I had the chance to talk with Caroline Portoghese, ATP/SMS, OTR/L recently about an experience she and her team had installing a Seating Dynamics Dynamic Rocker Back interface on a Motion Composites Helio A7. We’ve both worked in this industry for a while and we both are members of the Clinician Task Force, however we’ve never had the opportunity to connect. It was a great conversation!

Caroline has worked in the area of wheelchair seating and mobility since 1998. After graduating, she worked in mental health for a year and then in long term care. It didn’t take long for her to start rummaging through closets in an attempt to improve the positioning of the residents there. After a year or two, she answered a newspaper ad for a custom seating job at Tamarack in Minnesota where she worked for a number of years – she loved it! Eventually, Caroline moved on to a wheelchair seating clinic for many years through the University of Minnesota Fairview, working in research and development, and teaching at local colleges and universities. She has also provided multiple presentations at RESNA, ISS, and other local conferences.

Successful DRBi installation! From left to right, Isabel, Caroline, and Kristen.

Nowadays, Caroline works for Handi Medical, starting at Director of Rehab and moving into an ATP role – providing the direct client contact she loves.

Recently, a physical therapist at Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul suggested a Dynamic Back for a young man she was evaluating. He needed a new wheelchair and seating system and loves to bounce and rock. His name is Thulfeqar and you can read his Case Study here. The team agreed that this would be an appropriate intervention and Handi Medical applied for and received funding approval and ordered the equipment.

As this was the first Seating Dynamics Dynamic Rocker Back interface (DRBi) Caroline and her team had ordered, she installed the DRBi with co-workers Isabel Castelnuovo-Hoffman, OTA, CRT and Kristen Decker, ATP and manager at Handi Medical so they could all learn together. Using the back cane saw & drill jig, the back was quickly installed and the team is ready for future installations.

Keep up the great work!