September 23, 2020
East Amherst, New York- NCART announced the results of the elections of its officers and Board of Directors for the 2020-2022 term. The elected officers are President- Chris Yule of Travis Medical, Vice President- Greg Packer of U.S. Rehab, Treasurer- Seth Johnson of Quantum Rehab, and Secretary- Alexis Ward of National Seating & Mobility. Doug Westerdahl of Numotion, immediate past president, will continue to serve on the Executive Committee.
Incoming President Yule has been an influential player in the Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) industry for over 20 years. As President of independent CRT provider Travis Medical, he has grown the company and its partners to 24 locations covering 7 states. Yule commented on his election as NCART President, "I'm excited to be leading the Board and staff of our CRT industry association dedicated to protecting access for people with disabilities. Every CRT provider and manufacturer needs to be an NCART member in the interests of their business and of their customers. We have a lot of work to do and I look forward to joining together and meeting the challenges ahead."
Westerdahl, outgoing NCART President, said "It's been an honor to serve as NCART President for the past 4 years. I'm proud of the collective accomplishments we have made for the CRT community and look forward to continuing to work as a Board Member in pursuing our advocacy agenda." Westerdahl served as NCART President from 2016-2020.
NCART operates under the direction of a 15-member Board of Directors with representatives
from a cross section of small, medium, and large CRT providers and
manufacturers. The Directors serve 2-year terms with staggered elections. Newly elected Board members for the 2020-2022 term
are:
Mike Barner, University of Michigan Wheelchair Seating Service, Administrative Director; Kevin Gearheart, Rehab Medical, President; Seth Johnson, Quantum Rehab, Senior Vice President Government Affairs; Debra Kalk, Reliable Medical Supply, CEO/President; Doug Munsey, Ki Mobility, President; Greg Packer, U.S. Rehab, President; Gretchen Schuler, Invacare, Vice President Insurance Risk Management; Alexis Ward, National Seating & Mobility, Vice President Payer Relations; Doug Westerdahl, Numotion, Vice President; and Chris Yule, Travis Medical, President. A complete list of all Board Members can be found at www.ncart.us.
NCART is working on multiple fronts that include: (a) obtaining permanent stoppage of Medicare's inappropriate application of competitive bid payment rates to accessories used with CRT Manual Wheelchairs; (b) securing Medicare coverage of CRT Power Wheelchair seat elevation and standing systems; (c) resolving state Medicaid CRT issues through policy, budgetary, and legislative actions; (d) pursuing legislation to create a Separate Benefit Category for CRT within the Medicare program; and (e) establishing a permanent option (post COVID-19) for CRT telehealth and remote services at the Medicare and Medicaid levels. NCART Executive Director Don Clayback said, "We are battling issues in a variety of settings to protect and improve access. We're very thankful to the strong and committed group of industry leaders who give their time, expertise, and resources to NCART and our mission to ensure that people with disabilities can get the specialized equipment and supporting services they depend on."