Rusty Mattingly’s journey to Rehab Medical can be traced back to an unlikely series of events that began years ago when his mother-in-law suffered a stroke. At the time he was building high rise buildings as an engineer, but when a stroke left his mother-in-law with limited use of her right arm and a severely altered gait, his ability to evaluate and resolve complex problems took a unique turn.
“After the therapist and doctors gave up on her I noticed that she had some movement in her arm that was not functional, but under her control,” said Mattingly, now director of field operations for Rehab Medical. “At that time I was reading research on neuro plasticity and it made sense to me that if part of the wiring was still intact from the arm to the brain, then there was hope for her to recover.”
Mattingly began to work with her using his rudimentary and theoretical understanding of the materials that he was reading and launched a specialized treatment plan he designed just for her. After about a year of work, she completely recovered. This is when he decided to become a therapist.
“As a therapist I was asked to start an assistive technology program for Frazier Rehab Institute and later opened a second clinic at Norton Neuro Science and Spine,” said Mattingly. “Two successful clinics later I went to work for a manufacturer of power mobility and ended up in the clinical education department.”
It was in this position that Mattingly noticed Rehab Medical and became interested in its new model of service delivery. Understanding firsthand the implications for end users as it relates to delivery speeds, he became instantly hooked. Gone were the days when it might take a full year to receive the correct equipment for his spinal cord patients. Rehab Medical offered a system that was revolutionary for the industry and he wanted to be part of it.
“The puzzle is as big, complex, and complicated as all things are when dealing with at-risk populations,” said Mattingly. “The reality is that if there is a better way to serve our customers, then we should find it. And Rehab Medical has demonstrated to me a dedication to this mission.”
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