NRRTS spreads the word

ATLANTA - When the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine holds its annual event here later this month, NRRTS will be on hand to raise awareness of the CRTS and RRTS community and the issues affecting them.

The ACRM serves a global community of researchers and clinicians who deliver evidence-based rehabilitation interventions to people with disabling conditions, such as spinal cord injury.

“To accomplish what we want to accomplish in Congress, it's going to take involvement from all around,” said Weesie Walker, executive director of NRRTS.

Among the things stakeholders are trying to accomplish is passing legislation that would reverse competitive bidding-related pricing for accessories for manual complex rehab wheelchairs. They've already been successful in keeping the pricing from going into effect for accessories for power complex wheelchairs.

Walker said one of NRRTS's specific goals for the event is promoting its series of webinars, which can help educate researchers and clinicians on the issues affecting the complex rehab community.

“A couple of months ago, I got a call from a physician from a large rehab center who had participated in an advocacy webinar we hosted,” she said. “He was in charge of advocacy efforts at the center and he asked if he could share the webinar with his colleagues. I said, yes, that's what it's for. He was not aware of the issues.”

Walker said NRRTS will be casting a wide net at the event—the ACRM has more than 3,000 members representing more than 20 special interest and networking groups.

“We need to move beyond our little circle,” she said.