: 47792A (TPTA) and CM2566-A200 (CCMC).  The course is approved for 2.25 clock hours (.225 continuing education units). 

Course objectives are:
1. Recognizing unsafe patient lifting / transferring scenarios
2. Attaining a working knowledge of Lift Assist Devices
3. Interpreting and understanding decision trees designed to eliminate risk during patient lifting / transferring scenarios
4. Embracing the long term value of implementing Safe Patient Handling procedures

If you are interested in scheduling a course for your staff or organization, please call David Sanders, V.P. of Patient Lifting and Home Accessibility at (254) 498-0018.

Business Development Manager Addition

We are pleased to announce that Joe Sanchez is joining URS as Business Development Manager. Joe has been the Health Care Services Manager for Muscular Dystrophy Association in Dallas, Texas. He has been responsible for developing and maintaining MDA Clinic Protocols at various hospitals and medical centers in North Texas. Joe is passionate about understanding and taking care of his MDA clients. He will be a great addition to our team and we are fortunate to have him. Welcome, Joe.

Supply Marketing Additions

URS is excited to announce the additions of Jeff Nelson and Bryan Blau as Supply Marketing Representatives for Dallas and Austin. Both of these individuals have extensive marketing experience and will enhance the level of service in our Supply division. Jeff will serve the Dallas metroplex and Bryan will service the Austin/San Antonio region. Welcome Jeff and Bryan.

URS sponsors another successful MDA Golf Tournament

United Rehab is the founder and major sponsor of the annual Clyde Martin Memorial Golf Tournament benefitting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This year's tournament, held on March 25, raised approximately $20,000 for MDA. Since its inception in 2006, the Clyde Martin Memorial Tournament has generated approximately $100,000 for MDA. URS is proud of our relationship with MDA and appreciative of participating in such a worthy cause.

Separate Benefit Discussion Paper Released

The Separate Benefit Steering Committee has released a Discussion Paper entitled “A Starting Point for Obtaining a Separate Benefit for Complex Rehab Technology”. This Discussion Paper is designed to allow individuals and organizations within the Complex Rehab Technology industry and profession, along with other interested parties, to engage in more detailed discussions regarding the pursuit of a Separate Benefit under the Medicare program, the related elements of implementation, and its potential impact on stakeholders.  Read more »

URS Introduces Orthotic Services

Sharon Wilson joins URS as a Certified Orthotics Specialists. Sharon has 38 years experience in evaluating and prescribing orthotic devices such as AFO’s and TLSO’s. URS is excited to introduce these services and to have someone with Sharon’s experience and expertise join our family.

Andrew Ellis was awarded the Assistive Technology Provider (ATP) designation by RESNA.

Andrew joins Will Jiron, Scott Wallace, Robert Morgan, Lynn Springfield, Misty Homen, Tim Fontenot, Patrick Wallace, and Clint Kendrick as ATP’s in the URS family. The Assistive Technology Professional designation requires extensive training in assessment and evaluation, design, fitting, service and repair, as well as detailed knowledge of all aspects of funding. The ATP designation is evidence of a Rehab Specialist’s expertise in providing assistive/rehabilitation technology related to wheeled mobility, seating and alternative positioning, ambulation assistance devices, environmental control units, products to assist with activities of daily living. To maintain the ATP designation, a Rehab Specialists is required to participate in continuing education which enables him/her to provide the latest technology for our clients.

Congratulations to Andrew.

National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART) Member

URS is an active member of National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART), whose mission is to ensure that federal, state and private coverage and reimbursement policies allow special needs individuals to have appropriate access to needed products and services.

TXRPC Member

URS has been a longstanding and active member of Texas Rehab Providers Council (TXRPC) whose mission is to enhance the quality, accessibility, and professional provision of enabling technologies to individuals with disabilities through the partnership of industry and consumers. TXRPC has enjoyed great success in establishing open lines of communication and promoting a good working relationship with HHSC (Texas Medicaid) and other funding sources, to ensure affordable and appropriate equipment and services for our clients.

URS Accredited by ACHC in 2006

URS was originally accredited by ACHC in 2006, making it one of the first accredited complex rehab providers in Texas. We adhere to the stringent standards required to maintain our ACHC accreditation.