In brief: NSM makes big play in Michigan, Health Complex rebrands

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - National Seating & Mobility has acquired the mobility division of Wright & Filippis, positioning the company as the leading provider of complex rehab solutions in Michigan, it says.

“Wright & Filippis is one of the country's most respected providers of prosthetics, orthotics, custom mobility products and accessibility solutions,” said Bill Mixon, CEO of NSM. “This acquisition allows both companies to focus on our areas of expertise to better serve clients in Michigan.”

NSM will take over Wright & Filippis' complex rehab operations in metro Detroit and Lansing. Wright & Filippis' mobility division in Flint will merge with an existing NSM branch in Freeland. NSM also operates a branch in Troy.

Eighteen Wright & Filippis employees, including seven ATPs, will make the transition to NSM.

Wright & Filippis has been shedding different divisions in the past few years to zero in on its prosthetics and orthotics business. It sold its diabetes supply business in 2013, and its HME and respiratory businesses in 2014, leaving O&P and complex rehab and accessibility.

In June, NSM also picked up Mobility Healthcare, with locations in Carrollton and Lewisville, Texas.

Numotion expands North Carolina presence

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Numotion has acquired the rehab division of CVC Home Medical in Wilmington, N.C., it announced today. The move allows Numotion to expand its reach in the eastern part of the state. CVC has served the Wilmington and Morehead City area for more than 20 years, according to a press release. “We are excited about expanding in North Carolina,” said Mike Swinford, CEO, Numotion. “We are always looking for ways to better serve customers and provide them with innovative mobility solutions. This acquisition will provide the disabled community in eastern North Carolina with greater access to mobility resources, products and services.” CVC's rehab employees will be integrated into Numotion's Wilmington location. In April, Numotion acquired Horn's Medical Supply in Athens, Texas.

Health Complex: Where patients are 'All Taken Care Of'

WATERBURY, Conn. - Health Complex Medical has launched a new brand to showcase its expanded solutions for sleep therapy, the company announced Aug. 1. After collaborating with employees, having discussions with physicians and patients, and analyzing competitive positioning, the company has developed a new logo, tagline, collateral system and outreach materials. “Each audience told us that they place more value in 'the solution' than just the service, the equipment or the supplies,” said Jack Hogan, president and CEO. “It became clear that Health Complex was seen as an extremely valuable partner that removes the difficulties associated with sleep and respiratory care. So when people turn to us, they know it's all taken care of.” “All Taken Care Of” is the company's new tagline. The new logo features four repeated symbols in varying shades of green and yellow to form a check mark. The symbols represent an “abstraction of both a medical icon and stars at night,” the company says. Health Complex, which has locations in Waterbury, Danbury and Wethersfield, offers a full range of sleep therapy and respiratory products. The company has an in-house customer service center, on-site acclimation rooms and trained sleep therapists on staff.

HME provider closes due to cuts

REDDING, Calif. - Northern Rehab Equipment & Respiratory is closing its doors after 19 years in business, according to a local newspaper. The HME provider served customers all over the North State, specializing in products for the elderly like beds, wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen concentrators, diabetic shoes and more. Owner Stephanie Schwartz told the newspaper that her company maintained a steady clientele but decreases in Medicare reimbursement made the business too difficult. New West Medical, also in Redding, bought some of Northern Rehab's inventory and took on some of its customers, according to the newspaper. Unlike Northern Rehab, which focused on Medicare, New West Medical has a diversified book of business, mixing Medicare with private insurance and Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program.

Philips helps providers 'break cycle' with connected vent

AMSTERDAM - Royal Philips has made its wirelessly connected Trilogy family of portable ventilators commercially available in North America. The Bluetooth-enabled devices, which connect to Care Orchestrator, deliver data directly to mobile devices or the desktops of healthcare providers multiple times per day, allowing them to make clinical decisions more proactively, according to a press release. Care Orchestrator is a cloud-based software application that enables data, clinical management workflow, informatics and intelligence capabilities for providers, payers and patients in a single platform. “To have a meaningful impact on patient outcomes, we need to work closely with care providers and develop technologies that can help them break the cycle of reactive care,” said Eli Diacopoulos, Respiratory Care Business Leader, Philips.

Medforce, DME Data Solutions fill in gaps

SUFFERN, N.Y., and SAN DIEGO - Medforce Technologies and DME Data Solutions have formed a strategic partnership to deliver providers an end-to-end solution for business management that improves efficiency, increases productivity and boosts profitability, the two companies say. Medforce is a provider of process and document management software; DME Data Solutions is a provider of productivity software. Together, the two companies offer more than a dozen software modules focused on minimizing manual efforts, improving automation and freeing up resources to focus on strategic activities, according to a press release. “We each fill in gaps in each other's portfolio and together can deliver a full suite of software and services for the benefit of DME providers,” said Ken Ravazzolo, founder of DME Data Solutions. DME Data Solutions' flagship product, IMS, is an inventory, patient management and billing system that uses barcode technology and emphasizes par-level reordering and resupply. IMS is currently installed in hundreds of locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, the release states.

Annual 'Get out' contest now live

PHOENIX - Sports 'n Spokes, the sports and recreation magazine of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, has teamed up with the Spina Bifida Association and Cure Medical, a manufacturer of intermittent catheters, to host this year's “Get Out & Enjoy Life” event. Now in its seventh year, the GOEL event kicks off today, Aug. 1, with a photo contest. As part of the contest, the social media pages of Sports 'n Spokes, the Spina Bifida Association and Cure Medical will feature a daily listing of accessible vacation spots, outdoor programs and other events. This year's theme is “travel everywhere your heart desires to go regardless of your paralysis,” and highlights activities like adaptive sports, accessible amusement parks, inclusive vacation spots and other unique travel outing across the United States. Participants can submit their photos for the contest here. The first place winner will receive a custom-built Razorback wheelchair courtesy of Colours Wheelchair, a GOEL summer tour T-shirt and the cover of the November issue of Sports 'n Spokes.

People in the news: BOC, UPitt

The Board of Certification/Accreditation has added three employees: Judi Knott, chief marketing officer; Cecelia Huffman, marketing communications manager; and Tyrone Vines, business development specialist. “BOC is thrilled to welcome these three highly experienced employees to our team,” said President and CEO Claudia Zacharias. “As we expand our service offerings, we continue to focus on hiring professionals who enable us to carry out our mission, while continuing to deliver the customer service our credential-holders have come to expect”�Dr. Rory Cooper is stepping down as chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology at the University of Pittsburgh to devote more time to directing the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) and serving as associate dean for inclusion in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS). Cooper will remain chairman for a few months while the university evaluates and reorganizes the current structure of the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, and its diverse programs and academic offerings.