Approximately 375 therapists and providers attended Permobil's PowerSurge 2008 in Nashville this week, with some citing travel costs and focused educational seminars as reasons for making the trip. As reported in Friday Report and elsewhere, Permobil chose to forego both Medtrade Long Beach and Medtrade Atlanta this year in favor of the PowerSurge event.

Permobil officials booked the Opryland Hotel for lodging/educational seminars, and paid hotel expenses for all attendees. Participants at the invitation-only event paid their own travel expenses, plus a $50 fee which Permobil donated to the ALS Society. According to Barry Steelman, marketing manager at Permobil, PowerSurge ultimately cost about the same as one Medtrade show. “It was never about money. It was about how best to serve our customers,” says Steelman. “At Medtrade, we could see about 1,000 people for 15 minutes at a time. Here we can see 375 people for 2 days.”  

Providers such as Paul Bergantino, president of ATG Rehab, Newington, Conn, will head to Medtrade Atlanta in addition to his visit to Nashville—albeit with a different mission. “In Atlanta I’ll be involved in industry meetings and networking,” said Bergantino. “I’m not going as a traditional person walking the aisles looking for new product. Complex rehab training is better found elsewhere, and in a more focused manner.”

An informal survey of a dozen PowerSurge attendees yielded common themes; with most citing expense and missing manufacturers as reasons they may skip other events this year. “After 23 years of attending Medtrade, I am questionable about this year, especially since some major manufacturers won’t be there [in Atlanta],” said Michael Nadeau, ATS, product education manager at Hudson Home Health Care, Newington, Conn. “If each manufacturer came out with something like PowerSurge, that would be great.”

While it’s true that companies such as Invacare and Permobil are opting out of Medtrade this year, Medtrade officials point out that Medtrade Spring in Long Beach, Calif, will still feature more than 350 exhibiting companies, with 900 expected at Medtrade Fall (Atlanta). "From time to time, manufacturers make the decision to not exhibit at Medtrade events, and we respect their decisions," said Joe Randall, senior vice president, Nielsen Business Media, and director of Medtrade and Medtrade Spring. "The opportunities the Medtrade events offer rehab providers is comprehensive. Each show has in-depth educational sessions that are focused solely on their interest and there is an extensive list of manufacturers who offer rehab and mobility products. With all the turmoil that is affecting the industry, it would seem prudent for rehab providers to explore their options with numerous manufacturers, and determine which ones offer the best products, at the best prices—as well as those that provide the support services needed to survive."

Permobil’s 2-day event featured educational seminars, a tour of headquarters (photo, left), and a Tuesday night keynote address from spinal cord injury research activist Marc Buoniconti (see photo, upper right). Buoniconti, son of hall of fame football player Nick Buoniconti, spoke about the “defining moments” in his life, which included his injury while playing football, and his work through the Miami Project to fund paralysis research.

Before heading to lunch and a tour of the Permobil facility on Wednesday, attendees also heard from Robert Hoover, MD (photo, lower right), medical director of the Cigna Jurisdiction C Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). “In jurisdiction C, we are going to look at power wheelchairs,” said Hoover in a talk and Q&A session that touched on mobility documentation issues. “I want to focus my efforts on looking at new suppliers. If I can educate them properly on how to educate claims, I can avoid errors down the road. I prefer a narrow probe to casting a wide net.”

One questioner drew applause when she asked whether she might be able to supply names for such a probe. In response, Hoover indicated that in the past he rarely heard from such whistle blowers, but he encouraged attendees to provide names if they had them. “You must have a neighborhood watch mentality. I would like to hear what is going on,” said Hoover, who provided his e-mail (robert.hoover@cigna.com). "And if you're having trouble getting appropriate documentation from a physician, it is easy for me or staff members to send information to physicians on how to document for a power wheelchair claim."

As providers and therapists filed out of Dr. Hoover's presentation and on to the facility tour, Steelman vowed to review feedback in the ensuing weeks and evaluate all aspects of the show. While stopping short of committing to another event in 2009, Steelman says, “There is a good possibility we will do this again next year.”