NRRTS eyes 'bigger impact'

LAGO VISTA, Texas - The National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS) has launched an ad campaign that promotes the benefits of working with the organization's registrants. The campaign, targeted toward referral sources and insurance companies, comprises five different ads. The first debuted in the winter edition of the NRRTS newsletter. Up next: The ads will appear in various trade publications. The ads will be combined in a poster that NRRTS plans to distribute to a mailing list of a couple thousand registrants and friends of NRRTS (or FONs), said Mike Seidel, president. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with marketing, if you truly are what you say you are," he said. "I think we have to get to these root issues: Are you a NRRTS registrant? Are you a certified rehabilitation technology supplier (CRTS)? What standard are we putting on whether or not you're a high-end rehab provider?" The ads highlight what it means to be a NRRTS registrant using five bullet points: - Provides professional expertise; - Identifies him/herself as a CRTS; - Attains credibility through new technology with mandatory annual education; - Adheres to an enforced code of ethics and standards of practice; and - Has a unified voice by being part of a national network of qualified individuals." Ultimately, the goal of the ad campaign is that "NRRTS would like to make a bigger impact on the DME world," Seidel said. Dan Lipka, past president of NRRTS, agreed: "If we don't promote ourselves, who's going to?" he asked. "The average RTS is dedicated to their client base and works hard to meet individual needs. They're doing a wonderful service, but if they don't promote themselves, it's going to be difficult to overcome some of the other issues that we're faced with." Seidel pointed out the DME industry lags behind other industries that already have criteria in place to qualify professionals--an MD for a doctor, a CPA for an accountant. "To be a rehab technology supplier, the only thing, apparently, you have to do is say you sell wheelchairs," he said. "It's like business and the need to make money overtakes the ethics of making sure you're credentialed to deliver a wheelchair." hme