In brief: CCS launches PropheSee, Vertess’ Smith recognized

DALLAS – CCS has launched PropheSee, an AI-powered predictive model for health care organizations focused on improving adherence in people with diabetes who use a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device. 

With the deployment of this new predictive model, CCS has observed increases in adherence rates among targeted, high-risk patient cohorts by as much as 50% compared to control groups. The increase in adherence resulted from tech-enabled, personalized interventions based on risk classification, along with the timely delivery of patient-specific information and insights that support long-term therapy adherence. 

"CCS can now proactively identify if a member is at a higher risk of falling off therapy, and then take action based on individual specific insights to best support them in maintaining adherence," said Richard Mackey, chief technology officers at CCS. "The launch of PropheSee reinforces our commitment at CCS to deliver a smarter, more personalized approach to keeping people on therapy - resulting in healthier members and lower cost for the healthcare ecosystem.” 

In addition to improved clinical outcomes, health plans and risk-bearing providers can also realize savings of up to $2,200 per patient per year from this increase in CGM adherence and better glycemic control. 

CCS’ dataset - which includes decades of proprietary patient behavior data - paints a significantly more holistic picture of an individual’s health and well-being versus claims data, which is often delayed and not fully reflective of their journey. Also of note, patient-level social determinants of health data and insights round out a more comprehensive view of each patient and empower healthcare organizations to proactively identify those most at risk of falling off therapy.  

“The innovative, advanced analytics predictive model that Accenture collaborated with CCS to develop will help identify patients at risk of non-adherence to diabetic treatment up to 90 days in advance,” said Chinmoy Barua, managing director of Data & AI at Accenture. “Taking real-time, personalized action, the tool intends to drive better adherence and improved outcomes. Trusted studies suggest that better engagement with patients leads to better health outcomes and overall quality of life.” 

AMA seek greater oversight of MA plans 
 
CHICAGO – Physician and medical student leaders at the Annual Meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates approved policies to address the need for greater oversight of health insurers’ use of prior authorization controls on patient access to care. The new policies address insurer accountability and transparency for PA denials. “Waiting on a health plan to authorize necessary medical treatment is too often a hazard to patient health,” said AMA Board Member Marilyn Heine, M.D. “To protect patient-centered care, the AMA will work to support legal consequences for insurers that harm patients by imposing obstacles and burdens that interfere with medically necessary care.” Surveys of physicians have consistently found that excessive authorization controls required by health insurers persistently lead to serious harm when necessary medical care is delayed, denied, or disrupted. The AMA will also work to ensure that increased legal accountability of insurers is not precluded by clauses in beneficiary contracts that may require pre-dispute arbitration for prior authorization determinations or place limitations on class action.  
 
ADS names Baldwin to SVP role 

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Advanced Diabetes Supply has named Blair Baldwin as the new senior vice president of operations. Baldwin most recently served as the vice president customer care and consumer experience for CareSource and held prior roles as vice president member care and vice president applied sciences at TDECU. “We’re proud to have Blair join the ADS team,” said Bill Mixon, ADS CEO. “His approach, expertise and strategic vision will undoubtedly play a key role in advancing our organizational goals and driving future success of the company.” Baldwin’s career is distinguished by a blend of leadership development, customer service operations expertise, technology acumen and strategic sales experience. Baldwin has led omni-channel contact strategies across diverse lines of business, managing annual contact volumes exceeding two billion and has an extensive background in workforce management operations. 

Feather Mobility scooter earns recognition 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Feather Mobility received the ECRM Buyers Choice Award from the Home Health Care Session held in Kansas City, Mo., May 7-9. Feather Mobility won the Drug Store News Buyers Choice Award for its Feather 27X Scooter during ECRM’s Home Health Care Session. The Feather 27X is a one-piece, folding scooter that weighs 27 pounds without the battery and folds small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of an airplane. "It's extremely validating when our product is chosen as best-in-show from our customers - you can't beat that feeling,” said Joseph Piekarski, owner/inventor. The awards were sponsored by Drug Store News. 

Edgepark launches e-ordering platform for ostomy suppliers 

TWINSBURG, Ohio – Edgepark has launched a nationally available ostomy storefront through Parachute Health, allowing it to receive digital prescription orders directly from health care providers for ostomy supplies. "We are thrilled to be the first DME supplier to offer an ostomy storefront through Parachute that's available on a national scale," said Anthony Alvarez, senior vice president and general manager, Edgepark. "At Edgepark, our top priority is giving patients an easier pathway to get the supplies they need while helping clinicians get back to what matters most: caring for those patients. It's easier and faster than ever before for patients to get the medical supplies they need from Edgepark." Today, Edgepark currently serves more than 132,000 patients who require ostomy supplies across the United States, a number the company believes has the potential to grow with the launch of the new storefront. Through Parachute Health health care providers will be able to set up a free account, browse the Edgepark ostomy catalog, create a prescription for supplies, utilize e-signature capabilities and provide the necessary clinical documentation – all in one place. From here, Edgepark verifies insurance coverage and eligibility and confirms and ships the order directly to the patient, with no additional charge for shipping. In addition to ostomy, Edgepark offers a diabetes and a breast pump storefront through Parachute Health. 

Nymbl Systems rethinks workflows with new capability 

DUBLIN, Ohio – Nymbl Systems has launched a single-page patient intake capability, in a move the company says will streamline the intake process, reduce paperwork and enhance overall data accuracy. "The launch of our single-page patient intake feature further demonstrates our commitment to rethinking age-old workflows that have limited O&P, CRT and HME providers' ability to find extreme efficiencies," said Josh Lau, CEO of Nymbl Systems. "As declining reimbursement pressures and rising costs continue to squeeze provider margins, we continue to find new ways to help our customers leverage modern technology to simplify administrative tasks and positively impact their bottom lines." At the core of the feature is a user-friendly design that consolidates all necessary patient information onto a single, easy-to-navigate page. This allows intake staff to enter all critical patient data quickly and efficiently, minimizing the need to navigate through multiple pages or tabs and reducing the time required to complete each patient's intake. Nymbl says early adopters of this new capability have been able to reduce patient intake time by an average of 20%.     

Vertess partner recognized for deal 

FORT WORTH, Texas – Vertess has announced that Bradley Smith, managing director/partner, has been recognized as an M&A advisor for one of Axial’s Top 8 Deals of 2023. Axial, a private deal network serving professionals who own, advise and invest in North American companies, named Smith’s deal a top transaction across the health care industry last year. He provided sell side representation for a medical device manufacturer in a transaction that took 12 months from signing to closing and ultimately sold for $55 million, at a multiple of almost 11x EBITDA. "We decided to get a seller's QofE in the middle of the process, which added a few extra months,” he said. “The multiple was higher than it should have been due to the owner's tenacity. It started off at a 10x and increased from there as a result of his pushing the seller. It also helped that the company kept growing at an impressive rate." The deal yielded 215 buyer matches, 57 total pursuits, and a pursuit rate of 26.51% on the Axial platform. 

Medtrade calls for speakers 

DALLAS – Medtrade has opened its Call for Speakers for the 2025 Medtrade Conference, which takes place Feb. 18-20 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. The Medtrade educational program covers a wide range of topics, from innovations to products and daily operations for the home medical equipment, complex rehabilitation industry, and manufacturer partners. The 2025 conference tracks are: audits & compliance; operations & innovations; complex rehab technology (CRT) & mobility; legislative, regulatory, legal; managed care; product categories; and sales & marketing. Within each track are four specially curated session topics created by the Medtrade Educational Advisory Board to be used as both a guide and direction for submissions. Medtrade invites proposals on the topics outlined within each track, as well as any other subjects relevant and valuable to the Medtrade audience. More about the 2025 conference tracks and topics can be found here. The submissions form will remain open until Friday, July 5.