This article is sponsored by Atlas Technology. In this Voices interview, Mobility Management sits down with two Atlas leaders: Michael McCarthy, Director of Growth, and Chenna Strange, Customer Experience and Support. McCarthy and Strange share the next stage of Atlas Technology and its new rebrand, explore how Atlas’s full RCM platform supports providers — and toast an old friend.
MOBILITY MANAGEMENT: One of Atlas’s really big projects of 2025 was its complete brand makeover. Why did Atlas decide now was the time for a rebrand, and what all was involved?
MIKE MCCARTHY: 2025 was an enormous year for Atlas. We celebrated our 15th birthday, and we recognized that we needed to evolve as an organization. As the OG CRT Revenue Cycle Management software, we recognized that a makeover was a must. The project, while big, included a fresh new look, new user-friendly website, new help-desk protocol, and lastly the development of a brand new mission statement. Our overall goal was to impress the fact that we are a CRT company that sells software.
This is a small industry where everybody seems to know each other. So I’m sure you got a lot of feedback from friends as you expanded and whenever you announce new services and innovations as well. Why is that feedback important to you? And how do you really take it and make the most of it?
CHENNA STRANGE: Feedback is what drives our project priorities. Since we all come from the provider side of the business, we do realize that feedback needs to be taken very seriously. The Atlas platform is super comprehensive. However, we realize that there are some changes that can be made to accommodate specific providers.
An example of that would be different state forms, different payor requirements, different rules of engagement, and so on. With their feedback, we’re able to make those necessary changes on the fly.
Chenna, while you’re new to Atlas, you’re absolutely not new to complex rehab. Tell us about your new role.
STRANGE: I’m so excited to be a part of the Atlas team. My new role is customer service and support. As a former Atlas user, I will be gathering feedback from our current Atlas clients on how they are using Atlas. I want to help them identify unseen opportunities to create another level of efficiency within the organizations.
Examples of that include reducing evaluation-to-delivery times on behalf of the beneficiaries, offering training to staff to help reduce billing errors, and helping identify additional opportunities for organic growth.
As you mentioned, I have been in the CRT world for quite some time — over two decades now. I’ve worked with several large and small providers with roles ranging from customer service, sales support, revenue cycle management, compliance and operational leadership. I’d say all things administrative. These experiences have given me firsthand insight into initiatives that have worked well, and the ones that haven’t.
Let’s look a little bit now into the future. In 2026, Atlas is a gold-level sponsor at the new Abilities International Accessibility Conference. What are Atlas’s expectations for this new professional conference and how are you participating?
MCCARTHY: We are excited to partner with Abilities. It’s the first time that Abilities International has gathered all the stakeholders in one building: clinicians, ATPs, caregivers, consumers and manufacturers. They’re also offering 10 CEUs, and we’re excited to be presenting one of those courses. Our ACES (Atlas Clinical Evaluation Software) platform has been a clinical staple for over 10 years, and our education tract will help create a higher level of awareness throughout the clinical community.
You mentioned the ACES system, and I know that more than 6,000 seating therapists are currently using ACES. That’s a big number. What do you take away from that number?
MCCARTHY: It is a big number, and a number that we’re very proud of.
First of all, we don’t charge clinicians to use ACES. It’s a free platform for seating evaluations, for clinical therapists. Second, and maybe equally as important, we feel strongly that the legacy forms being utilized today require a significant amount of back and forth between the referral source and the ATP to be effective in the time frames that we expect. Not to mention that those legacy forms lead to several compliance issues, as well as contradictions in terms and less effective outcomes.
Our ACES platform greatly increases successful collaboration the first time. Digital legacy versions can be locked down, which helps with compliance but creates another big issue with revisions as they can’t be edited.
If we use the simple example of the recent swing-away joystick mount justification, if a therapist uses the justification of ability to get closer to a table for a meal instead of ease of transfer, the therapist must complete the entire document over again for that one small edit. ACES improves this experience with a built-in logic that is compliant. Separate log-ins and portals allow for edits and modifications, if necessary.
Additionally, ACES has some robust features that will prevent the aforementioned contradictions associated with legacy platforms. An example of that is if the referral writes something on page three and then writes something differently on page 11, it causes a significant delay in the transaction cycle. We are proponents of doing it right the first time on the beneficiary’s behalf. We feel this initiative that we’ve developed for both the Abilities Expo and MedTrade will help spread the word and show both ATPs and referring therapists that there’s a better way.
There are so many places where the provision process gets bogged down. What questions should providers ask to determine ROI on revenue cycle management systems?
STRANGE: I think there are several questions that providers need to ask themselves, and in different categories. Let’s start with operations. “What they should ask are what are the current workflows in operations and what are the bottlenecks?” “Are there steps we can streamline or automate to save time and reduce errors?” Regarding technology, “Are we leveraging technology effectively?” “What tools or systems could enhance our data management, inventory tracking, revenue cycle and patient communication and outcomes?”
It’s also important to stay engaged with your staff. Ask your staff for their feedback regarding identifying inefficiencies within the organization. “Are their training opportunities that can empower the staff to contribute to process improvements?” Patient feedback is another factor to consider. “What are our patients saying about their experiences?” “How can we gather and analyze their feedback to identify areas for improvement in service delivery?”
And since we know that reimbursement hasn’t been increasing, the provider should ask, “Where are our greatest expenses?” “Are there any ways to reduce costs without compromising the quality of service and delivery?” And then finally, don’t be afraid to ask, “How do our efficiency metrics compare to industry standards?” Are their best practices from other successful providers that we could adopt?”
In March (of 2025), Joe McKnight passed away. He was part of the Atlas Technology family but also part of the broader complex rehab family. What are your favorite stories about him that you would like to share?
MCCARTHY: My goal here was not to tear up. I miss the guy a lot. His dedication to his patients, his dedication to his employers, his dedication to his family, maybe not in that order, was unmatched. We miss immensely.
One of the things that we used to joke about was that you could see Joe from across the room because he was always wearing a black cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Joe was from Ely, Nevada, which is about halfway between Vegas and Reno in the western part of Nevada. And that’s just how he was raised. That was part of his persona.
Joe never left home without that hat or a pair of boots on. I knew Joe for a long time. My stories are endless, both professional and personal. He worked as hard as he played and he played as hard as he worked. It leaves an enormous void in the people who knew him. It leaves an enormous void in the complex rehab technology space. And we miss him in Atlas, for sure.
This Voices interview is sponsored by Atlas Technology, and is adapted from a Mobility Management podcast recorded in Q4 2025 with Mobility Management editor in chief Laurie Watanabe. Listen to the full interview here, and to learn more about Atlas, visit atlas-vue.com/en-us/home.