Category Archives: Employees

Q&A: Get to know RESTORE-Skill’s Chief Technology Officer, Ilya Gotfryd

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What do you do at RESTORE-Skills & in what circumstances would I come to you for something?

In my role as Chief Technology Officer, my primary responsibility is to help turn the strategic vision of our digital health platform into reality. I focus on prioritizing areas that will add the greatest value to our end-users in the shortest possible time while providing an optimal user experience. Bringing, seeing, experiencing joy across our customer base is what truly drives me. You would come to me if you are experiencing a technical challenge in engaging with our platform or to make recommendations for ways in which we can enhance your experience through game/feature development, data capture, and outcome reporting needs.

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

I am honestly touched by recent remarks by Elon Musk, saying “It doesn’t matter what you build, the question is are you building the best product possible?” Attention to detail earns immediate respect even in the parts that others won’t necessarily see.

Are you a dog person or a cat person (or neither)?

Apparently a dog person. While I love our cat Coda, our new puppy Tobi is completely stealing the show.

How do you prefer to start and end your day?

I start each day with a simple plan before me that I believe I can accomplish. If I make a solid dent in it, that day then it has been a success. To end my day, I like to put out my accomplishments for either my team or customers to see. Quick feedback makes the world go round and lets us all build beautiful things together.

What energizes you at work?

Interesting technical challenges that make a visible difference in user experience or the life of my colleagues. Turning interesting ideas into elegant designs and seeing them come to life.

What’s one song/artist you are embarrassed to admit you like?

Rockefeller Street by Nightcore is a song I love jamming out to in the car. In fact, if we take a car for a test drive I want to hear how it is going to sound on that sound system.

What led you to this career path?

As I progressed through my career as a software engineer I understood that underlying technologies and implementation are only a small part of the product. If we were to build something meaningful we need to care about the well-being of those that create and support what we build. We need to make sure that the time our customers spend with our product is meaningful and that we are honest about the role we play in their lives. This product really gives me an opportunity to build something truly impactful and work with a wonderful team to find what it ultimately is.

What do you do to turn things around when you are having a bad day?

Step back from a problem to drop the stress level then step back and ask important questions. Sort out what is the true goal here that will benefit everyone involved.

What’s one hobby you would love to get into?

Kite sailing has captured my imagination at the moment. Being at the edge of two elements is hyper-focused and an exceptionally freeing experience.

What’s changed you about the COVID-19 pandemic, and why?

What we are doing here and now in RESTORE-Skills was made essential and apparent through this pandemic. We can bring joy into the lives of our loved ones and make them stronger and healthier at the same time. What could be better than that?

adopting new tech

NEWS: Adopting New Technology in Rehab

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Our Chief Clinical Officer, Ian Oppel, had the opportunity to be interviewed for Episode 024: Adopting New Technology in Rehab of the Rehab U Podcast. Below, find a brief description of the insightful conversation:

In this world of ever-changing technology –from telehealth to digital practice management— one challenge presents itself: how can organization incentivize or encourage staff and clinicians to adopt these new tools into their everyday practice? Some of these tools and platforms involve large investments of man-power, time, and dollars. Organizations definitely want to ensure that their investment in innovative care actually ends up being used to improve outcomes & effectiveness of care.

Well, my guest this week, Ian Oppel, sees this firsthand everyday. He’s the Chief Clinical Officer at RESTORE-Skills, a company that gamifies the rehab process through a technological platform connecting clinicians, patients, and family/members & support systems. They’re tool allows organizations to inch closer to value-based care.

What we cover in this Episode

  • The move to Value-Based care
  • Telehealth & Virtual Care
  • How communication affects patient care, engagement, and experience
  • How we can use data and technology to promote Better Outcomes
  • Understanding knowledge transfer and how it can improve clinical outcomes
  • How technology should enhance, not detract from the patient experience
  • Taking a Biopsychosocial Approach to healthcare

Listen to Ian's full conversation with Rehab U's Rafi Salazar HERE!

Director of Clinical Success

Q&A: Getting to know RESTORE-Skill’s new Director of Clinical Success, Suzi Fullam, COTA/L

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What do you do at RESTORE-Skills and in what circumstances would I come to you for something?

It is a challenge to learn anything new. It takes time, interest, repetition, and often a little coaching and encouragement. As a therapist in the Director of Clinical Success role, I work directly with clinicians, no matter their level of experience, to support them in their goal to accelerate clinical outcomes through their use of our therapeutic, skill-building games. My job is to help our users reach their goals in a fun and creative way and celebrate their success along the way. Most importantly, I learn from their valuable feedback, which I take back to our development team so that we can continue to improve the platform and align RESTORE with what is being requested. 

RETSORE's new Director of Clinical Success

Suzi Fullam, COTA/L, Director of Clinical Success with her beloved dog Tuna.

Are you a dog person or a cat person (or neither)?

Dog person! My fur child’s name is Tuna, she’s a rescue, a Labradane, and like me the runt of the litter!

Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

My mother. She is a very hard worker and has been a role model for me growing up. She showed us as kids that with hard work you can achieve anything you want. My mom started as a secretary at Bell Atlantic which is now known as Verizon. She worked very hard and they paid for her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s Degree, both graduations I was in attendance for. After climbing the Verizon ladder, she was able to retire at the nice age of 52. She influences me to be like her, to work so hard I can have the things I want. 

 

What led you to this career path?

In my career as a therapist, I’ve come to appreciate the role technology and digital health will play in the future of healthcare. After using RESTORE in my own practice and seeing the impact tech can have on patients’ motivation and engagement, I knew I wanted to be a part of this journey to help as many people overcome their resistance to embracing that innovative healthcare technology now. 

How do you prefer to start and end your day?

I prefer to start my day with coffee, I prefer to end my day with snuggles from my dog. Although, should probably have one of those answers as exercise but so far it’s just a dream. 

What three words would your friends use to describe you?

Fun, Loveable, Loyal.

What’s changed you about the COVID-19 pandemic, and why?

My husband and I have a calendar in our kitchen, pre-covid it was full of social events every Saturday and Sunday for months. Some of our close friends and family would get annoyed by it trying to plan something last minute. Since Covid-19 our calendar has emptied and I think I like it better now than it was before. Covid-19 has made me a “home-body” and a proud one. 

If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation. Snap my fingers and be somewhere without having to travel or spend time on the road.

What is your favorite thing to do when not at work?

Attend Philadelphia Eagles games. I am a season ticket holder and die-hard fan!

If you could only eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pizza! Just plain for me, I would prefer to have no toppings at all, but a side of ranch dressing is a necessity.

meet the team

Meet the Team: Jayne

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In this series, you heard from our team members about their favorite moments over the last year! If you missed Guy's post about his trip to the US, you can find that here. In this post, Jayne, our National Director of Partnerships, tells us about one of her favorite RESTORE experiences from 2019. 

I've been a member of the RESTORE family since the company moved from Israel to the US. I have many great memories and favorite moments from over the years. As we shifted from the kids' platform to the adult platform and I started to work closely with therapists and patients in centers, I quickly realized there was a similar trend: a lack of time for creativity and limited utilization of technology. Luckily, I knew this was a problem we could help solve!

It never fails to warm my soul to see how a simple, portable tool can change an entire center. The slight shift in attitude and incorporation of fun, interactive technology makes a world of difference for everyone involved. It can take a therapist from one who does the same things every day to one who boldly embraces a new approach. And whose patients reap the benefits!

Getting Started

The best part of my job, by far, is witnessing players experience our games for the first time! Patients push harder and longer than they have before because they're having fun. They smile, laugh, and cheer one another on, creating memorable experiences for everyone. A great example of this is from a recent visit I had with a center in Maryland. A woman in a wheelchair came for therapy to work on core and lower body strengthening. I was excited for her to play because we have some great options for targeting these areas! 

We explained how to play, and it was clear she was ready for some fun. The therapist attached a controller to her chest, customized the range of motion, and played Ski Saga to start. Guided by her therapist, she shifted from side to side and played for over 30 seconds. She flew down the slopes avoiding obstacles to the best of her ability, smiling the entire time! All of us had so much fun and she asked to play another game. This time, her therapist wanted her to play using her legs.

The RESTORE Difference

We placed a controller on her toes and played another game with her extending her leg straight out. The first time she heard the Ladybugs go "Yippee" as she helped them cross the bridge, she laughed audibly, and her face lit up! After playing for about a minute, the therapist mentioned that she was able to extend her leg more than she has before. This made the patient feel very accomplished and proud of her hard work. Then, I showed them how to access the data to view duration (time played) and the movement map, which affirmed what the therapist said. 

In my opinion, RESTORE is much more than just a therapy tool. It is often-needed defibrillation, restarting the heart of therapy departments and reminding them of why they wake up every morning. Working closely with therapists and patients to ensure that they have the best experience while they are in therapy is why I continue to love what we do here at RESTORE! 

Follow RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

Meet our web developer, Guy.

Meet the Team: Guy

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In this series, you'll hear from a few of our team members about their favorite moments over the last year! If you missed Karin's post last week, you could find that here. Today Guy, our beloved web developer, shares a beautiful story from his recent trip to the U.S. to meet our users.

 

meet the team

Guy & Karin (Game Developer & Graphic Designer) during their visit to NYC.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been a gamer and appreciated the impact games could have on our lives. When done right, games are engaging, challenging, immersive, and, most importantly, fun! They can take our minds off of things and take us on amazing adventures, while enhancing our coordination, improving our reaction time, and sparking our imagination. My love for games is what made me want to become a programmer and what brought me to RESTORE. 

For the past few years, I have had the opportunity to work and collaborate on a platform that focuses on bringing the fun and engagement of gaming to people who do not get to experience it often (and maybe need it the most). During a recent trip to the U.S. (I'm from Israel), I got to see the result of our hard work in action, and it was AMAZING! I loved seeing how different centers react to and engage with our platform, and I'd like to share one experience that stuck with me.

 

Getting Started

At one center, after our training session with the staff, the DOR invited a nice gentleman in a wheelchair to try out our platform. His O.T. told us that he could stand for about 30 seconds at a time when assisted by at least two staff members. After a short review of the activities, we decided our new friend was about to go skiing for the first time in his life by playing our hit game "Ski Saga." We started the game by having the patient play with his hand while seated to give him a sense of how the games worked. After a short session this way, he was excited and ready to go for real!

It was a bit of a challenge for him to stand up, but with the help of the DOR and his O.T., he was up and ready to go. The game started and...he hit a tree, then another one and another one as he was unable to perform the actions required to move the little skier on the screen. It was then that the DOR asked the player sidestep towards him. The patient took a small step towards the DOR and the little skier responded by changing lanes, avoiding a tree at the last second. It was now time to move to the left, "now sidestep towards me," the O.T. on the other side said while assisting the patient. The patient responded by moving left, and so did the little skier. And then, something incredible happened… another tree came towards our skier, and without any assistance or instruction whatsoever, the patient took a large sidestep to avoid it.

The RESTORE Difference

A few seconds later, and the patient was now playing, standing up assisted only by his O.T. He then went on to play for a few more minutes, eventually entirely on his own (with his O.T. by his side, of course), taking big side steps to the left and right, skillfully controlling the character on the screen and showing the game who's boss! He even forgot about the fact that he was doing therapy because he was having so much fun. Everyone in the room was now watching him play; it was glorious! Our friend, who a few minutes ago was only able to stand for 30 seconds assisted by two people, was now skiing freely from side to side and even taking small squats to avoid bridges.

That was only one of the countless meaningful experiences I had during my fantastic visit, and it sure gave me the motivation to keep making our platform even better for the therapists and patients harnessing the incredible power of gaming.

Follow RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!

Meet the Team!

Meet the Team: Karin

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Everything we do here is to support of our goal of creating enhanced experiences for your team, your patients, and their loved ones. In earlier posts, we heard stories from players who had meaningful experiences with therapeutic gamification. But in this next series, we’ll hear from a few of our team members about their favorite moments over the last year! In this post you’ll meet Karin, a senior game developer and graphic designer in our Tel Aviv office.

This fall, I had the chance to travel to NYC to work with our U.S. team. While there, I was able to visit numerous facilities that use the RESTORE platform. I learned a great deal while talking to the staff, therapists, and residents and hearing the insightful ideas they shared with me. It was so exciting to see firsthand how patients love and appreciate our product. Here is one special experience from the trip I’d like to share:

The day of our visit, I observed a therapy session between a therapist and patient who was not feeling great.  She told us she was feeling off and said she didn’t want to stand at all. The therapist said that was okay and she sat and eagerly watched another patient play the game Jackpot (which I developed) and waited for her turn.

The RESTORE Difference

When her turn came, she immediately knew she wanted to play that same game. It was like suddenly forgot her discomfort and agreed to play the game for a couple of minutes while standing! For me, as the game developer, it was amazing to see how something I created help a patient who earlier refused to stand to go on and have fun with her therapy. After she finished playing, she continued to say how beautiful and fun that slot machine was! It moved me to know that something I designed and developed could have that great of an impact on people.

I hope this made you smile like it made me. It’s a story I will carry in my heart as I build more games that create meaningful experiences for all of you and your patients. It’s an honor to know that my day to day job is to make therapy more fun and enjoyable for patients. I look forward to a brighter future where joy, gaming, and therapy are intertwined. 

Follow RESTOREskills on Facebook & LinkedIn for updates on our platform, new game announcements, testimonials, tips, and much much more! To schedule an obligation free demonstration of our on-demand therapy platform with our team, please contact us at info@restoreskills.com or call (330) 968-2879. We look forward to supporting your goals!