NOT E S F ROM T H E F IELD
THREE DECADES OF WISDOM
AN EXPERT SUPPLIER REMINISCES OVER 30 YEARS OF NRRTS Written by: KARA BISHOP
Anne Kieschnik and client
Anne Kieschnik, BSW, ATP, CRTS®, has worked extensively in the field of assistive technology providing complex rehabilitation equipment since 1979. Her experiences include working for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), The MED Group and as an owner of a complex rehabilitation company specializing in pediatrics before joining Numotion in 2012. Her current role is ATP development manager. Kieschnik joined NRRTS in 1993.
DID YOU ALWAYS PLAN TO WORK IN COMPLEX REHABILITATION EQUIPMENT? I graduated college with a degree in social work, but I needed a job and soon joined the MDA. It was through MDA that I met some of the greats of this industry like David Miller and Kathy Taylor. I never would have guessed that my degree would have led me to a lifelong career in this industry, but I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OUTSIDE OF WORK? I love anything outside and digging in the dirt. I am a chaos gardener; I see plants that I like and plant them where ever I can find a hole! I love being a Yaya to my grandson and have another grandson on the way, and I’m adding on to my place in the Texas Hill Country. While this project is requiring a ton of patience and not always “fun,” I will be excited when it is done, and I can start chaos gardening there, too!
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR PASSION FOR COMPLEX REHABILITATION EQUIPMENT? My dad. He had polio as a child and taught me a lot about modifying and adapting things so there were no longer barriers but bridges to accomplish the things he wanted to do.
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DIRECTIONS 2022.1
WHAT DRIVES YOUR PASSION? Children! Throughout my career, I specialized in providing pediatric equipment. I often tell my colleagues I can fit clients from birth to age 100, but I loved fitting 3-year-old clients the best. It wasn’t until I got older and found it harder to be on the floor with the younger clients that I transitioned to a training and education role. Delivering a power chair to a child for the first time and seeing them experience independence has always been a beautiful thing to witness. And, sometimes, the biggest accomplishment is just finding a solution that helps a client sit upright for four hours without pain. The fact you can give someone comfort and the ability to function upright without being bedridden is a huge accomplishment. We shouldn’t forget that years ago, people with physical challenges didn’t have any options and were in bed for life.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH EMOTIONAL TURMOIL WHEN FUNDING BECOMES AN ISSUE FOR CLIENTS? Sometimes it’s heartbreaking when clients don’t have insurance or the financial resources to get needed equipment. We have some very innovative products to give clients more comfort and independence, such as seat elevators, but insurance doesn’t always see that as a need. Other examples are, adult bath chairs and feeding chairs for children; these are products that can increase the quality of their life, yet more often than not, they have to be paid for out-of-pocket. As a supplier, I used to wrestle with the fact I had products the client may not be able to pay for. Was I dangling a carrot in front of them? Was I giving them hope and then yanking it away?
