Cindi Petito on bridging the gap between CRT, home access

WATERLOO, Iowa – Cindi Petito, the new director of VGM Live at Home, has worked in both the complex rehab technology and home access industries as a clinician, provider and business owner, making her the perfect fit to lead the company’s efforts to better connect the two markets. 

Petito was originally named clinical networks for VGM & Associates in October of last year and is transitioning into this new role following Jim Greatorex’s retirement. 

HME: Why were you up for this new challenge? 

Petito: I see this as an exciting opportunity with an organization working with providers who are just as passionate as I am to take a holistic approach to services in the home for CRT and home accessibility. As a private practitioner, I could not enter a home without evaluating the whole person and the whole home, and the mobility equipment. With the increased demand for in-home services, we have the opportunity to take down existing silos and lead our members into a greater landscape of growth. 

HME: How do home access and complex rehab complement each other? Are we seeing more providers do both? 

Petito: When someone asks me a question around how the two divisions complement each other, my response is, how do they not?  We currently have dual members, and I expect we will have even more dual members in the next few years. With the driving force being the increased demand for in-home care, I believe more and more smaller companies will consider the growth opportunities in becoming a fully integrated solution provider for their clients and referral sources. 

HME: I know it's still early days, but what are some of your goals in this new role? 

Petito: A few of the goals include developing a new membership group for clinicians, primarily OTs. We had our VGM Live at Home Building Opportunities Summit in November for the third year and we’re creating awareness around the value of the clinical lens and what OTs bring to the table. OTs working in home accessibility has grown exponentially in the last five years. Having a learning environment for clinicians, particularly new entrepreneurs, is something I did not have 25 years ago. So, we are targeted to launch several educational opportunities next year, including a very comprehensive home access certification program that will take our industry to the next level and professionalize the industry around best practices. 

HME: What do you see as the future of each: home access and complex rehab? 

Petito: I see a greater demand for home accessibility services and a shift for CRT providers where they will look for ways to perform wheelchair evaluations in clients’ homes rather than in clinics. We’ve been hearing that clients are waiting several weeks to get into wheelchair clinics and finding therapists to go to client homes has been a challenge. We plan to help our members with these challenges.