Briefs

Rotech lands big CareCentrix deal ORLANDO, Fla. - Apria may prefer to not do business with Gentiva's managed care network, CareCentrix, but Rotech is more than happy to take the referrals. Barely a month after Apria parted ways with Gentiva and waved good-bye to millions of dollars in business, Rotech signed on as a CareCentrix preferred provider. Rotech CEO Philip Carter said the deal could generate $25 million annually. Under the contract, Rotech will serve as a primary preferred provider of respiratory therapy and DME in 23 states and as a shared preferred provider in 10 states. Rotech also signed a three-year primary preferred provider to provide CareCentrix patients in 48 states with CPAP. Running scared? Not the RRT Group LYNBROOK, N.Y. - Following passage of the Medicare Modernization Act in November, the RRT Group put on its thinking cap and developed three programs to generate additional revenue, said Ed Walsh, vice president of the 2-year-old respiratory company. They are disease state management, asthma education and pharmacy consulting. With these “pull-through” marketing programs, the key is not to collect a lot of up-front cash, but to heighten the company's clinical reputation and garner additional oxygen referrals. “Some guys are running scared,” Walsh said. “We're taking a different avenue. Our strategy is to be more proactive.” Weiss brothers sell HME/Rx, go fishing ASHLAND, Ohio - Weiss Pharmacy and Home Health Care ended its 65-year run as an independent provider in February. Jim and Jerry Weiss sold the HME portion of their business to Dasco Home Medical Equipment and the pharmacy business to CVS. “They will still live in the community, but they like to fish and are ready to slow down,” said Jason Seeley, Dasco's vice president. Dasco operates seven locations in Ohio. Besides picking up 100 patients, Dasco will move two blocks down Main Street into the Weiss building. At 2,500 square feet, the new location, which will be remodeled, doubles Dasco's work space.