Nick Boyer helps build pipeline of ATPs at Reliable

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a complex rehab technology (CRT) market where the number of assistive technology professionals (ATPs) on staff can determine a company’s growth, Nick Boyer has developed a training course that has helped Reliable Medical keep pace with its expansion plans.

Boyer, vice president of CRT growth and integration, rolled out the course last year, helping three rehab technology suppliers (RTSs) and four technicians pass RESNA’s ATP exam. Already this year, one RTS and two techs have completed the course and passed the exam.

Here’s what Boyer had to say about his own journey to become an ATP and his approach to guiding the next generation of ATPs.

HME News: How did you come across and join the CRT industry?

Nick Boyer: My background is in education, and I used to teach high school math and economics. My brother has been in the industry for a long time, and he persuaded me to jump into it. I went into education trying to impact kids and found there was a lot of red tape and politics, and I couldn’t do what I was hoping to do in that role. Becoming an ATP was a more hands-on way to improve people’s lives. So, nine years ago I made the career switch.

HME: How did you go from an ATP yourself to an ATP coach?

Boyer: It’s evolved over the last couple of years. I started out doing a lot of ride-alongs, doing everything from helping ATPs build their first territory to helping them develop relationships with referral sources to helping them document their efforts. It was also a lot of remote help. My average work with an ATP lasted six months to a year. It was very in-depth, until one day they didn’t need me anymore. Now, we have a great team that does that part.

HME: What’s the philosophy behind the training course you’ve developed for aspiring ATPs?

Boyer: It’s not just to prepare them to pass the exam but also to train them to be high-quality ATPs to service clients. There are three categories:

• Prepping for and passing the ATP exam
• Learning about equipment and policy
• Conducting evaluations and managing a patient caseload

It’s about a four- to five-month process. Usually, we will enroll senior rehab techs, so you’re not taking someone from the ground level who doesn’t know the industry at all.

HME: How do you identify good candidates to take the course?

Boyer: We try to match personal goals and preferences. Some techs love what they do and want to keep doing it; others want to become ATPs. I do feel like we’re seeing a larger cohort of sales reps transitioning to ATPs.

HME: We’ve written a lot about efforts to develop the next generation of ATPs. Formal education has always been patchy, with a few schools like the University of Pittsburgh and The Ohio State University doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Do you feel like their efforts, along with those by companies like Reliable and CRT organizations, are helping to move the needle?

Boyer: Watching what UPitt and Ohio State are doing excites me. They’re expanding their programs and some of it is remote, so they can reach people across the country. It does feel like there’s a younger population over the last few years that is kind of exploding in this market.