Reporter’s notebook: Education, resources abound 

NRRTS is working on the fifth course for its CRT Supplier Certificate Program, Weesie Walker, executive director of the organization, announced in December. 

Once complete, the organization will also offer courses 1-5 as a module. 

“This is something that the industry has needed for a very long time,” she said of the certificate during a Dec. 14 webcast. “The subject matter expert group has put a lot of time and effort into producing the highest quality content to give someone the basic knowledge they need to be working in the supplier role.” 

The first course in the program was launched in late 2020. 

Medicaid: No longer a mystery 

The Clinician Task Force has added links to the seating and mobility policies of all 50 states to its website (www.cliniciantaskforce.us), Cara Masselink, executive director of the organization, announced in December. 

“We’re hoping to keep this updated and the links fresh, so it’s a resource for anyone who needs it,” she said. “You’ll see the Provider Manual is linked and the general websites, as well as the managed care documents for prior authorizations and DME repairs. There are some fee schedules in there, as well. I’m sure you all know the complexity of trying to go through the state Medicaid policies to find what you want to find, so we’re really thankful that Mike Babinec and (the Medicaid Work Group) took the time to do this this year.” 

In focus: Clinician responsibilities 

The CTF has also added a Clinician Checklist to its website for not only clinicians who work in seating departments but also those who only conduct periodic wheelchair evaluations on their main responsibilities in a complex rehab evaluation.  

“It’s a brief outline of what occurs, plus a supplementary document,” Masselink said. “This was created in the mind that there are other documents, such as the wheelchair service provision guide, so this is focused in on the clinician and also called out that we need to be working in conjunction with CRT suppliers.”