As the Assistive Technology Durable Medical Equipment (AT DME) Reuse Contract Manager, Dawn DeMartino plays a pivotal role in overseeing and executing the deliverables of UCP’s Reuse contract. She serves as the primary liaison between UCP and external partners such as MassAbility, REquipment (REQ), and other contractual entities. In her free time, she enjoys playing the party dice game Bunco with friends.

Edited for clarity.

What inspired you to work for us?

I was hired by UCP of Western Massachusetts on October 31, 2022, as the AT Contracts Manager. In this role, I worked for the AT Department, providing support to a variety of programs at that time.

I was inspired to work for UCP because of the organization’s mission to provide support and assistance to individuals with various disabilities. UCP is dedicated to helping people of all ages live their lives without limitations through the variety of programs it offers.

For those who may not be familiar with REquipment, can you explain what the program is and why it’s so important?

REquipment provides FREE, gently used, durable medical equipment (DME) and assistive technology (AT) throughout Massachusetts. Donated equipment is sanitized, refurbished, added to our inventory, and reassigned to adults and individuals with disabilities, including children and veterans. The public can browse our website at requipmentma.org to find the refurbished DME and AT they need. If you have items that you no longer use, we welcome these types of donations. UCP, REQ, and our partners also accept donated devices and equipment. This program also provides drop-offs, pickups, and deliveries of devices and equipment to the public.

The Assistive Technology and Durable Medical Equipment (AT DME) Reuse REquipment program operates under a multi-year contract that began on July 1, 2022. UCP holds this prime contract with MassAbility and collaborates with REquipment, Inc. and various subcontractors to provide free, gently used DME and AT across Massachusetts.

This program is vital, and its significance cannot be emphasized enough! We manage the day-to-day operations of the AT DME Reuse Program, which aims to enhance independence, productivity, and community inclusion for everyone we serve. Our commitment is to improve lives through various community outreaches and Free-for-all events, program awareness, and funding advocacy. We raise awareness about the program through the UCP Berkshire Talking Chronicle and public service announcements, sharing information about the services we provide. Additionally, we focus on developing partnerships and collaborating with both existing and new organizations to expand and enhance reuse services across Massachusetts.

Personally, it makes me happy to know that our AT DME Reuse program assists children and adults with disabilities in Massachusetts. By providing gently used equipment and devices at no cost, we help improve their daily lives while also reducing waste in landfills.

Many people don’t realize how much coordination happens behind the scenes. What goes into managing this contract?

Managing the multi-year MassAbility contract involves various responsibilities that require ongoing communication with the client, UCP senior management, REQ, subcontractors, and vendors.

Key tasks include:

• Providing contract administration and support.
• Coordinating program meetings, work groups, and reporting requirements for contract deliverables, including work plans, and providing monthly and quarterly program reports through MassAbility to the state.
• Overseeing the different subcontract agreements, amendments, and allocated program funding, while processing and tracking subcontractor billing and payment for services.
• Managing budgeting and funding for program subcontractors and vendors, ensuring there are no budget overruns and collaborating closely with the CFO and senior management.

What’s a typical challenge you navigate in coordinating vendors, subcontractors, and community partners?

A typical challenge I face involves the requipmentma.org website and coordinating with both internal and external teams, including UCP, REQ, MassAbility, and various website vendors. My responsibilities include ensuring that the website functions properly, the domain and digital certificates are correctly set up, data is captured accurately, and reporting functions operate effectively. Additionally, I must ensure that all support services are completed promptly and that security and software updates are performed as needed.

What has been one of your proudest accomplishments since taking on this role?

My proudest accomplishment since taking on this role has been organizing contracts and subcontracts, which streamlined contract oversight and management. I ensured that the client, MassAbility, was satisfied with the services provided by UCP and the overall program. I also made sure that reporting requirements were completed and submitted in a timely and accurate manner.

I was designated as the UCP lead point for the upgrade of MassAbility’s AT DME Reuse website, now called requipmentma.org. UCP and REQ collaborated closely to identify IT vendors and send out requests for proposals for this project. I worked along with UCP senior management, MassAbility, and REQ to select Lullabot as the developer responsible for creating and implementing this new database. The process involved coordinating numerous tasks and timelines, which required testing and retesting before the website’s official rollout.Turbojet was chosen for the replacement of Lullabot in April 2025 as the vendor for comprehensive support services for the website.

What’s something coworkers might not know about you?

I am a co-author and hold copyright for the Contracts Management Database, registered with the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. This project was completed through Techmatics, Inc., a defense contractor for which I worked as a Contract Administrator for many years.

“I was inspired to work for UCP because of the organization’s mission to provide support and assistance to individuals with various disabilities.”

Dawn DeMartino, AT Contracts Manager