About Us

Behind the Scenes at A1 Medical Integration

Founded in 2008, A1 Medical Integration has assisted more than 1000 different TV and Film productions throughout the US and Canada by providing the very best in medical equipment rentals and sales. We specialize in all aspects of healthcare related product coordination from the smallest consumable products to complete room settings and large diagnostic equipment. Since officially opening our first showroom in 2009, we have continued to expand our inventory and are proud to now offer one of the largest selections of medical equipment in the industry, while still maintaining unparalleled customer service.

We are committed to your success and will strive to earn your business each and every time you work with us. We know that you have a choice when it comes to your prop rental and sales needs and we understand how the decision in choosing a rental partner impacts your project and reflects on you. We truly value the trust you put in us and will do everything possible to ensure your complete satisfaction as well as the best outcome for your project and ultimately yourself. When you work with A1 Medical Integration, you get a partner that is vested in seeing you succeed.

A1 EXPERIENCE

With 100+ combined years in the Entertainment Industry, we’re TV and movie people just like you. We’ve walked in your shoes. We’ve been in the trenches and understand what it takes to get the job done. The breadth and depth of our experience make us uniquely qualified to handle even the most complicated of requests.

A1 PRODUCTS

Currently, we warehouse more than 15,000 square feet of inventory ranging from disposable supplies to patient monitors, to large diagnostic equipment as well as everything you need to create a complete exam room or hospital setting. We continue to add new equipment on a monthly basis and can also accommodate many special requests and custom inquiries.

A1 SERVICE

We take pride in not only providing you with one of the largest selections of medical equipment in the industry but in giving you the absolute best service possible. Whether you need help in choosing the right equipment for the situation or have a technical question on how to set up a device, we are happy to help. We stand behind our products and offer our clients the best service and support available anywhere.

A1 QUALITY

At A1 Medical, we have a rigid process for quality control. All equipment is double tested, inbound and outbound, to ensure it’s functioning as expected when you receive it. We use Rental Tracker Pro tracking software, the gold standard in the industry, to ensure every order is completed accurately. We also communicate with you every step of the way so you are never left with any unexpected surprises that could compromise the outcome of your project.

Meet our A1 Props Pros!

Darren Leis

General Manager / Sales
Darren@A1Props.com

Favorite TV shows: Twin Peaks, Breaking Bad, LOST
Favorite movies: Back to the Future, Taxi Driver, Blue Velvet

After earning a degree in Media and Theatre Arts from Montana State University, native Oregonian Darren moved to California in 2001. Since then, Darren has been working steadily in the Film and Television Industry in a variety of roles. As an experienced Medical Tech, he has worked hand-in-hand with prop departments all over Hollywood with productions

such as Interstellar, Drive and Dexter as well as more than 6 years on the acclaimed TV medical drama ER. As a result, Darren has literally connected actors such as Matthew McConaughey, Ellen Burstyn, Johnny Depp, Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi and Forest Whitaker with the same medical devices available to A1 Medical’s customers every day. In addition to practicing “movie medicine”, Darren is also a certified EMT and has spent time on ambulance runs in real-life situations. In his free time, Darren enjoys writing scripts, watching movies and playing guitar.

Andy Hengl

Sales / Social Media Coordinator
Andy@A1Props.com

Favorite TV shows: True Detective, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Office
Favorite movies: There Will Be Blood, Labyrinth, The Matrix

Born and raised in Northern California, Andy moved to SoCal to study film at Chapman University’s Dodge College. After graduating, he moved to LA-proper, where he has been working in Art Department for close to ten years.

Ben Ochoa

Sales
sales@A1Props.com

Favorite TV shows: Malcolm in the Middle, Letterkenny, Atlanta
Favorite movies: Pan’s Labyrinth, Parasite, Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Born and raised in Napa Valley CA, Ben went on to study film production at UC Santa Cruz where he worked on several independent films, promotional media campaigns, and of course his fair share of slapdash student productions.

Chris Helminiak

Warehouse Supervisor
Chris@A1Props.com

Favorite TV shows: Deadwood, Game of Thrones, Band of Brothers
Favorite movies: The Outlaw Josey Wales, Old School, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Born in Oakland, Christopher Helminiak didn’t stay long. Chris saw a lot of the country traveling with his family until his father retired from the Navy and settled in the Seattle WA area. 6 different schools in 4 different states, he got to see and appreciate different communities and cultures within the United States of America.

Suffering from testosterone poisoning, Chris recognized the need for structure and discipline and joined the United States Marine Corps. Serving 8 years of enlistment Chris requested and was accepted into an elite unit within the Corps. The Recon Marine was known as the “Jack of All Trades” of the Marine Corps as they cross trained in several specialty military disciplines and were expected to perform at a high level. As an Amphibious Reconnaissance Marine he was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA and Okinawa Japan and was deployed to the Persian Gulf and Somalia. Going to and coming from those deployments Chris enjoyed visiting and experiencing the communities and cultures of places like the Philippines, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Australia.

When Chris left the military he was fortunate to get work in the booming technology arena. Helping to build, test, repair, and optimize broadband networks all over California, Nevada, and Arizona. Chris progressed through construction, technician and engineering positions while working for ISP’s like Cox Communications, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and Spectrum.

Now, Chris brings his Jack of All Trades experience to A1 helping to keep the rental equipment operational and thinking of ways to improve your customer experience.

Zack Brewer

Sales
Zack@A1Props.com

Favorite TV shows: Dragon Ball, Better Call Saul, High Maintenance
Favorite movies: The Prestige, Rubber, Superbad

Although a lifelong dream, coming from a small town in Central Arkansas, Zack never imagined he would find himself working in the Film/TV industry. He graduated from Arkansas State University in 2019 with a degree in Creative Media Production and has a background in Sales, Advertising, Radio, Podcasting, and Audio/Video editing. Zack is naturally inquisitive and craves to learn all aspects of the film industry.

Richard “Rick” Kerns

President & CEO
Rick@A1Props.com

Favorite TV shows: Star Trek (Original), M*A*S*H, Breaking Bad
Favorite movies: On the Waterfront, Taxi Driver, Blade Runner

Rick is a skilled Property Master with over 25 years of experience in the TV and Motion Picture Industry. The son of a Commercial Producer, Rick grew up in the Entertainment Industry. After attending school at the University of Hawaii and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, Rick returned to Los Angeles and began a career in TV and Film.

Rick’s first assignment as a Property Master was for the Warner Brothers’ television drama China Beach on which he worked from 1987 to 1989. This was also his introduction to movie medical procedures, albeit 60’s military field medicine. He then worked on various assignments such as The Last Boy Scout, Prince of Darkness, They Live and Human Target. In 1993, Rick took on the role of Property Master for ER, a show that changed the style of medical dramas on television. During his 15 years with ER, without many industry resources available to him, Rick redefined his approach to his role by looking outside the industry for sources of inspiration and education. Often attending medical conventions, visiting clinical settings and reading medical journals, Rick’s resourceful approach helped make ER stand out as a realistic and accurate reflection of life in a hospital. In 2009, after ER went off the air, Rick then turned his focus to founding A1 Medical Integration in the hopes of using this specialized medical knowledge he had acquired to provide a level of service to the industry that was not available to him.
In addition to running A1 Medical, Rick is currently active in his trade and works as the Property Master for both Showtime’s acclaimed comedy-drama series, Shameless and the TNT series, Animal Kingdom.
When he isn’t busy juggling time between being on set, working with customers or coordinating product acquisition at A1, Rick enjoys spending time with his wife Julie and their two sons, Martin and Dave. Rick and his family became involved with the non-profit Autism Speaks after their son Dave was diagnosed with Autism, and remain active with this charity today. Please visit www.autismspeaks.com for more information or to make a donation.

Tony Engedal

Director of Promotions & Integrations
Tony@A1Props.com

Favorite TV shows: ER, Code Black, The Big Bang Theory
Favorite movies: Scarface, Goodfellas, The Dead Pool

A veteran in the industry, Tony has been in the product placement business for more than 27 years. Tony began his career with Unique Product Placement (UPP) in 1979. Following the explosion in the placement

business with the release of E.T. in 1982, in which the alien’s insatiable appetite for Reese’s Pieces dramatically demonstrated the impact of product placement, Tony helped to build UPP into one of the largest companies in the business. During his five-year tenure, Tony oversaw the entire production side, handling relationships with studio executives and property masters, successfully handling key placements for flagship clients such as Levis, Puma, and New Balance.
In 1987, Tony joined Creative Film Promotions (CFP) as Director of Productions where he handled all placements for the company’s Anheuser Busch, Audi/Volkswagen, and Unisys accounts. He subsequently left CFP in 1989 to form his own company, Premier Entertainment Services International.
Starting out with one client, Barq’s Root Beer, and under Tony’s direction as President, Premier Entertainment now represents and works with one of the strongest client lineups in the entertainment marketing industry. They represent industry leaders such as The Coca-Cola Company, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, McDonald’s Corporation, General Mills, Major League Soccer and McCormick Spices.
Tony’s unmatched marketing skills easily translate to “movie medicine” where he is invaluable in helping to connect the entertainment and health care industries for the best of theatrical simulations in clinical settings.