In brief: AdaptHealth CEO, Graham-Field acquisition, OPGA education

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – AdaptHealth has named Suzanne Foster as its CEO, taking over from interim CEO and chairman of the board Richard Barasch.

Ms. Foster will assume leadership of the company from interim CEO and chairman of the board, Richard Barasch, on May 20.

Foster brings more than 25 years of healthcare experience as a purpose-driven leader with a strong-track record of leading growth businesses in the healthcare market, specifically in-home care, life sciences, medical devices, supply chain and distribution, and healthcare technology. She most recently worked at Danaher Corporation where she served as president of Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global provider of biomedical technologies and laboratory instruments. Previously, Foster served as the President of Cardinal Health At-Home Solutions, president of Stanley Healthcare, a Stanley Black & Decker business, and general manager of Medtronic Advanced Energy.

“We are delighted to welcome Suzanne to AdaptHealth,” said Barasch. “Our board conducted an extensive search and Suzanne stood out as the ideal candidate. I am confident that Suzanne has the skills and experiences to lead AdaptHealth as it solidifies its position in the epicenter of efforts to improve the health of people with chronic conditions like diabetes, sleep apnea, obesity and COPD.”

“I am excited to join AdaptHealth and to lead the Company into its next phase of growth, building on the positive momentum that has been established and capitalizing on the many opportunities ahead of us,” Ms. Foster said. “I look forward to leveraging the lessons I have learned in my prior roles by working closely with the AdaptHealth team to execute on key initiatives and to continue to deliver value to the Company’s customers and stakeholders.”

Barasch became interim leader last fall after AdaptHealth and Crispin Teufel, who had been tapped to replace Steve Griggs, agreed to part ways. Barasch will remain as chairman of the board until June 30, after which he has agreed to serve as needed at the request of Foster and the AdaptHealth Board of Directors as a special adviser to the CEO.

“We want to express our sincere appreciation to Richard for taking on the role of interim CEO,” said Dale Wolf, director. “Under his leadership, the Company delivered consistent results in our core business, strengthened the management team and established a strategy to seize on value-based care opportunities. We are grateful for his dedication to AdaptHealth and know he is delivering a healthy business to Suzanne.”

Graham-Field acquires Transfer Master Products

ATLANTA – GF Health Products, Inc. (Graham-Field) has acquired substantially all of the assets of Transfer Master Products, Inc. (TMP), a manufacturer of hi-low adjustable beds for more than 30 years.

"We are excited about combining TMP with Graham-Field to maximize our manufacturing and marketing opportunities within the rehabilitation and homecare markets,” said Kurt Helman, senior vice president and general manager of Graham-Field’s Wisconsin manufacturing facility. “This acquisition will allow Graham-Field to expand its bed and sleep support systems offerings beyond our industry leading brands.”

Graham-Field’s brands include Basic American, Patriot and Lumex.

TMP’s Iowa manufacturing and distribution facility will relocate to Graham-Field’s 20-acre Fond du Lac, Wis., steel fabrication complex, with capacity to manufacture more than 20,000 beds annually. Graham-Field’s investments in manufacturing automation, process improvement and engineering expertise will allow it to build on the thirty-year heritage of TMP and enhance the features and capabilities of the patented Supernal Sleep Systems.

"TMP has a thirty-year reputation for providing customers with the quality healthcare products they demand and the value they deserve,” said Shmuly Goldsmith, vice president of business development, TMP. “Product innovation and dedication to customer service will continue without interruption. We will utilize our combined market driven engineering and manufacturing resources to better serve our customer base and to develop new product offerings."

The acquisition is Graham-Field’s fourth of a manufacturing facility in 12 years, says CEO Ken Spett.

"(It) is well-aligned with our growth strategies,” said. “It diversifies our product offerings and supports our objective to be a preferred global provider of healthcare equipment.”

AAHomecare promotes Williard

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has promoted Laura Williard to senior vice president of payer relations. “When we brought Laura on board to launch our payer relations program, I was very confident we were making a smart hire—but her contributions have proven to be even more significant than I expected,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president & CEO. “Laura has made AAHomecare a force in advocating for HME at the state level and has increased our industry’s capacity to influence reimbursement rates, regulations, and access to care for patients served by Medicaid and a wide range of major non-Federal payers. Our payer relations work is an absolute success story, and Laura Williard is at the center of it.” Since joining AAHomecare in May 2016, Williard has focused on educating and connecting HME leaders to develop strategy and effective advocacy practices when engaging state legislators, Medicaid directors, and administrators at managed care plans and private insurance payers. One of her most notable achievements was her efforts in 2019 to convince nearly 30 states to forgo or limit potential Medicaid rate cuts stemming from provisions in the CURES Act. “I am gratified by the trust and support that so many people have given me to build an effective payer relations program for our industry,” said Williard. “I have been fortunate to have such remarkable expertise, strategic thinking, and passion for HME for me to draw on from our Payer Relations Council and other leaders in the industry. When you get to work with sharp people who have a strong sense of shared purpose, that’s a recipe for success.”

OPGA members gain access to more education
WATERLOO, Iowa— OPGA members can now access 20 complimentary CE courses through VGM Education. “OPGA is very grateful to have worked with VGM Education to expand this educational offering to serve our members’ need for education while also enhancing the value of OPGA membership,” says Adam Miller, president of OPGA. “This offering is an exclusive benefit for OPGA members and adds significant value to membership.” Worth more than $1,000, these courses are intended to help members learn about running a profitable and efficient O&P business. In addition to the original ten courses that have been available to OPGA members since 2023, these additional courses include topics like documentation prior to claim submission, Medicare appeals process, communication strategies and etiquette, retaining existing customers, and more. All of these courses are certified by The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC), and some are also certified by American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC).

New weight loss drug reduces AHI in certain patients

INDIANAPOLIS – Eli Lilly and Company’s tirzepatide injection diabetes and weight loss drug may help reduce AHI in patients with sleep apnea, according to the results of the company’s phase 3 clinical trials. The Surmount-OSA Study 1 evaluated tirzepatide in adults with moderate-to-severe OSA and obesity who were not on PAP therapy for 52 weeks. Tirzepatide led to a mean AHI reduction from baseline of 27.4 events per hour compared to a mean AHI reduction from baseline of 4.8 events per hour for placebo. In key secondary outcomes, tirzepatide led to a mean AHI reduction from baseline of 55.0% compared to 5.0% from baseline for placebo; tirzepatide also led to a mean body weight reduction of 18.1% from baseline, compared to 1.3% from baseline for placebo. "OSA impacts 80 million adults in the U.S., with more than 20 million living with moderate-to-severe OSA. However, 85% of OSA cases go undiagnosed and therefore untreated,2,3" said Jeff Emmick, MD, Ph.D., senior vice president, product development, Lilly. "Addressing this unmet need head-on is critical, and while there are pharmaceutical treatments for the excessive sleepiness associated with OSA, tirzepatide has the potential to be the first pharmaceutical treatment for the underlying disease."

Mississippi man charged in $70M Medicare fraud

TAMPA, Fla. – Joel Rufus French, 46, of Amory, Miss., has been charged for his alleged role in a fraud scheme of more than $70 million involving the payment of kickbacks and bribes to obtain doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment According to court documents, French allegedly managed multiple DME companies without disclosing his role to Medicare. He and his co-conspirators allegedly used the DME companies to bill Medicare for orthotic braces that were obtained using doctors’ orders that were procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes, medically unnecessary, not provided as billed, and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement. French also allegedly obtained Medicare beneficiary information and paid kickbacks and bribes for doctors’ orders for DME. French allegedly generated and sold doctors’ orders for orthotic braces to suppliers and brokers in exchange for millions in kickbacks and bribes. Finally, French is alleged to have participated in a scheme to launder certain proceeds of his schemes. If convicted, French faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud count, as well as on the conspiracy to commit money laundering count. French faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks count.