More Cowbelt, please
Posted: November 11, 2013
Forget plain and boring gait belts of the past! Marla Pomeranz- Rossman, MS, ’12, created the next generation of gait belts that has even the manliest man in the therapy gym sporting hot pink leopard prints. Gait belts, which are used to transfer people from one place or position to another, typically come in two colors: white or pale rainbow. Now, thanks to Pomeranz-Rossman and her 97 different belt patterns, she’s turned mundane medical equipment into must-have fashion accessories.
Pomeranz-Rossman, a practicing occupational therapist, was fed up with using passé gait belts.
“Since all belts look the same, someone would use mine as soon as I set it down,” she says. “By the time I got it back, I never knew where it had been or if it was clean.”
That prompted her to make her own belt that couldn’t be mistaken for anyone else’s. She asked her neighbor, who had an upholstery business and heavy-duty sewing machine, to help her create her own custom belt. Setting the trend, her colleagues soon wanted their own belts, and her business took off.
Realizing she needed a company name as unique as her products, Pomeranz-Rossman chose More Cowbelt. A Will Ferrell fan, the name is a spin on Ferrell’s “Saturday Night Live” skit, “More Cowbell.” Even her tagline—creating scrumtrulescent gait belts for healthcare professionals—echoes one of the comedian’s famous lines.
Making fun and fashionable gait belts that are sure to please even the most macho healthcare provider, customers can browse Pomeranz-Rossman’s website, www.morecowbelt.com, and choose from different prints and colors to fit their individual styles. Upon request, she also personalizes belts with embroidered names. Most importantly, she keeps prices low because she wants to encourage healthcare professionals to use the belts.
“If the belts are attractive, healthcare professionals are more likely to wear them and use them with their patients, aiding in fall prevention,” explains Pomeranz-Rossman.
Knowing all too well the dangers of falls, especially among the elderly, she only uses high-quality materials and metal clips. Additionally, More Cowbelt is the only company that sells quick release belts with metal—not plastic—buckles.
“Several therapists asked me if I would carry quick release belts, and at first I said no because I don’t trust plastic clips,” says Pomeranz-Rossman. “Ultimately, we decided to use a metal prototype from an industrial airplane supplier, so we know the clips won’t break.”
Furthermore, for each belt she sells, part of the proceeds are donated to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, in memory of her mother.
“My mom was my best friend in the entire world,” says Pomeranz-Rossman. “Watching her independence dwindle away because of macular degeneration was devastating, and no one should have to go through that.”
Hoping that More Cowbelt will make a difference in the lives of others, she credits her family for giving her the support she needs to work and run a business. In fact, her 5-year-old daughter even helps create thank you cards that are sent with each belt.
“We care about what we do,” Pomeranz-Rossman says. “Helping people is a good thing, so why not look good doing it?”