Archive: December 2017
Game changer: LOONZ clears assessment hurdles
December 29, 2017Liz Beaulieu, Editor
BURNET, Texas - With a Bluetooth-enabled specialty drive control and now a video game that can be used as a training and assessment tool, Gabriel Romero feels like Stealth Products is finally in a place where it's keeping up with mainstream technology.
“My background is in computer science, so anything involving programming or electronics in our industry, I've taken to,” said Romero, vice president of sales and marketing for Stealth Products, a division of Quantum...
Cutting overhead drives innovation in oxygen market
December 29, 2017John Andrews
Oxygen technology continues to make strides, from remote monitoring connectivity to product engineering that bolsters efficiency, durability and longevity. And while new product designs ultimately benefit the patient, they are also geared toward saving providers money in a hardscrabble reimbursement climate, manufacturers say.
“The goal of technological innovation is to drive better outcomes and lower costs across the board more efficiently,” said Biola Okunola, global marketing...
In brief: Coloplast buys another provider, Medline triples footprint
December 29, 2017HME News Staff
MINNEAPOLIS - Coloplast, which has its U.S. headquarters here but is based in Denmark, announced this month that it has acquired SAS Lilial for a cash consideration of EUR 35.5m or DKK 264m.Lilial is a privately owned French company that distributes catheter and ostomy supplies nationally. It provides patients with products from several different manufacturers, including Coloplast.“The acquisition of SAS Lilial is part of our strategy of pursuing inorganic opportunities to accelerate...
Home mods providers now have nat'l org
December 29, 2017Liz Beaulieu, Editor
DULUTH, Minn. - In another nod that it's a specialized but growing market, the Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services has opened up its Home Modification Accessibility Committee to providers nationwide.
At press time, the committee had 14 members, including new members from Arizona, Mississippi and California, according to Rose Schafhauser, executive director of MAMES.
“It's a great opportunity to network in such a specific area,” she said, “which is extremely...
Consider us 'woke'
December 29, 2017Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
One of the many tasks the editors at HME News field is drumming up a newspoll each month. Sometimes the questions are better than others, and sometimes what seemed like a great question, on second read, after the poll already goes out, seem obvious.
This month's topic, Amazon, definitely generated lots of comments on the impact of the Amazon effect.
“Amazon's suicide pricing will (if unchecked) destroy our industry exactly like they destroyed the retail industry.”
For this, and other...
Oxygen Management: Weigh costs of delivery model
December 29, 2017George Coppola
A. With the recent cuts in reimbursement, home care providers are looking to get every penny out of every transaction. Taking advantage of an oxygen non-delivery model eliminates service costs for the provider and puts them in position to thrive in the low reimbursement era. Most manufacturers have designed products and crafted programs designed to make this possible for providers. A good option to convert an existing fleet is to look into the pricing options on bundling portable and stationary...
Enter Amazon? Negative impact would be felt far and wide, say poll respondents
December 29, 2017Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine - Unsurprisingly, a large majority of providers fear the “Amazon effect” on the DME market, according to the results of a recent HME Newspoll.While Amazon already offers basic DME, the retail giant has reportedly applied for wholesale distribution licenses in more than a dozen states for “durable medical equipment distribution, medical gas distribution, or both,” according to multiple news reports. “I don't like things such as oxygen being offered...
Q&A: CareCentrix's John Driscoll
December 29, 2017Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
HARTFORD, Conn. - With all of the noise about the need to reduce healthcare costs, post-acute care is getting a lot of attention these days, and companies like CareCentrix, a health management services provider, are ready for the spotlight, says CEO John Driscoll.Driscoll sees opportunities for its network of post-acute care providers to show how they keep patients home and reduce costs.“In an unmanaged environment, whether it's the government or managed care, they will just take all of the...
Patient Data: Find way to be relevant
December 29, 2017Ryan Ball
A. Most HME providers already have an existing database of patients and capture key information during the intake process; so, what's the next step? What products and strategies are most effective? How can you measure success?As with all marketing, you must find a way to be relevant to the audience; data can help target different products based on demographics and disease state. In addition to understanding patient challenges based on the equipment you provide, timing is also a significant...
Specialization pays off for ISS
December 29, 2017Liz Beaulieu, Editor
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Exhibit space for the upcoming International Seating Symposium is such a hot commodity that there are 40-plus companies on a waiting list.Exhibit space for ISS, March 6-9, at The Westin Bayshore, here, is locked in at 75 companies, including Inspired by Drive, Permobil and Invacare.Maureen Story, who co-chairs the committee charged with planning ISS, spoke with HME News about why the event, which hops between Canada and the U.S. each year, has seen such dynamic growth.HME...