ATLANTA (November 1, 2016)—Dr. Kirsten Davin has been selected as the winner of the inaugural HME Woman of the Year award.
The award was presented to Davin at a special award ceremony held at the Medtrade Home Medical Equipment Conference and Expo. She was one of four finalists (out of 37 nominees) selected to travel to Atlanta to attend the conference, VGM-sponsored events and the special award presentation.
“It is a great honor that someone like me is recognized,” said Davin, who is founder, co-owner and president of Precision Seating Solutions. “A younger woman, 37 years old from a small town, via a grassroots method built a company that now has global distribution. The fact that we’re recognized for that is amazing.”
The HME Woman of the Year award was created by VGM Group, Inc. and was open to all women who work in the industry. Nominations were accepted over the course of three months and criteria included paving new ways of innovation and new business processes, leadership that has secured legislative wins, improving the lives of patients and making lifelong impressions on her community.
“On behalf of VGM, I am proud to present the HME Woman of the Year award to Kirsten,” said Mike Mallaro, CEO of the VGM Group, Inc. “Women have always been central to the fabric of the health care system including in our field—medical equipment, assistive technology and services which allow the frail, the elderly, the disabled and others the dignity to stay in their home and the freedom to live an active, quality life. Thank you, Dr. Davin, for being a trailblazer in our industry.”
Davin has been in the home health care field for fifteen years. Her experiences as an occupational therapist, certified assistive technology professional and seating mobility specialist led her to start her own company, Precision Seating Solutions, which manufactures the PS 256 pressure mapping system.
Along with overseeing Precision Seating Solutions, Davin is an author and internationally known speaker on wheelchair seating and positioning and is a professor at Lincoln Land Community College where she teaches several medical-related courses. For the past 16 years, Davin has served as a volunteer firefighter, EMT and medical training officer for the Pleasant Plains Fire Department in her hometown of Pleasant Plains, Illinois. She currently serves as captain for the 24-member department and will become deputy chief in 2017.
“Dr. Davin is a born leader, who inspires those around her to be better, to work harder, achieve goals and create the outcomes they strive for,” wrote Robert Schafer, fire chief of Pleasant Plains Fire Department, in his nomination for Davin. “She uses her platform to help those less fortunate, to encourage those who are just starting out and to educate therapists, caregivers, equipment providers and individuals from all walks of life to be the best they can be in every arena.”
For more information about the award, follow VGM Group, Inc. on social media or visit vgm.com/hmewomanoftheyear, or join the Women of HME LinkedIn online community.
