2. everyday work & motivation
What does a typical day at the medical supply store look like for you?
Varied: coordination with colleagues from field service, order coordination and the workshop as well as regular exchanges with therapists and facilities. It's important for me to observe what's happening outside: What do our young customers and their families need right now? What innovations can we usefully integrate or develop ourselves?
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I am driven by solutions and improvements. It gives me great pleasure to turn problems into real solutions for our young customers - every day anew.
What is particularly challenging on a day-to-day basis?
Dealing with funding bodies and the associated bureaucracy.
Is there a situation that has stayed with you to this day?
Yes, the care of a 14-year-old boy from Saudi Arabia with severe spastic paralysis who had not received any therapy or aids since birth. We were able to enable him to sit for the first time - that still touches me today.
3. behind the scenes of care
How do you provide medical aids?
Very structured. We get to know the children and their families, record their everyday life, living situation and biggest challenges. We then take a comprehensive medical history - from the underlying illness to all existing residual functions. We then test suitable aids together with parents and therapists, take care of the application to the funding body and produce or modify the fitting after approval. After around six months, we get in touch for an aid check.
What is particularly important to you personally?
Our duty of care and responsibility for our work. A good, respectful relationship between families, therapists and us is essential.
Where in the process do you need a lot of patience?
Definitely in the approval process with the funding providers.
Is there anything that parents often don't know?
We give parents an information sheet on the process of providing an aid, including realistic timeframes - in four languages. That way, there are no expectations that we can't fulfill.
What role does teamwork play for you?
One team - one mission. No one can work without the others.
Briefly asked:
Structure or flexibility?
Flexibility!
Security or courage?
Courage!
What is important to know about medical supply stores?
Which supplier has the best solutions for my problems, the greatest possible experience and a high degree of agility to make my everyday life easier in the future?
4. team & philosophy
What makes your team special?
The clear purpose of our work and the joy of developing life-improving solutions. We have a very good common understanding of each other and treat each other with great respect.
How would you describe your attitude?
We are driven to always come up with the best solution so that children and their families can have a more carefree and happier life.
5. personal view
Is there one aid in particular that has stuck in your mind?
The fitting of a robotic arm to a child with muscle disease. The boy was able to put on his own glasses again for the first time - and we were able to witness this moment.
What does your work mean to you personally?
My work makes me really happy. Developing meaningful technical solutions from real problems and bringing people, therapists and a dedicated team together in the process is something very special for me.
6. outlook & message
How do you see the future of assistive technology for children?
Technical solutions are getting better all the time - but they will only be successful if the lobby for children's care becomes stronger.
What changes would you like to see in the industry?
Less bureaucracy and much faster approval times. Twelve weeks doesn't fit in with child development - we urgently need simplified procedures here.
What advice would you like to give parents?
Stay courageous and confident. Be critical with every fitting - and especially when choosing the right medical supply retailer.
Thank you very much, dear Björn,
for your openness and
the honest insights
into your work and attitude.
🧡
FiNiFuchs asks
In conversation with Björn, founder of STREHL Kinderrehatechnik,
about purpose, responsibility and the future of providing aids for children.
"We are driven by this,
to always come up with the best solution
so that children and their families can have a carefree
and happier lives."
1. who are you?
Please introduce yourself briefly:
Who are you - and how did you get into the medical supply industry?
I'm Björn, the founder of STREHL Kinderrehatechnik. As an 11-year-old, I was seriously ill myself and had a lot of contact with orthopaedic technicians - they were my everyday heroes back then. So I became an orthopaedic technician myself and set up my own business at the age of 24 with the aim of building non-standard fittings.
What appealed to you most about working with children and their families?
The high purpose of our work.
Was there an encounter that changed your view of this work?
Yes, absolutely. An experienced Bobath therapist with 40 years of experience kept challenging our work. I am infinitely grateful for that. In my opinion, you can't ask the "Why?" question often enough in order to provide children with sensible rehabilitation.