Wheelchair and

Seating Clinic Opens

at Labette Health

PARSONS, Kan., March 17, 2011 – When you spend most of your waking hours in a wheelchair, little things can make a big difference.

“Having appropriate mobility equipment that fits and performs properly makes a big difference in a patient’s quality of life, and since quality of life is our business, we want to make sure our patients can perform the activities of daily living,” said Dr. Beth Shelton, a physiatrist, or specialist in physical and rehabilitation medicine.

That’s why Labette Health is partnering with United Seating and Mobility, a Kansas City, Mo., company, to establish a monthly Wheelchair and Seating Clinic in Dr. Shelton’s office on the second floor of the hospital’s new Medical Office Building.

On the clinic’s first day last Friday, Dr. Shelton and United Seating and Mobility’s Lee Twombly, ATP, worked with four patients. Plans are to see as many as eight patients during each monthly clinic.  Access to such specialized services is limited in rural areas, according to Jeff Welding, territory manager for United Seating and Mobility.

“There are clinics in Joplin, Topeka, Wichita and Kansas City; however, many of those clinics are disease-specific and not necessarily as broad-based as Dr. Shelton’s,” he said.

“We measure, pressure-map and generate the specifications to fit the patient’s condition, and work with many different companies to get most appropriate equipment for each individual’s needs. We also perform repairs and modifications and even provide tools and parts such as batteries,”

Seating services and equipment are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance companies. For patients with qualifying conditions, Medicare requires an evaluation by a physiatrist like Dr. Shelton or an occupational or physical therapist. The wheelchair must be provided by a supplier that employs a credentialed Assistive Technology Professional like Twombly, who has direct, in-person involvement in the wheelchair selection.

Improperly fitted seating can lead to serious medical complications, such as skin ulcers and joint contractures, Dr. Shelton said.

“Since some patients spend the majority of their time in their wheelchairs, the chair actually becomes an extension of the person himself. We want to make sure the equipment is appropriate for the patient’s needs and lifestyle. For instance, someone who is interested in wheelchair sports will have a very different need from someone who spends most of their time at a desk,” she said.

The Wheelchair and Seating Clinic will be offered monthly on Friday mornings in Dr. Shelton’s Physiatry Clinic. The next clinic will be April 15. Patients can call (620) 820-5545 for an appointment or for more information.

Seating and Mobility Specialist Lee Twombly, ATP, right, discusses a wheelchair fitting with Edward Reynolds of Altamont and Dr. Beth Shelton, a physiatrist who specializes in physical and rehabilitation medicine.