Sunrise Medical Announces Director of Clinical Education

• By Laurie Watanabe
• Feb 17, 2022

Sunrise Medical has a new Director of Clinical Education for North America.

In a Feb. 14 statement, the manufacturer welcomed Jessica Presperin Pedersen, OTD, MBA, OT/L, ATP/SMS, FAOTA, a Complex Rehab Technology veteran with more than 40 years of clinical practice as an occupational therapist.

Presperin Pedersen “has worked in all sectors of the wheelchair and seating industry as a master clinician, supplier, manufacturing consultant, design representative, and educator,” Sunrise’s announcement said. “Dr. Presperin Pedersen was a pioneer in the development of the profession of wheelchairs and seating in the 1980s and has spent the last two decades contributing to the research world to demonstrate evidence for knowledge translation in the clinic, advocacy, and product development.”

Sunrise added that Presperin Pedersen is a RESNA and American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Fellow, serves on the Seating and Wheeled Mobility Committee for AOTA, and is a member of the Clinician Task Force. In 1984 at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, she founded the city’s first wheelchair clinic, and she assisted in developing the National Registry for Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS), an organization that turns 30 this year.

Larry Jackson, President of Sunrise Medical Americas, said in the announcement, “We are so excited to have Jessica join the Sunrise Medical family. The further development of our clinical education team is a critical part in our success, and Jessica brings an unparalleled amount of clinical experience and industry knowledge.

“Beyond clinical education, we fully expect Jessica to contribute to the development of exciting new products that exceed our customers’ expectations and create better clinical outcomes. She provides us with so many opportunities to both further our products and collaborate with others to create supporting research that proves their value to payors.”

Presperin Pedersen’s main responsibility at Sunrise will be developing and executing the manufacturer’s clinical education strategy in North America, the announcement said.

“I am thrilled to join the innovative team at Sunrise Medical and look forward to partnering as we share our knowledge and expertise in our education endeavors,” Presperin Pedersen said.