Byram Healthcare pushes toward future of health care

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - From its start as Byram Surgical on the banks of Connecticut's Byram River, to its recent, multistate contract with Kaiser Permanente, Byram Healthcare has continued to evolve with the healthcare market, says CEO Perry Bernocchi.

The provider, which marks its 50^th anniversary this year, is a leading supplier of home medical supplies, including ostomy, wound care, urology, diabetes and incontinence supplies, and breast pumps.

“There is a continual migration of the patient to the home,” said Bernocchi, who joined the company in 2006. “As it relates to the therapies we service, and as the population grows, the customer wants to be able to continue chronic therapy in the home and Byram meets that need perfectly.”

In October, the provider became the single-source provider to Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest managed care organizations in the country. Byram now holds about 650 managed care contracts and another 2,000 to 2,500 plan designs.

Sole-source contracts, in particular, are something the industry will see more of, says Bernocchi.

“Insurance companies want to be able to identify partners that provide quality service, choice of products and convenience for their customers,” he said. “I think the payers in the market will continue to drive in that direction.”

In 2017, Byram was acquired by Owens & Minor, a global healthcare services company, for about $380 million. The acquisition will enable Byram to take the next step in the healthcare continuum, says Bernocchi.

“We've been in the healthcare industry a long time and it continues to evolve and change,” he said. “Our relationship with the new parent company, Owens & Minor, will help Byram evolve. They are really focused on the acute and sub-acute space and Byram is a significant player in the homecare space. Together, we really complete the continuum of care.”

The healthcare market also continues to push in a more data-driven direction and Byram, with its high-touch customer model, is right there with it, Bernocchi says.

“We talk to the customer more than the doctor, more than the insurance company,” he said. “We can help the healthcare provider with behavior, control spending and the cost at home, and we can provide data back to the insurer or provider. That's going to be the future of health care.”