Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Nashville’s John Siedlecki has more than four-decades experience in healthcare, leading development, sales, and marketing for health system management and consulting companies. But his latest project is truly personal for the veteran of the industry sector.

Together with Kevin Rotert, a 2012 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), who brings extensive product management and operations experience in leading-edge healthcare solutions, the two are pursuing a new approach to supporting transfers for mobility-challenged individuals from a bed to toilet chair, to shower, or other locations. It’s called TransferMate™, and the two have formed Integrated Transfer Solutions Inc. (ITSI) to advance the device toward the market.

Siedlecki told us there were two motivations for the device for which he did the first drawings in 2017. Both were family members – a daughter named Samantha, who has cerebral palsy and therefore required regular mobility assistance, and a cousin named Tony, who died at 49 of a crippling brain tumor that also required transfer assistance, particularly in his final weeks of life.

Despite her disability, Samantha graduated from UTK with a master’s in social work and is now an entrepreneur, serving as Founder and President of Paradise Shells & Fine Jewelry by Samantha. The company, launched in November 2021, was created to develop a pathway for greater income and connectedness for individuals with and without challenges.

Siedlecki notes that 19 million adults report some mobility difficulty, many not reaching the level of assistance that those with significant disabilities require. Still, as he says, there are significant disadvantages to available patient transfer devices that limit use, so he took his 40-plus years in healthcare and developed a new option based on his experience.

“It’s all about preserving patient dignity,” Siedlecki says, explaining that workers compensation claims cost the healthcare system more than $20 billion a year from back and other lifting injuries incurred by nurses and care staff.

For a typical roundtrip transfer, he explains that it can take up to 40 minutes and frequently requires two healthcare professionals. For home users, it might take even more time and assistance.

“Our invention is being developed as a fully integrated bed-to-toilet-to-shower patient transfer solution,” Siedlecki says, adding that it is intended to support a more seamless transfer experience while being easy to use and aiming to reduce caregiver time and effort. It is designed to consolidate the functions of a sling lift and shower chair into an integrated concept through its innovative design and technology. The device is patent pending both in the U.S. and internationally.

“It reflects the type of solution I envisioned for Samantha and others,” he says.

The company was formally launched in mid-April and is in the process of raising up to $1.5 million in funding. Siedlecki and Rotert emphasize that the end-user value proposition is grounded in addressing the areas that drive workers compensation, personal injury, and labor-related costs in healthcare settings. These factors significantly affect the bottom line of hospitals, long-term care, and rehabilitation facilities, and the value of reducing caregiver and patient anxiety during transfers is meaningful. At home, the envisioned device is intended to support families seeking alternatives to higher-cost care settings.

One of TransferMate’s early investors is Autolift SRL, which specializes in the production of lift equipment for disabled accessibility. It focuses on outfitting vehicles to serve both private and public use customers. Autolift SRL has experienced great success with its automotive and pool lifts, culminating in a recent agreement with an international automotive company. Autolift brings expert design, engineering, and scaled manufacturing capabilities, along with international sales, marketing, and distribution experience.

Siedlecki sees the breakdown of those who would purchase the TransferMate as about 65 percent for healthcare facilities and 35 percent for home use, noting there are great synergies between the two sectors.

“Both markets are experiencing accelerating growth,” he says, adding that the demand is “driven by an aging population resulting in greater numbers of mobility-limited persons seeking more supportive transfer solutions like TransferMate™.”

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