A wheelchair, is a wheelchair, is a wheelchair, right? Ask Bill McGuinniss, and hed explain nothing could be further from the truth. McGuinniss is a Wheelchair and Rehabilitation Seating Specialist for The Medical Store, a West Palm Beach based durable medical equipment company operated by Hospice of Palm Beach County. Certified as a an Assistant Technology Supplier by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Mobility Society of North America, McGuinniss job is to ensure The Medical Stores disabled clients are matched with the appropriate mobility product.
“Anybody can sell a wheelchair,” McGuinniss said. “But what many people dont understand is that an ill fitting wheelchair and seating system can be detrimental to a patients rehabilitation and even cause occurrence of secondary disabilities which would compromise function.” When McGuinniss meets with a client, he takes detailed measurements of that person. Then, he designs a product thats going to fit that persons needs now and in the future. At the same time, he works to ensure the product is orthopedically sound and bio-mechanically correct. “In fitting someone with a wheelchair, looking six months to five years down the line is so important,” McGuinniss said. “When it comes to pediatric patients or clients whose mobility is rapidly deteriorating, I want to ensure what works for them now will work for them later.”
“There are only a few hundred people in the nation who are certified Rehab Seating Specialists,” said The Medical Stores Vice-President of Operations Mattison Smith. “That certification is going to become even more important because of Medicare changes requiring durable medical equipment companies to bid out.” With that change, Medicare is requiring wheelchair outfitters at DMEs to be certified. Smith suspects those changes will ultimately translate into a decreased number of people and companies selling wheelchairs.
“We are dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of patients and families,” Smith said. “We look for ways to find and fit mobility products to anyone in needincluding those who are indigent or have a marginal or no pay source,” he said.
Recently, a request for a chair came in from a 17-year-old who dove off of a bridge and injured his spinal cord. When Bill McGuinniss learned of the teenagers need, he fitted him with a motorized chair that allows him to drive it from a standing position. “We wanted him to have it for graduation, and he did,” said McGuinniss. The teen and his family were elated. “Theres no better job than to be in service to someone else and improve their quality of life,” McGuinniss added.
“Our mission is access to care,” said Mattison Smith. “When we provide clients with a quality product that changes their lives, we know weve done our jobs.”
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