Andrea Madsen on NRRTS’s ‘unifying factor’ 

LUBBOCK, Texas – Andrea Madsen has the perfect combination of experience for a NRRTS executive director – she started her career in a business role and then became an ATP and CRTS. 

Here’s what Madsen, who replaces Weesie Walker and who most recently worked at Numotion and was treasurer of NRRTS, had to say about her roots in business, her passion for complex rehab and her plans for the organization. 

HME News: Give us an overview of your career in complex rehab. 

Andrea Madsen: I’ve been in the industry for more than 20 years. I started off with a business management degree in a role at a small, mom-and-pop DME company in Rochester, Minn., where I had to do funding, reimbursement and compliance. Then I moved into a little more of a client-facing role and discovered that I had a passion for working one-on-one with clients. It didn’t take long before I became the company’s first and only ATP. 

HME: How did you get involved in NRRTS? 

Madsen: I had the opportunity very early on in my career to meet Simon Margolis at a MAMES event – to say it was life changing would be putting it mildly. Before that, I felt like I was alone on an island, having to seek out my own opportunities for education and enrichment, and after he tuned me into the organization, I didn’t feel alone anymore. There’s a vast community of people. It put a fire in my belly. 

HME: What gets you most excited about your new role at NRRTS? 

Madsen: I was fortunate that Numotion was so supportive of my work with NRRTS and my desire to be involved with advocacy. I see this new role as an opportunity to continue to fight for the rights of individuals to have choice and access, and to have a profession with a high level of professional and ethical standards. I also felt strongly that I needed to step up to help this tradition stay alive and keep moving forward. 

HME: What do you see as an important part of the “tradition” of NRRTS? 

Madsen: I would like to continue to increase the recognition of NRRTS education. I feel like the platform we have and the high level of education we offer transcends geographical borders. We have seen a massive outcry for that type of education outside the U.S. and the registrants we have in Canada are a huge testament to that. Now, we’re seeing our registry grow in Australia, too. What we’re hearing is the unifying factor is the patient-centered focus of practice – not the policies or funding – and that’s something we can provide internationally.