Q&A: Chris Yule

AUSTIN, Texas – 2020 was a big year for Chris Yule: He led the sale of Travis Medical to National Seating & Mobility, and he became the new president of NCART.  

Here’s what Yule had to say about taking his passion for complex rehab to a more national stage and how leveraging technology will lead to better services and outcomes. 

HME News: What about your industry experience makes you well suited to be president of NCART? 

Chris Yule: In 2003, I was involved in founding the Texas Rehab Provider Council. We did that to form a stakeholder group to have a voice with Texas legislators. Through this organization, we were able to pass one of the first state laws requiring that an ATP be present for an assessment for equipment and be present to make sure the equipment fulfills the client’s needs and meets expectations. From treasurer to president, I held all the offices in that organization over the years. While we had a state focus, NCART is more of a global initiative.   

HME: What do you hope to accomplish as president?  

Yule: From a global standpoint, our goals include growing the organization’s membership by 20%, securing a permanent exemption for manual wheelchair accessories from competitive bidding and funding seat elevation. At the state level, our initiatives will involve looking forward in preparation for 2022 state budget shortfalls as a result of COVID. We have to be prepared as an industry to make sure that the needs of individuals with disabilities can be met by the provision of CRT. It will be important to get all the manufacturers, providers and payers all on the same team. We have to position outcomes as a valuable tool and determine how CRT is more than just a piece of equipment – it is truly a cost saver that can support the home and community-based care movement. We are part of the solution to the home care marketplace shift. 

HME: How do you see the complex rehab industry advancing in the next two, five, 10 years? 

Yule: As we move to the future, the complex rehab industry will see a more connected process, from data diagnosis to delivery. Technology is really going to take over, making it possible to do much more virtually using a smartphone or tablet. We’ll be able to tie into payers’ member information and we’ll see a shorter transactional cycle times at the end of the day. Overall, we are going to see better services, more accountability and better outcomes.