“There is nothing better than seeing someone leave our office with the right fit and function from a manual chair or powerchair,” Nathan (Nate) Jordan, MS, OTR, said. Jordan is an Occupational Therapist with Emplify Health, formerly Gundersen Health Systems, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Most of his work involves wheelchair training, seating, and positioning. “I recall a four-year-old girl who got her first manual chair and a few months later, she wheeled past my office door squealing with delight. The girl’s mother asked me if I could slow down her new manual chair. I smiled and told her ‘Not a chance.’ Seeing this child who was not very interactive or lively become a typical four-year-old exploring and ‘running away’ from her mom brought me a profound sense of fulfillment.”
What keeps you engaged in your work, and what do you consider a success?
I have been with Gundersen Health System/Emplify Health for almost 20 years. This is an excellent place with good co-workers who are all dedicated to the work we do. Our management allows us a great deal of freedom to develop our processes and systems to make our work more efficient. The vendors in my area are very dedicated, and I enjoy working with each of them. Without this teamwork, I would have burned out fighting the reimbursement battle long ago! I consider it a success any time a patient leaves my office excited about the new chair we are ordering. This is especially true when we complete the process with a fitting and delivery, and the patient leaves happy, comfortable, and more mobile than when they arrived. As with any job, a clear desktop is the sign of a successful week!
What has changed the most in this industry since you first began?
I believe technology itself has changed the most. We have gone from dedicated devices to tablet or phone-based apps for everything from environmental controls to communication. Reimbursement coverage has also expanded in Wisconsin with improved coverage for seat elevators and powerchairs, as well as complex rehab coverage for residents in nursing facilities.
Outside of your work, what is important to you?
My family! Liesl and I have been married for 22 years. We met in high school when the freshman English teacher sat me next to Liesl as a punishment, hoping her exemplary student behavior would tame the class clown. Instead, I spent the rest of the semester (and my life) trying to make that girl laugh and smile. I was a bit of a ‘jock’ with an attitude towards authority. She was an honor student, singer, and musician, always polite and respectful. She milked goats at 5 a.m. every day before driving an hour to school. You never know what God has planned for you, but if you trust His plan, He brings together some of the most unlikely circumstances. The outcome is better than you ever thought possible.
Liesl and I have four teenagers – Avery, 19, Gavin, 17, Aria, 15, and Gabby, 14. My time is mainly spent with family, attending music and sporting events. We also enjoy camping, fishing, hunting, and generally spending time together outdoors. Our family lives in the country on about an acre and a half of land. Liesl enjoys raising goats and had dairy goats when she was young, but sold her goat herd to pay for college. Now, as a family, we are raising goats to enjoy ourselves as pets. We do a lot of volunteering together, such as participating in fundraising events, which is very rewarding.
Tell us more about your volunteer activities.
One of our children has autism, and I have a sister with Down syndrome, so these are some of the causes we support. My mom was a special education teacher who worked with students facing severe challenges. From an early age, she encouraged me to volunteer at summer camps and to work one-on-one with students and their families. We are also very involved with our church and help with its La Crosse Rotary Lights, an annual live nativity in Riverside Park. We bring our goats as a petting zoo feature at this month-long event attended by over 100,000 annually.
Liesl and I also serve on an advisory board for the Riverfest Commodores Kids in Need Fund. This organization provides 100% of its donations directly to non-covered therapies, services, and equipment for local children. This foundation also provides free access to a Permobil Explorer Mini, a mobility device, to help young children with impairments reach their developmental milestones. We also joined a group of parents who had children with autism to establish the Lacrosse Autism Foundation. This group helps provide resources, events, and grants to help those in the community affected by autism.
Gundersen Health Systems generously supported my work with our external affairs team to advocate for changes in the state government. By joining the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Hospital Education and Advocacy Team (HEAT), we have been able to help increase Wisconsin Medicaid reimbursement and improve coverage for complex rehab technology in long-term care facilities.
Who has been a significant influence on you and your career?
Greg Skolaski, OT, ATP, was a huge, positive influence on me. I met him when I was 12 years old and he worked in my mom’s Special Education room at Onalaska High School. Greg was setting up a Macaw board for a student. A few days later, I observed him setting up a switch scanner and a computerized storybook to get students to hit the switch to select and advance the story. Several years after I was working at Gundersen in Occupational Therapy, he began to plan for retirement. Greg personally trained me to eventually take over the assistive technology clinic in La Crosse. He took me under his wing and allowed me to spend time with him and his friends in the AT community, such as Bob Jones, Simon Margolis, and Jan Polgar. With her unwavering support of this work, Liesl has given me the peace of mind and reassurance I needed to continue advocating for our field and our patients.
What advice would you give to someone just beginning in your field?
I would encourage people to join our field because it is the perfect mix of applying engineering and mechanical aptitude, with compassionate care of people no matter their circumstances. People need to express themselves, and interact with peers and their community to promote their health. Occupational Therapy is a profession that plays a crucial role in promoting health and well-being by understanding and promoting the ‘occupation’ as an immensely meaningful way to engage in your own life regardless of any challenges you may experience. The more challenges someone has, the more they need OT along with equipment to meet and overcome these difficulties. When you know how to work with providers, vendors, and insurance companies to help improve someone’s ability to participate in life, nothing is more rewarding.
Nate may be reached at NJordan@gundersenhealth.org.
Nathan (Nate) Jordan, MS, OTR, has been with Emplify Health (formerly Gundersen Health System) in La Crosse, Wisconsin, since 2007. He and his wife, Liesl, have four teenagers and are enjoying life on a small, picturesque farm. Jordan and Liesl serve on an advisory board for the Riverfest Commodores Kids in Need Fund, and the Jordan family (and their pet goats) participate annually in the La Crosse Rotary Lights live nativity.
