In brief: Advent Home Medical buys Med Emporium, Brightree survey emphasizes interoperability 

CHICAGO – New Harbor Capital has announced that its portfolio company Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Advent Home Medical has acquired Charlotte, N.C.-based Med Emporium, strengthening the company’s respiratory focus and paving the way for it to expand into new geographies. 

It’s Advent Home Medical’s third acquisition in partnership with New Harbor Capital, which completed a majority investment in the company in March 2021. 

“We are very excited to partner with the Med Emporium team,” said Brian Dacy, president and chief strategy officer of Advent Home Medical. “Their expertise in the non-invasive ventilation market is highly complementary to Advent’s offerings. This partnership will enable us to expand into new geographies across the Eastern and Southern United States and provide even more patients with high-quality care at home.” 

Advent Home Medical acquired Aeratech and LifeTech in 2022. 

Med Emporium’s team of more than 20 respiratory therapists serves about 2,000 patients annually in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. It was founded in 1994 by Bill Conn and Mary Ann Largen. 

“This acquisition is highly strategic for Advent as it seeks to become the leading provider of comprehensive respiratory care in the home across the country,” added Bo Mlnarik, principal at New Harbor Capital. “Med Emporium is a leader in its market and has vast experience in the respiratory care space, especially with ALS and COPD populations. We look forward to partnering with their team and building upon that legacy.” 

Interoperability is ‘critical’ for referral sources, survey finds 

PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. – Nearly every U.S. hospital and physician entity is more likely to refer patients to a post-acute care provider that can support electronic data exchange, according to an independent survey on interoperability commissioned by Brightree and MatrixCare, both wholly owned subsidiaries of ResMed. 

“As trends such as value-based reimbursement, care-at-home models, and clinical staffing shortages continue to impact the health care landscape, it is critical that PAC providers adopt the interoperable capabilities they need to gain efficient access to tomorrow’s referrals, deliver quality care to their patients and improve outcomes,” said Nick Knowlton, vice president of Strategic Initiatives at ResMed. “This research initiative supports our long-standing mission to address unmet needs for advanced interoperability and engagement solutions across the post-acute care continuum and beyond.” 

The biannual “Interoperability and Engagement Research Report” surveyed more than 130 hospital and physician entities that refer patients for PAC services, plus more than 300 PAC providers across home health, hospice, home medical equipment, pharmacy, home infusion and skilled nursing facilities. 

Results from the survey include: 

• 99% of the hospital and physician entities surveyed said they are more likely to send referrals to PAC providers who can support their interoperability needs, such as accepting electronic referrals. This is up from 74% in 2021 and 60% in 2019. 

• 96% of referring entities reported they are likely to send more referrals to PAC providers who have advanced patient engagement capabilities, such as digital signature capture and real-time data exchange. 

• While most PAC providers acknowledge the growing importance of interoperability, only 39% have advanced their interoperability strategies over the past 12 months, primarily due to workforce and financial resource constraints, including lack of knowledge about their underlying systems’ capabilities; lack of money/high cost associated with the efforts; and lack of time to focus on interoperability advancement. 

Results specifically for HME, pharmacy and home infusion include: 

• 99% of referring entities said they’d be more likely to send referrals to providers who can receive orders electronically. 

• Only 20% of HME providers and pharmacies said they receive referrals via electronic data exchange most of the time.

• 50% of HME providers and pharmacies said they’re planning to implement new solutions that better support their interoperability goals. 

NSM promotes Matt Nelis 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Seating & Mobility has promoted Matt Nelis to division vice president for the West region, replacing John Bertone, who is retiring. “Matt’s reputation for building culture and his dedication to serving our clients has made him an impactful leader at NSM,” said Tony Ueber, NSM CEO. “His commitment to our mission and his prior experience within the company make him the best candidate for this position. We are pleased to be able to promote someone from within the organization to this important leadership role in our west region.” Nelis joined NSM in 2016 as a regional area director in the Midwest. He was promoted to a national leadership position in the company’s home access division in 2021. Bertone retires after 14 years at NSM. During his tenure, he served as an executive vice president leading teams from various divisions of the company, including field operations, home accessibility and M&A, as well as operations in Canada. 

VirtuOx participates in sleep screening initiative 

GRAMBLING, La. – VirtuOx will participate in a national initiative to screen, test and treat obstructive sleep apnea in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) launched by Nexus Dental Systems. The initiative kicks off on May 22 with the Grambling State University Tigers football team, coaching staff and administrators, with screening for the broader university community beginning in the fall. “Grambling State is only the first stop on a national tour to bring needed care to an underserved community,” said Nexus Spokesperson and NFL Hall of Famer Mel Blount. “As a historical fact, HBCUs are usually the last to receive attention from programs like this. We congratulate Grambling State University and Nexus Dental Systems working together to bring awareness to this important issue.” The program consists of public screening events on HBCUs in partnership with local care providers. Nexus provides support through public outreach, onsite training for local volunteers and national insurance contracts. Grambling State University and Nexus have partnered with Dr. Tony Soileau, DDS; Dr. Matthew Abraham, MD, VirtuOx Sleep Testing; Somnomed North America (oral appliance therapy); ICAN Apparel and a dedicated team of volunteers to bring a fully turn-key event. 

Quipt Home Medical eyes Russell indexes 

CINCINNATI – Quipt Home Medical is on a preliminary list to join the Russell 2000 and 3000 indexes at the conclusion of the annual reconstitution, effective after the U.S. market opens on June 26, 2023. “Being included in the Russell 2000 and 3000 Indexes would be an affirmation of our strategic journey and a testament to the relentless efforts of our team,” said Greg Crawford, CEO and chairman of Quipt. “We remain committed to delivering sustained value to our shareholders and are thrilled by the idea of being included with some of the most forward-thinking companies in the United States, which we believe would considerably increase our visibility and access to the worldwide investment community. This inclusion would truly reflect the substantial growth experienced by our company and our evolution as a publicly traded company over the last several years. We are extremely well positioned to continue executing on our growth strategy, which has yielded robust and consistent financial performance, and we look forward to providing our shareholders with updates as we progress on our future vision.” The Russell Microcap Index provides updates on May 26, June 2, June 9, June 16 and June 23. Annual reconstitution captures the 4,000 largest U.S. stocks as of April 28, 2023, ranking them by total market capitalization. Membership in the U.S. all-cap Russell 3000 Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000 Index or small-cap Russell 2000 Index, as well as the appropriate growth and value style indexes. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings and style attributes. 

Sommetrics looks to former Philips exec to guide company through product launch 

SAN DIEGO – Sommetrics has announced that John Frank, a former Philips exec, has been elected to its board of directors. As a senior executive and business group leader at Philips, Frank led global health technology organizations in sleep, respiratory care and cardiac monitoring services. Sommetrics says he was pivotal in establishing Philips as a leader in the home health care market with a digital care ecosystem aligned with best-in-class products for treating and monitoring cardiopulmonary conditions, including sleep apnea. “We are truly honored that John has joined our board,” said Dr. Richard Rose, Sommetrics chairman and CEO. “The depth and breadth of John’s experience in our industry is unparalleled. He is at the forefront of sleep apnea treatment and home health care delivery and a highly respected corporate leader. His experience in creating technology and markets in the sleep and respiratory field makes him exceptionally well positioned to help guide the commercial growth and business strategy of Sommetrics as we plan to introduce our aerSleep II product into the marketplace.” Sommetrics’ flagship product, aerSleep II, targets the treatment of moderate to severe sleep apnea in those who are unable to use CPAP therapy by applying negative pressure to the outside of the airway with a comfortable soft collar placed externally on the neck. aerSleep has received breakthrough device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is currently being evaluated in a study using negative pressure to relieve apnea at leading sleep centers across the U.S.  

U.S. Rehab becomes official 

WATERLOO, Iowa – U.S. Rehab has been named an official RESNA CEU provider for continuing education needs. This recognition allows U.S. Rehab to offer continuing education courses to members who require ongoing training to meet the demands of the industry. "We are thrilled to be named an official RESNA CEU provider and be associated with this esteemed organization," said Tyler Mahncke, vice president of U.S. Rehab. "This recognition demonstrates our commitment to our members' professional development, and we are excited to be able to offer a comprehensive range of educational programs to help them stay current with the latest trends and techniques in the complex rehab industry." U.S. Rehab offers a variety of education that includes online training for technicians, ATPs, and billing and reimbursement professionals. It offers all courses on VGM Education’s learning management system. FMI: https://www.resna.org/Certification/Continuing-Education/Official-RESNA-CE-Providers. 

ATF Medical adds payer specialist 

NEWNAN, Ga. - Abbi Akstulewicz has joined ATF Medical in the newly created position of director of payer partnerships. Working closely with Brendan Swift, vice president of payer partnerships and marketing, Akstulewicz will develop partnership strategies and nurture relationships with payer partners throughout the U.S., with a focus on complex claims. “Abbi’s deep passion to serve injured workers combined with her desire for strong payer relationships make her a great fit for our culture here at ATF Medical,” Swift said. “We are looking forward to Abbi diving in and helping us continue our mission of providing injured workers with enhanced independence, nationally.” Akstulewicz has extensive experience in care coordination of complex claims in the workers’ compensation industry, most recently as supervisor claims specialist, workers’ compensation, with CorLife, an ancillary service provider. She started with CorLife as a claims specialist in 2019. ATF Medical specializes in complex cases and coordinates all rehab and accessibility needs, including home and vehicle modifications.