A patient demonstrates using a LiteGait machine to improve her gait.

Industry-leading private practices can set themselves apart in their community by recognizing a need for a specialty service and being the first to take it to market. Jon DeBord, MS, PT, ATC, SCS, Clinic Owner & Director of Kewanee Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists in Kewanee, Ill. is excelling after he added a revolutionary piece of equipment to his clinic.

Kewanee recently installed a LiteGait training device - the first of its kind in the RMS family, and also the first of its kind in Kewanee. LiteGait is a device that controls weight bearing, posture and balance over a treadmill or over ground. It helps treat patients with a wide range of impairments and functional levels, including neurologic and orthopedic patients, as well as amputees.

The specialized equipment is truly making a difference in patients' clinical outcomes. For example, Jon relayed the success story of a patient that had a femur fracture, and had progressed as far as she would with traditional interventions. The patient, who had limited ambulation, had the opportunity to use the LiteGait, and increased her endurance, gait and stride length. Another patient that benefitted from the machine was a below the knee amputee who was having difficulty integrating his prosthesis into his gait pattern.

"It's really nice to be able to utilize this equipment," Jon said. "It allows us to put our hands on the patient, and it's been a fantastic addition. It had a hefty price, but the value that it brings is amazing."

Offering this specialized service and equipment has truly set Kewanee apart in the eyes of patients and referral sources. Since the clinic is the only one in the area that offers the device, patients that haven't gotten better with therapies in other facilities come in specifically for gait training and unloading.

For more information on the machine, visit www.litegait.com

 

Above (L to R) Travis Miller, ATC and Melissa Waytashek, MS, LAT treat young athletes. Football is among the sports with the highest prevalence of concussions.

Rehab professionals have a unique opportunity to be the healthcare providers of choice for a variety of patient conditions. Along with sprains and strains, athletic trainers in the RMS network are taking an active role to become experts in treating a serious emerging health trend: concussions. Head injuries - including concussions - continue to present serious health risks, and effective management of their symptoms can literally be the difference between recovery and life-long impairment. Symptoms of a concussion can appear mild at first, but can lead to complications affecting one's memory, behavior, learning or emotions if not properly cared for.

With early intervention, quality care and effective management of these potentially life threatening injuries, our network of clinics is prepared to treat concussions and manage athletes' return to the field. The clinic's specialization in these injuries is the result of months of training and preparation. Multiple athletic trainers from across our network of practices have recently undergone extensive coursework and education at the state and regional level to advance their skillset, allowing them to perform early interventions of head injuries and effectively manage their recovery. Our network's continued advancements in serving as experts in the intervention and management of head injuries has led to recognition as being Centers for Excellence in Pre- and Post-Concussion Management.

Multiple athletic trainers have also completed comprehensive training to become certified ImPACT™ testers, a computerized baseline concussion evaluation test used in the NCAA and the NFL. Our physical therapist and athletic training teams are excited to work with their community's athletes on the field and in the clinic to educate on how to prevent head injuries, as well as how to properly rest and rehabilitate to get back in the game sooner and safer. The team's treatment approach is truly interdisciplinary and includes expert contact from Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapy Assistants.

RMS' industry-leading network of physical therapists continues to set itself apart as thought leaders in the profession. Whether our network is authoring articles to give back to our peers, or pioneering ways to report quality measures in the PQRS program, our therapists continue to excel in their field. Now, one therapist in our family of talent is giving back to the state in which he practices.

 

Ajay Middha, PT, DPT, OCS, owner of Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists in Midland, Mich. has been appointed to the Michigan Board of Physical Therapy. The underlying duty of the Board is to protect the public's health, safety and welfare. Its responsibilities include determining entry level competency requirements for health practitioners. The Board also has the obligation to take disciplinary action against licensees who have adversely affected the public's health, safety and welfare.

 

Ajay serves as a professional member with 10 other board members, including 5 other PTs, 1 PTA and 4 public members. The board currently oversees about 9,377 physical therapists and 3,152 physical therapist assistants, according to its website. Ajay was appointed to his term this year by Governor Richard Snyder, and will serve through 2015.

 

The board is currently considering two hot topics in Michigan: whether athletic trainers can serve as extenders, and if dry needling is allowed by the state's practice act. Ajay said he appreciates the opportunity to serve his state, and that the experience has reinforced for him how well his practice is in compliance.

Madhu Rishi, PT, DPT, CLT

A talented physical therapist in our network of clinics has earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Madhu Rishi, PT, DPT, CLT - of Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists in Midland, Mich. - recently earned her Doctorate with a specialization in Women's Health from Northeastern University in Boston, Mass.

 

Madhu has been a practicing physical therapist for 18 years and specializes in women's health, lymphedema management and vestibular/balance rehabilitation. She also has advanced training in the treatment of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.

Hi, ! This Issue's Theme is: Cheer Each Other On!

 

Everyone appreciates an encouraging pat on the back after a job well done, both in their personal and professional life. And with all the exciting things that our family of talent is accomplishing, it's easy to shower some praise in this issue.

 

In one market, we're expanding the number of patients we can treat by adding a specialized piece of equipment. In another markets, our athletic trainers are excelling in treating head injuries. And still in another, one therapist is serving his state and becoming a thought leader at the same time. Sometimes, the most memorable feedback is the simplest: Keep up the great work!

Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service by Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles

 

Click the book to purchase on Amazon.com

 

Don't miss the following web events:

 

» Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012: "Reimbursement Strategies: An Advanced Look at Accounts Receivable Management"  

 

» Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012: "Best Practice Performance Metrics: Improve Your Practice with Reporting Tools"

 

RMS continues to soar in its mission of providing rehab solutions to other rehab people. We're uniquely suited to offer guidance and expertise based on decades of experience growing and developing private practices. Our operations and systems have been tried and true over the years, and have led to the opening of many successful clinics. We continue to give back to our communities by serving patients, rehabilitating using the latest industry-leading treatments and providing an exceptional guest experience.

Now, the Marketing Team is continuing to give back to the PT profession and other therapists by helping them take the first steps to open their own private practice. The team developed a free "Guide to Private Practice" that it has distributed to P.T.'s around the country. The interactive guide helps therapists consider different aspects of starting a private practice that they may not have thought of before. It encourages therapists to think about things like the culture and community of their practice, where their referral sources will come from and who their competitors are.

As a result, we're proud to continue to help shape the paths of entreprenuerial-minded therapists and allow them to give back to their patients and the profession as well.

 

To download the Guide to Private Practice, click here.

 

Change Request CR 8036 requires therapy services over $3,700 between the dates of October 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, to be pre-approved. The CR combines threshold amounts for Physical Therapy and Speech Language Pathology services, and has a separate threshold amount for Occupational Therapy. It also includes all outpatient therapy services for any one beneficiary.  

 

CMS has stated the following regarding ABN use if WPS Medicare should deny the provider's review request:

 

"CMS strongly encourages providers to provide the beneficiary a voluntary ABN in these situations. If a decision of non-coverage is reached on initial review or appeal, it shall be considered beneficiary liability."

 

If you have any questions, please contact Connie, Jodi or Sarah.