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Archive: July 2008


News

After defeat, association looks ahead

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

INDIANAPOLIS--While efforts to halt Medicaid contracts for incontinence supplies ended in defeat this spring, Indiana providers plan a pre-emptive strike for other product categories. The Association of Indiana Home Medical Equipment Suppliers (AIHMES) hired a lobbyist in June, said George Kucka, executive director. “We are going to try and get some legislation passed to make this, if not impossible, at least more difficult to do in the future with other services,” he said. Indiana...

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Mergers and acquisitions

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

Apria Healthcare isn't the only company that has put the HME industry back on the ergers-and-acquisitions map. In late May, Teijin Limited, a pharmaceutical and home healthcare company in Tokyo, bought Bakersfield, Calif.-based Braden Partners, which does business as Pacific Pulmonary Services. In January, Teijin also bought Amherst, N.Y.-based Associated Healthcare Systems. “I'm not sure it's a sea change,” said Bob Leonard, an analyst with The Braff Group, an M&A firm in Pittsburgh....

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RESNA outlines plan for single certification

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

ARLINGTON, Va.--RESNA's plan to consolidate its ATS and ATP certifications has spurred a litany of questions from concerned providers and therapists.  The biggest question, especially for therapists, is whether having “a single baseline certification” will dilute the certification. Right now, the ATS certification describes an individual, usually a provider, who sells and services equipment, while the ATP certification describes an individual, usually a PT or OT, who evaluates...

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Putting wind in their sails

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

When Sailability Greater Tampa Bay first started, Sandy Ackley remembers she and another founder using a hand-pump lift to move people with disabilities into non-capsize sailboats. One of those people was a 220-pound man. A lot has changed since then. When the nonprofit organization celebrated its 7th anniversary in June, it boasted not only an ADA-approved dock facility with an electronic lift but also a fleet of 13 boats adapted with joysticks, chin controls or sip-and-puffs. It has a roster of...

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UPitt researchers receive grant

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

PITTSBURGH--Two researchers at the University of Pittsburgh received in June a $98,788 grant for their two-year project “Fundamentals of Wheeled Mobility & Seating Web-Based Education Program.” The goal of the project: to use Internet-based education resources to provide consistent and accessible education and training for professionals providing wheeled mobility and seating. Mark Schmeler and Ashli Molinero received the grant from the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

News

Gaymar Industries: Here comes the sun

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.--Gaymar Industries has acquired the assets of Alpine, Utah-based Sunset Manufacturing, a manufacturer of specialty gel components, it announced July 2. Gaymar, a provider of medical solutions for pressure ulcer and temperature management, was Sunshine's largest customer. As part of the deal, Gaymar has obtained a new license agreement that gives it exclusive worldwide rights to new gel technologies. The acquisition will help Gaymar meet its objectives of providing a wide range...

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Levees break, providers hold

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

DES MOINES, Iowa--Half a mile from the roiling Mississippi River, staff at Heritage Medical in Burlington, Iowa, began calling patients in flood-prone areas. “We asked about their plans, to make them start to think if they hadn't already,” said Lelia Wilkerson, manager. “We asked them, ‘Do you know where you are going and what can we do to assist you and get you set up?'” Providers throughout the flood-drenched Midwest spent much of June activating disaster plans, as rivers...

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Let’s get educational

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

WATERLOO, Iowa--The VGM Group already has a reputation for solid educational programming, but if Elizabeth Cole has anything to do with, it's only going to get better. U.S. Rehab, a division of VGM, brought Cole on board in May as director of clinical rehab services. In her new role, Cole, a physical therapist, will add a clinical bent to VGM's existing educational programming and help develop new programming, especially for rehab providers. Cole, who worked most recently for the consulting firm...

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National competitive bidding

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

A probable delay in national competitive bidding has been hailed as an industry victory, but it comes with some significant challenges for providers and beneficiaries. Provider Rob Brant, for example, has kept his referral sources and patients up-to-date in an effort to prevent losing business. “Once it's official, we will send out official notices,” said Brant, president of City Medical Services in Miami, which was disqualified during the bidding process. Meanwhile, Brant said, he...

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Roho beefs up site

July 31, 2008HME News Staff

BELLEVILLE, Ill.--After hours of research and discussion, the Roho Group launched a renovated Web site in early July that's more user friendly. The new site has three key entrances from its home page: Medical Products, Comfort Products and the Roho Institute.