Page 14 - Mobility Management, September 2017

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NSM Named Exclusive WHILL Model M Distributor in U.S.
National Seating & Mobility (NSM) is the new American distributor of WHILL’s Model M power wheelchair.
In a July 24 announcement, NSM said it signed an agreement to become the sole distributor of the device in the United States. The Model M has U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval as a power chair.
NSM CEO Bill Mixon said in the announcement, “We are proud to be the exclusive U.S. distributor of the Model M power wheelchair. The partnership with WHILL provides a new option for some of our clients and is a great addition to our product offerings for our growing AccessNSM clientele as well.”
AccessNSM is NSM’s new home accessibility business division, co-located at some NSM complex rehab tech- nology branches. NSM said the Model M would be sold by both NSM and AccessNSM.
Satoshi Sugie, WHILL’s CEO, said of the new agreement, “We’re excited to have NSM’s clinical experts providing product evaluations on the Model M, ensuring the chair fits and meets the versatile needs of their clients.”
WHILL was an exhibitor at NSM’s annual symposium in Nashville in July.
The Model M is designed to support more involved mobility equipment users. For instance, Model M features a “rehab” seat cushion, described on WHILL’s Web site
as “skin protecting.” Model M also offers more backrest options and has four-point tiedowns for transportation in
WHILL Model M power wheelchair
an automotive vehicle.
Model M does not, however, have powered seating
options such as tilt or recline. The WHILL Web site says Model M is “partially reimbursable by Medicare and private insurance” if its consumer qualifies.
WHILL’s other chair, the Model A, has a general-use seat cushion made of foam and has fewer backrest options as well as shorter range (12 miles vs. Model M’s 15 miles on fully charged batteries). Model A is not FDA approved as a wheelchair, and WHILL refers to it as a personal mobility vehicle. m
NSM Acquires Wright & Filippis’ CRT Segment
National Seating & Mobility (NSM) has acquired the complex rehab technology (CRT) division of Wright & Filippis, the venerable provider in Michigan.
NSM CEO Bill Mixon said in an announcement, “NSM is proud to partner with companies that share our values. Wright & Filippis is one of the country’s most respected providers of prosthetics, orthotics, custom mobility prod- ucts and accessibility solutions. This acquisition allows both companies to focus on our areas of expertise to better serve those distinguished clients in Michigan.”
NSM will take over Wright & Filippis’ CRT businesses in Metro Detroit and Lansing. The Wright & Filippis business in Flint will merge with NSM’s existing Freeland location.
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Seven ATPs and 11 other Wright & Filippis employees will join NSM as a result of the acquisition.
Wright & Filippis has been a CRT provider for 37 years, NSM said, and has provided DME, orthotics and pros- thetics services to Michigan clients for 73 years.
“As we reviewed options for our mobility business, there were two key factors we considered; who would provide the best service to our patients and who would provide our staff continued opportunities for growth and advancement?” said CEO AJ Filippis. “It was deter- mined after researching the market our best fit would be with NSM because they align closely with our culture of patient care and will provide stability for our ATPs.” m
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