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January/February 2004

Terry Ahsing

Rehab Management recently spoke with Terry Ahsing, director of FastStart Orthopedic Products (formerly MEDdirect), Irvine, Calif, about the company’s products and the industry in general.

Q: You recently changed the company name from MEDdirect to FastStart. What’s behind that change?
A: The new name reflects the company’s evolution from being simply an online provider of medical equipment to being a premier manufacturer of orthopedic rehabilitation products. I took over the company 2 years ago, and right away I began working with them to develop high-quality postoperative products. Our company is now exclusively offering the FastStart® product line, which includes the FastStart IF, FastStart EMS, FastStart HVPC, and StimPlus Pro digital electrotherapy products. We felt that the new name better represented what we offer—high-quality orthopedic rehab products that represent our dedication to innovation and customer service. We also recently added FastStart conductive gloves; socks; wrist, elbow, and knee sleeves; and back supports. This is in addition to cold therapy products, braces, orthotics, and home exercise kits.

Q: What rehabilitation industry trends have you noticed lately?
A: Many things are changing in our industry, and rapidly. Although we went through a period of managed care where lowering costs was the only consideration, now there is a second tier, which emphasizes early and aggressive intervention to injury, similar to what we learned with sports medicine. In sports, for example, you can’t have a star athlete on the sidelines for too long, so you react quickly to reduce downtime. Similarly, in the business world, companies are realizing that they cannot have a high-value employee on the sidelines. This puts our products at the forefront because we develop them to shorten recovery times after surgery or trauma.

Q: How does new technology inform what you do?
A: New technology is really at the heart of what drives us as a company. As we’re completely focused on the strength of our product development, we have to stay on top of technological advancements, because we need to know what the next level of technological evolution is going to be. We work with clinicians and specialists to stay on the leading edge and develop products that continually advance the science and produce better outcomes in orthopedic rehab.

Q: What challenges do you face in your job?
A: There are many challenges, as there are in any business, related to the bottom line and success. But one challenge specific to our industry is an obvious one: reimbursement. We are dependent on a product being reimbursed in order for it to be used. People want to know how best to get paid for a product we introduce. Each state is different in regard to rates and products covered. We conduct ongoing reimbursement surveys across the country in order to work with our dealers to present the best product mix to meet their needs in each state. We feel that sets us apart.

—Ben Van Houten

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