In brief: Permobil expands in New Zealand, Dexcom ships G5

LEBANON, Tenn. - Permobil has acquired Auckland, New Zealand-based Durable Medical Equipment, Ltd., the largest complex rehab company in the country, it has announced.

The deal allows Permobil to “increase access to care” in New Zealand.

“Permobil is dedicated to building a leading healthcare company by providing advanced rehabilitation technology driving growth through education and outcomes, delivered with passion and first-class service,” said Larry Jackson, president of Permobil Business Region Americas. “DME shares this vision, which makes this a strong match. We are excited to welcome DME's employees to the Permobil family to further increase access to care in New Zealand.”

DME was started in 1999. Permobil, which was founded in 1967, currently has 1,500 employees in 17 countries. It is owned by Patricia Industries, a subsidiary of Investor AB, a Swedish investment firm.

Salter Labs acquires InnoMed

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Salter Labs has acquired Coconut Creek, Fla.-based InnoMed Technologies to broaden its airway management product offerings, according to a press release. InnoMed's products include non-invasive ventilation and CPAP masks, including the Aloha and the Nasal Aire II. "Salter's strength in respiratory care and long-standing commitment to improving patient satisfaction were the perfect fit for InnoMed's products,” said Shara Hernandez, president of InnoMed Technologies. These technologies bolster Salter's capnography cannulas and strengthen its ability to solve airway management problems for anesthesiologists and respiratory therapists, according to the release.

Dexcom ships G5 to Medicare beneficiaries

SAN DIEGO - Dexcom has begun shipping the Dexcom G5 to Medicare beneficiaries who meet coverage requirements for continuous glucose monitoring, according to news reports. CMS in January classified “therapeutic” CGMs as DME, paving the way for coverage if certain criteria are met. In July, Dexcom reached an agreement with Ascensia Diabetes Care to bundle Ascensia's ContourNext One glucose monitoring system with the G5. CMS has set a one-time fee of $236 to $277 for the CGM receiver, and a monthly allowable of $248.38 for related accessories. Demand for the G5 is so high that 20,000 beneficiaries are “in the pipeline” for a device. The G5 is currently the only CGM approved for insulin dosing.

MedCare closes storefront

BRADFORD, Pa. - MedCare Equipment Company has closed its retail store on East Main Street here. A company spokeswoman told The Bradford Era that the store was closed due to lower foot traffic and a change in business philosophy. “What we determined over the last several years is that serving people in a storefront doesn't actually serve them where they are,” Robin Jennings told the newspaper. “Home medical equipment is served to people at their point of need.” MedCare will continue to offer diabetic and CPAP clinics at the location through the end of the year, according to the newspaper. The company will also continue to deliver HME to area patients in their homes, it said. MedCare had been operating the storefront since 2013, according to the newspaper. The company is headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., and has four other locations in Pennsylvania, and one location in Jamestown, N.Y.

Aeroflow forms advocacy group

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Aeroflow Healthcare today announced that it has formed a breastfeeding advocacy department to promote access to breastfeeding support, supplies and services for families nationwide. With the introduction of this team, the company expands its advocacy efforts for healthy families, aiming to increase breastfeeding rates on both a local and national scale. In February, Aeroflow, which has a Mom & Baby division, launched a petition to keep breastfeeding support as a preventive health benefit. “We want to make the choice to breastfeed an easier one, by continuing the conversation on a national scale, advocating that employers support it comfortably in the workplace, and by encouraging its inclusion in health care legislation and parental leave packages,” said Meghan Bausone, breastfeeding advocacy strategist at Aeroflow.

van Halem Group gets HIPAAwise

ATLANTA - The van Halem Group, a division of The VGM Group, has finalized an agreement with HIPAAwise to exclusively offer its online HIPAA Compliance Program application to healthcare providers in the post-acute care market. The application creates a comprehensive dashboard for providers to manage their HIPAA compliance program, including their policies and procedures, security and risk assessment, business associate management, employee awareness programs, location and inventory tracking, and breach management. With this agreement, providers get access to their own online HIPAAwise dashboard, an implementation consultant from The van Halem Group and ongoing support. Wayne van Halem, president of The van Halem Group, says HIPAAwise complements the company's existing services. “We have always encouraged providers to be proactive and avoid compliance issues,” he said. “The HIPAAwise solution is a simple, efficient, comprehensive, and affordable solution that helps do just that.”

Invacare adds to board, declares quarterly dividend

ELYRIA, Ohio - Invacare has appointed Barbara Bodem to its board of directors, the company announced Aug. 21. Bodem has served as senior vice president of finance for Mallinckrodt, a global specialty pharmaceutical company, since October 2015. Invacare says Bodem brings “strong finance, senior management and industry expertise” to the board. The company now has eight directors, seven of whom are considered independent. The board recently declared a cash dividend of $.0125 per share of its common shares and $.011364 per share on its Class B common shares payable Oct. 16, 2017, to shareholders of record on Oct. 5, 2017.

Geriatric Medical reduces carbon footprint

WOBURN, Mass. - Geriatric Medical & Surgical Supply, a distributor of medical supplies, has completed construction on a 585kW solar project on the roof of its facility in Woburn, Mass. The company says it is among the largest roof-mounted solar projects completed in the state. The solar project consists of about 1,200 high efficiency solar panels and 540 inverters that will allow Geriatric Medical to produce in excess of 100% of its energy needs and supply the remainder to other environmentally conscious businesses. Based on projections from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the project will save about 25 million pounds of greenhouse gas by 2040, the company says. “This clean energy initiative is very important to our company,” said Jeffrey Siegal, CEO of Geriatric Medical. “Our team is proud that we have drastically reduced our carbon footprint and our hope is to inspire other members of the community to do the same.”

Greater Nebraska Home Infusion fills need

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - When a local pharmacy that provided home infusion services closed, Rick and Cindy Lobeda, who have owned Midwest LTC Pharmacy for 10 years, saw a need and opened Greater Nebraska Home Infusion. They opened their doors earlier this year, but they only recently completed the paperwork to get their services approved by Medicare, according to the Grand Island Independent. “We wanted to provide a better service and take care of those customers the other pharmacy has had over the years, so they didn't have to lose a good service,” Cindy Lobeda, a licensed pharmacist, told the newspaper. In addition to providing home infusion services, Greater Nebraska Home Infusion has three infusion suites. The company also offers total protein nutrition.

Short takes: Pride Mobility, Cure Medical, Medtrade

Exeter, Pa.-based Pride Mobility Products responded to a local news report in Richmond, Va., about a woman whose scooter stopped working by hooking her up with a local provider, Trust Care Rehab and Mobility, and a new Go Go Elite Traveler. “The normal everyday person can't just go out and buy a $2,000 scooter to get around,” Brad Rothwell of Trust Care told “12 on Your Side.” “To provide that for her at no charge is fantastic. That's really why I do this—just to see how happy she was to be able to get out and go see her grandkids.” Gina Houchen has a number of health issues that require a mobility aide, including congestive heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis…Newport Beach, Calif.-based Cure Medical has launched a catheter specifically for children. The 10-inch Pediatric Hydrophilic Cure Catheter, which is free of DEHP, BPA and natural rubber latex, comes with free educational materials that teach children “How to Cath,” including flash cards and a coloring book…Medtrade has announced that Ford will be an exhibitor at this year's event, Oct. 23-25 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The Dearborn, Mich.-based car giant, which hasn't exhibited at the HME industry's largest trade show in several years, will showcase the Transit, its full-size van offering, and the Transit Connect, its compact van offering.