In brief: Russalesi is Woman of the Year, Brightree expands resupply offering

ATLANTA - Wendy Russalesi, chief compliance officer for AdaptHealth, has been named 2019 Woman of the Year.

Russalesi, who has worked in the HME industry for more than 20 years, received the VGM-sponsored award before the AAHomecare Washington Update on Tuesday morning.

Russalesi plays an integral role in the strategic direction, implementation and oversight of AdaptHealth's corporate compliance programs and ensures the provider meets compliance requirements on the local, state and federal level. AdaptHealth, formerly QMES, recently merged with DFB Healthcare Acquisitions Corp. and has plans to become a public company.

Russalesi has also served as an industry consultant and has spent time as a surveyor for the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). Additionally, she has served as executive director of the Jersey Association of Medical Equipment Services and on several trade association councils.

Russalesi was one of four finalists for the award. The other finalists were Donna Cady, managing director, Mercy Health St. Rita's Medical Center; Deb Kalk, CEO and president, Reliable Medical Supply; and Leigh Ann Matthews, ATP, Complete Care Stores.

Previous winners of the award, which is in its fourth year, are: Georgie Blackburn, vice president of government relations at Blackburn's; Dr. Kirsten Davin, president of Precision Seating Solutions; and Barbara Leech, CEO of Healthline Medical Equipment.

The HME Woman of the Year recognizes one woman in the industry who has made significant contributions throughout her career to her company, community and the HME industry.

PBE updates popular Tranquility line, Brightree expands resupply offering

BOOTH 1845 - Principle Business Enterprise, a woman-owned manufacturer of superabsorbent product and footwear safety solutions, has added new products and improvements to its Tranquility Product Family. To meet the needs of the bariatric patient, PBE now offers its Tranquility AIR-Plus Bariatric Brief in sizes 4-5XL to fit wearers with a 70- to 108-inch waist. PBE has also developed the Tranquility Male Guard to provide a discreet underwear solution for men who need a superabsorbent solution. Finally, PBE has redesigned its Tranquility and Select Personal Care Pads for improved comfort and fit. "People are struggling with incontinence care because they have different types of needs, ranging from unique body types to different levels of incontinence," said Andrew Stocking, president of PBE. "Our investments in product enhancements over the past year are the first of many consumer-based innovations planned to ensure our products remain best-in-class for the many types of people dealing with incontinence."

Brightree enhances resupply, patient collections, revenue cycle management offerings

BOOTH 1917 - Brightree has expanded Brightree ReSupply to support the urology and ostomy markets. Brightree ReSupply already services the sleep therapy, incontinence, diabetic and enteral markets. The company has also rolled out a new dashboard for Advanced Analytics that's based on data from Brightree Patient Collections. The dashboard shows providers how much of their revenue is being collected via AutoPay and where gaps still exist, helping them to increase patient collections over time. Additionally, Brightree has enhanced its Revenue Cycle Management service with a new dashboard to show collections efficiency, allowing providers to see every invoice created and which invoices have been collected within a 90-day period.

ResMed introduces tube-down CPAP mask

BOOTH 2116 - ResMed has introduced the AirFit N30, a tube-down nasal cradle CPAP mask. The company's lightest mask yet, it features an adjustable elastic headgear, plus a nasal cradle cushion that sits under the nasal bridge, helping to eliminate soreness in that area. Its curved cushion is designed to provide a secure seal, regardless of how the user sleeps or moves. “AirFit N30 is about ease of use, helping people ease into therapy and addressing the most common pain points for long-time users,” said Jim Hollingshead, president of ResMed's sleep business. The N30 joins the AirFit P10 nasal pillows mask and AirFit F30 minimal-contact, full-face mask. The N30 is now available in the United States, with other countries to follow.

Marena launches Caress line of bras, camis

BOOTH 2429 - Marena has launched a Caress line of products to help women recover from breast cancer surgery. The line features medically reimbursable bras and camis with patented fabric and targeted compression to provide comfort and wearability throughout recovery. “Aesthetic and reconstructive surgeons have widely used and endorsed Marena products worldwide, which may lead to improved clinical outcomes,” said Linda Burhance, vice president of product development. “Based on this clinical feedback, we saw an opportunity to put our fabric science and product design expertise to a great use.” Caress products feature Marena's patented TriFlex fabric with 3D-stretch characteristics that provide targeted compression on specific areas of the body without compromising comfort. The fabric also integrates soft-stretch Lycra and a patented proprietary knit construction.