In brief: Medline’s new leadership, AAH’s lobby day, women’s sleep quality

NORTHFIELD, Ill. – Medline CEO Charlie Mills, President Andy Mills and COO Jim Abrams plan to retire from their current roles after more than 26 years of leadership. 

They will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors, with Charlie Mills leading as chairman and Andy Mills and Jim Abrams as vice chairmen. 

Medline has promoted Jim Boyle to serve as its next CEO, and Jim Pigott as president & COO, effective Oct. 1, culminating a five-year succession planning process. 

“Jim Boyle and Jim Pigott have been instrumental in Medline’s growth and success during their nearly 60 years combined within the organization, and we are excited for them to lead us into the future,” said Charlie Mills. “In blending Medline’s high-performance culture and customer-centric approach with their extensive understanding of healthcare, they are perfectly suited to propel Medline forward while continuing to build upon our rich legacy.” 

Boyle joined Medline in 1996 and has served as executive vice president since 2018, managing the company’s customer base of more than 5,000 health care providers across the continuum of care and overseeing more than $21 billion of annual sales. 

Pigott joined Medline in 1992 and most recently served as executive vice president, where he oversaw the strategy and execution of Medline’s 27 product divisions, comprised of more than 20 manufacturing sites and 14,000 employees.  

Founded in 1966, Medline is a global health care company with 56 years of consecutive sales growth, more than $21 billion in annual sales and more than 35,000 employees. 

AAH opens registration for Legislative Conference  

WASHINGTON - AAHomecare will host the Washington Legislative Conference on Sept. 20 in a virtual format.  

The association is partnering with Advocacy Associates to deliver a seamless virtual meeting platform that will schedule meetings, provide background on each of the legislators and allow HME leaders to connect directly with members of Congress and key legislative staffers.  

“We need more HME advocates to answer the call this year to support new legislative initiatives to further extend non-CBA/non-rural relief, boost rates in former CBAs, and ensure that any new competitive bidding rounds will include hard-won improvements to the process our industry has fought for,” stated AAHomecare in a bulletin. 

Last year’s conference saw advocates meet with more than 240 congressional offices to share first-hand expertise on the value of HME products and services, paving the way for important policy wins, including preventing across-the-board paygo Medicare cuts, protecting post-PHE access to respiratory therapy and CGMs, and continuing 75/25 blended rates on non-rural areas. 

Registration for the conference is $129 for AAHomecare members and $149 for non-members.  

Study: Women less likely to feel well-rested 

DARIEN, Ill. – Women are almost twice as likely (31%) as men (17%) to say they rarely or never wake up feeling well-rested, according to a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.  

“The quality of our sleep is impacted by a number of internal and external factors, including stress, health, diet, timing and the amount of time spent on sleep, as well as resources, which all play a role in determining how we feel when we wake up,” said Dr. Kin Yuen, an AASM spokesperson. “Many women embrace a ‘do it all’ mentality, whether they feel rested and rejuvenated or not. It is important for women to prioritize getting seven or more hours of sleep per night for their overall health.”    

AASM says that consistently waking up feeling fatigued or sleepy can be a sign of a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea or chronic insomnia. 

It recommends the following tips to establish healthy sleep hygiene and improve the overall quality of sleep:   

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.    
• Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.    
• Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings and turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.    
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.    
• Avoid consuming caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bedtime.    
• If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Do a quiet activity without a lot of light exposure until you feel sleepy.    

California fraud watch: Guilty verdict in Redondo beach 

LOS ANGELES – Tamara Yvonne Motley, 54, a.k.a. “Tamara Ogembe,” of Redondo Beach, Calif., was found guilty of nearly two dozen felonies for billing Medicare more than $24 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment – mostly power wheelchairs and repairs, many of which were never performed. She was found guilty by a federal jury of 20 counts of health care fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. From July 2006 to August 2014, Motley was the de facto owner of the Hawthorne-based Action Medical Equipment and Supplies. From January 2013 to November 2016, Motley was the de facto owner of the Ventura-based Kaja Medical Equipment & Supply. Both companies were enrolled with Medicare in the names of Motley’s out-of-state relatives. Motley paid marketers for patient referrals and then directed them to take patients to corrupt physicians, who prescribed medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, such as PWCs, that Motley’s companies used to submit fraudulent bills to Medicare. In January 2011, when Medicare changed the reimbursement rules for PWCs to make the upfront payments less lucrative to suppliers, Action switched to billing Medicare for PWC repairs, and continued that scheme at Kaja once Action was shut down. Motley faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count, up to 20 years in federal prison for the money laundering conspiracy count, and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison consecutive to the other sentences for the aggravated identity theft counts. 

Guilty pleas in San Diego 

SAN DIEGO - Anthony Duane Bell, Sr., of El Cajon, Calif., has pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving more than $21 million in Medicare payments. His son, Anthony Duane Bell, Jr., admitted making false statements to the FBI to conceal the fraudulent scheme. As part of his guilty plea, Bell, Sr. agreed to pay $21.7 million in restitution to Medicare and forfeit $806,375.12 and a multi-million-dollar luxury house in El Cajon. According to court records, the Bells created companies known as Universal Medical Solutions 1 and Universal Medical Solutions 2, with locations in Santee and San Diego. The companies supplied durable medical equipment like knee, ankle, wrist, shoulder and back braces. The Bells obtained customers for their companies by paying thousands of dollars in kickbacks to “marketing” companies. To obtain the prescriptions, the marketing companies paid doctors for the medically unnecessary prescriptions for braces.  The Bells sought to conceal their fraudulent kickback scheme by entering into sham “marketing” agreements and other contracts. The Bells were actually paying a set fee per brace to purchase the patients. The Bells would then send the braces to the Medicare beneficiaries and bill Medicare for the medically unnecessary braces. The Bells paid significantly less for the braces than they billed Medicare. When Bell Jr. was interviewed by the FBI, he falsely stated that he had never heard of PA Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, a provider of durable medical equipment and his former employer. 

ACI launches Safe Repair Project 

WASHINGTON – The American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research (ACI), a nonprofit consumer education and research organization, has launched a new initiative to advocate for policy solutions to ensure patient safety in the right-to-repair movement. The movement seeks to allow consumers to buy parts directly from manufacturers and repair their own equipment. "Patient safety is non-negotiable," said Steve Pociask, president and CEO of the ACI. "When you think of the 'right to repair' movement, most immediately think of repairing consumer electronics or farm equipment vital to many American's livelihoods. But when it comes to the repair of critical medical equipment, accountability should be the priority, not cost savings." The Safe Repair Project will try to shed light on this important distinction in the right-to-repair debate and advocate for consumer-centric policies that ensure the welfare of consumers remains at the forefront of the U.S. policy. More info is available on the website: saferepairproject.com 

Eden Drug named Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year 

IRVING, Texas – Eden Drug of Eden, N.C., was awarded Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year at the 2023 McKesson ideaShare conference, hosted by McKesson, Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas. The award recognizes a pharmacy for embodying clinical and business excellence, commitment to leading a healthy community, and advocating for independent pharmacy. After buying Eden Drug with his wife in 2005, pharmacy owner Pete Crouch, R.Ph., PIC, has been dedicated to elevating the role of the pharmacy in the town where he grew up and raised a family. Using the philosophy of “imperfect action is always better than perfect inaction,” Crouch focuses on how to run a business and make it the best for his patients, his community and his employees, while making a profit. This includes teaching heart healthy classes and diabetes classes. This year’s conference, which took place June 22-25 in Las Vegas, drew more than 2,800 attendees, including pharmacists, independent pharmacy owners, technicians and exhibitors. The conference is designed to help independent pharmacy owners and their staff discover new ways to help their pharmacy innovate and thrive. “As a diversified health care services company, McKesson is committed to helping strengthen the health of pharmacies and elevate the role they play in people’s lives,” said Scott Miller, president, Community, Strategic and Specialized Pharmacy, McKesson. “To help community pharmacies thrive in the ever-evolving landscape, this year’s McKesson ideaShare offered increased continuing education opportunities, three days of engaging sessions, nearly 150 exhibitors from across the industry, and peer-to-peer networking.” 

Senseonics’ Eversense E3 offers accurate 365-day performance 

GERMANTOWN, Md. – Senseonics Holdings highlighted new clinical data demonstrating the safety and accuracy of its Eversense E3 CGM system during a presentation at the American Diabetes Association 83rd Scientific Session. “These data further bolster Eversense’s position as a leading CGM choice for people with diabetes,” said Francine Kaufman, M.D., Senseonics chief medical officer. “These recent studies are an important step forward as we continue to expand awareness of the system’s unique clinical benefits. We are thankful for the opportunity to present these results to our peers at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions and are proud to support the global diabetes community with a CGM that provides safety and accuracy benefits that can lead to more effective diabetes management.” Key data include: 

• Sensor longevity was 97% through 365 days 
• The sensor was safe with few minor skin irritation adverse events 
• MARD observed for the modified CGM system through 365 days was similar to that observed with Eversense E3 CGM System through 180 days 
• The feasibility study of the next generation Eversense Sensor showed the system could provide accurate performance through a 365-day period.