NCART Welcomes New Executive Director
CRT veteran Wayne Grau will lead the national complex rehab association starting on Aug. 1. Announcement comes as industry stakeholders gear up for Aug. 15-19 CRT Awareness Week.
CRT industry veteran Wayne Grau will be joining The National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART) as its Executive Director, effective Aug. 1, upon the departure of current Executive Director Don Clayback on Sept. 30.
Grau has a long list of industry credentials and brings with him extensive experience working for both a CRT manufacturer and provider, a member services organization, and 15 years of government affairs involvement.
“Wayne will bring a vast knowledge base to NCART and will help move the organization ahead. We look forward to his leadership and contributions,” said Greg Packer, NCART President.
“I am very excited about this next step in my career working at NCART on behalf of the CRT industry,” Grau said. “NCART and the CRT community are very grateful to Don Claybackfor all his years of service. I look forward to building on our progress working with manufacturers, providers, and all stakeholders to continue to fight to represent their interests at both the federal and state level,” continued Grau.
NCART also announced the election of officers whose terms began July 1. In addition to Greg Packer, President of U.S Rehab, the other officers include:
- Vice President — Kevin Gearheart, President at Rehab Medical
- Treasurer — Doug Westerdahl, Vice President of Field Operations at Numotion
- Secretary — Mike Barner, Director at the University of Michigan Wheelchair Seating Service
CRT Awareness Week
The news comes as NCART and other CRT stakeholders prepare for CRT Awareness Week, which is being held Aug. 15-19. The goal of the week is to ensure that lawmakers and other decision-makers understand the value of complex rehab technology and why access to CRT benefits must be protected.
“We wish that every legislator, policymaker, payer, and community member already fully understood the complexities of CRT and the benefits it provides to people with disabilities,” an NCART statement read. “While we aren’t there just yet, we’ve made real progress, and there are an increasing number of decision-makers who understand how vital CRT is, but more are needed. Your participation will have a significant impact on how effective our collective outreach will be.”
How CRT stakeholders can get involved:
- Click here for an overview and resources to use.
- Decide which way you want to share details about CRT with others.
- Choose a day to participate.
- Use the #CRTAwareness hashtag to help spread the word.
- Follow NCART on our social media pages to “like” and share our posts too.