NOT E S F ROM T H E F IELD
CARLA CARRICO: PATIENT AND PROACTIVE Written by: ROSA WALSTON LATIMER
Matthew and Carla Carrico, on vacation in San Diego, California.
Carla Carrico, B.S. in Kinesiology, ATP, CRTS®, is a senior sales representative with HME Home Health in Richmond, British Columbia. Carrico and her husband, Matthew, have two daughters: Holly, 7 years old, and Sasha, 4 years old. “Our girls are beginning to have their own activities, so we spend time with fun things such as soccer, ballet and gymnastics after work and on weekends. We live in the city of Vancouver and like to be car-free as often as we can and enjoy taking walks and riding our bikes. Matthew and I like to travel and are looking forward to traveling with the girls.”
Carrico’s career in complex rehab began almost two decades ago when, after working in the kinesiology field for several years, she faced a crossroads in her career. She considered going back to school. “I couldn’t decide what to do but seriously thought about going into nursing and had been accepted into a program,” Carrico said. “At the same time, I also looked at medical and pharmaceutical sales jobs. I happened to apply for a job as a rehab equipment specialist with a local company, not knowing much about what that would be.” Carrico was offered the job and decided to give it a try. “If I didn’t like the work, I could go back to school. Seventeen years later, I’m still here!”
geriatrics, long-term care and lots of complex rehab. I’ve always worked some with pediatrics, but now I am almost entirely focused on that population. I am the pediatric clinical trainer, a sales role and a leadership role. I guide our pediatric sales team regarding training and ongoing education. We work with Sunny Hill Health Center for Children, Vancouver’s rehab facility for kids at BC Children’s Hospital. We also work with individual families and local child development centers for pediatric needs. Eighty percent of my time now and for the past two or three years has been spent on pediatrics.
DO YOU FIND PEDIATRICS MORE CHALLENGING OR REWARDING THAN YOUR OTHER WORK AS AN ATP? Lots of each! Working with families with children with disabilities can present a stronger emotional experience, which can bring some challenges that require special attention. For various reasons, some
WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT DREW YOU TO THIS FIELD? I was looking for a challenge and a career that offered more financial growth opportunities. Sales was a challenge for me, and I didn’t know if I would like it. However, I consider this work “soft sales” because you must be knowledgeable and, instead of selling a product, you develop relationships with therapists and clients. At the end of the day, there isn’t a question of whether a client needs the equipment but whether they are confident in your ability to provide them with the best choices. It is essential to gain their trust.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES WITH HME HOME HEALTH. I am currently a senior sales representative. I have experience with the whole gamut of rehab equipment – adult populations,
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DIRECTIONS 2022.3
Carla Carrico, B.S. in Kinesiology, ATP, CRTS ® (r) presenting a donation of backrests to Debbie Field, OT, at the University of British Columbia’s Occupational Therapy Department.
