In brief: MSC makes buy, specialty meds require more care, AdaptHealth names new exec 

CLEVELAND – Medical Service Company has acquired Carle Medical Supply, a DME provider supporting Carle Health patients in central Illinois. 

“Like so many other health care systems, Carle identified that value and impact that DME has on a patient’s hospital discharge experience,” said Josh Marx, CEO of MSC. “Although a small part of the care continuum, when done well, discharge speed accelerates and patient satisfaction increases. Through MSC’s investments in technology, hospital liaisons and industry-leading care models, coupled with our family-first culture, Carle Health and its patients will benefit tremendously from this partnership.” 

MSC will offer respiratory services, including oxygen, sleep and home ventilation therapy, and other HME and supplies to patients of Carle Health. 

Carle Health includes eight hospitals and multi-specialty physician group practices with more than 1,300 doctors and advanced practice providers, as well as provider-driven health insurance plans. 

“The shift to Medical Service Company will bring decades of experience to our communities and provide continuity of services for our patients with a strong network of durable and medical services,” said Dennis Hesch, executive vice president and CFO for Carle Health. “Medical Service Company will enable us to prioritize our core business focusing on the health and well-being of patients and the communities we serve.” 

• Related: Read what MSC CEO Josh Marx had to say in 2023 about the company’s acquisition strategy.

Specialty meds require more care, according to new research 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – More than 70% of the tasks of home infusion pharmacists for specialty infusion medications are dedicated to patient care, according to new research published in the NHIF Infusion Journal. Care planning and patient assessments accounted for 42.45% of pharmacist tasks related to specialty therapies. “This study is the first to systematically quantify and categorize the professional work of home infusion pharmacists caring for specialty infusion medication patients,” the research states. “The results emphasize the substantial commitment of pharmacist time to clinical care, underscoring the complexity of specialty infusion medications and their management in home settings.” This new research compares to a similar study of traditional home infusion therapies that showed 21% of pharmacist tasks are dedicated to patient care, suggesting that specialty medications, coupled with their insurance and coordination challenges, increase the need for detailed care planning and close patient monitoring. Other findings from the research: 

• Pharmacists spend nearly equal amounts of time on tasks regardless of whether the medication is delivered by infusion or injection, suggesting that the intricacies of managing specialty medications require consistent levels of attention across different administration methods. 
• Pharmacists devoted a higher percentage of time to clinical tasks like care planning and patient assessment for self-injectable medications, suggesting that the nature of the medications and patient needs demand a more focused clinical approach. 
• Nearly one-third of total tasks were dedicated to drug preparation, a task that requires precision and care, especially for fragile medications like monoclonal antibodies. 

The research was funded by contributions to the NHIF, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Home Infusion Association. 

AOPA names new officers 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association has announced that Rick Riley has been elected to serve as president of its Executive Committee. Mitchell Dobson, CPO, becomes immediate past president and Kimberly Hanson, CPRH, becomes president-elect. Joining them are Matt Swiggum as vice president and Chris Nolan as treasurer. AOPA has also announced new board members: Jeff Erenstone, CPO; Deanna Fish, MS, CPO; Shane Kelly; and Andrew Steele, CPO, MBA. They join Arlene Gillis, CP, LPO, M.Ed., Adrienne Hill, MHA, CPO(L), Jim Kingsley, and Shane Wurdeman, PhD, CP, FAAOP(D). “AOPA’s board members’ leadership, vision and unwavering dedication provide the strategic direction and support the organization needs to fulfill its mission,” said Eve Lee, MBA, CAE, executive director. “I am deeply grateful for their commitment to guiding us toward a brighter future and ensuring that we make a meaningful impact for the membership. They, along with the staff will build off the strategic initiatives developed in 2024, working to further transform O&P care in the coming year.” For more information on the board members, go here. 

AdaptHealth names chief commercial officer 

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – AdaptHealth has appointed Russell Schuster chief commercial officer to oversee commercial strategy and revenue generation for the company. Most recently, Schuster served as president of Cardinal Health Canada and, prior to that, served in progressive roles within investment banking and M&A at Lehman Brothers, Barclays Capital and Republic Services. “We are thrilled to welcome Russ to the AdaptHealth team,” said Suzanne Foster, CEO. “Russ’s experience leading large-scale growth initiatives fills an important need for the company. His appointment as chief commercial officer will be critical to the execution of our strategic plan and driving top line growth, while ensuring our commitment to exceptional patient care.” Schuster began his career as a CPA and consultant with Ernst & Young. During a recent conference call to discuss the company’s latest financial results, Foster said AdaptHealth is doubling down on its struggling diabetes business. The company also appointed Gary Sheehan to lead that business.

Nonin gets OK for OTC oximeter 

PLYMOUTH, Minn. – Nonin Medical has secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for the TruO2 OTC, an over-the-counter fingertip pulse oximeter that’s accurate for patients of all skin colors. It’s the company’s first FDA-cleared, over-the-counter fingertip pulse oximeter. “Over the past several years, the U.S. market has been flooded with poor quality health and wellness-grade pulse oximeters which are not regulated by the FDA,” said John Hastings, CEO of Nonin Medical. “This creates a confusing and frustrating experience for consumers, including those with conditions like COPD or asthma, seeking an accurate, equitable, and durable solution for home use. The availability of TruO2 OTC now provides all consumers with access to equitable, medical-grade technology that is designed for accuracy across all skin tones. We believe this will significantly enhance the quality and reliability of home-based monitoring, leading to better health outcomes for everyone.” In multiple independent studies, Nonin Medical’s pulse oximetry technology has outperformed low-cost oximeters and other medical-grade oximeters, and even exceeded FDA requirements, the company says. Two studies, one conducted in 2005 on three devices and another conducted in 2024 on 11 devices, demonstrated that Nonin’s pulse oximeter outperformed other devices, with participants in both studies representing a range of skin tones, it says. The TruO2 OTC will be available directly to consumers on Amazon in December 2024 and from other online retailers soon after. 

BodiMetrics, EnsoData partner 

MADISON, Wis. - BodiMetrics, which makes well-being and fitness monitoring devices, has announced a partnership that will power its FDA-cleared circul pro smart ring with EnsoData’s EnsoSleep PPG software to increase affordability and accessibility of home sleep apnea testing and longitudinal sleep monitoring. The accuracy, comfort and flexibility of the circul pro ring, coupled with EnsoSleep PPG software, provides clinicians across the medical spectrum with an anytime, anywhere sleep diagnostic and ongoing monitoring solution, the companies say. “Episodic and spot measurements of sleep data may miss the times when oxygen levels change quickly during sleep in some conditions,” said Dr. Meir Kryger, MD, FRCPC, professor emeritus of the Yale School of Medicine and chief scientific advisor of BodiMetrics. “This leaves patients at risk of misdiagnosis. However, when devices can continuously measure oxygen saturation during sleep over multiple nights and AI can analyze that data, you can improve patient outcomes rather dramatically.” EnsoSleep PPG provides sleep scoring using AI and analysis of data collected from FDA-cleared pulse oximetry devices. EnsoData has also partnered with Happy Health, Nonin Medical and others to increase access to sleep testing. EnsoSleep PPG received clearance from the FDA in early 2024.

NHIA welcomes Melinta Therapeutics to advisory council 

ALEXANDRIA, Va., and PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The National Home Infusion Association has announced that Melinta Therapeutics, a commercial-stage company providing therapies for acute and life-threatening illnesses, has joined its Future of Infusion Advisory Council (FIAC). The strategic advisory group, which is comprised of manufacturing and service companies invested in the home and alternate site infusion industry, works with association staff and the board of directors to address critical issues, challenges and opportunities. “We look forward to building on our long-standing partnership with Melinta through their engagement in FIAC,” said Connie Sullivan, NHIA president and CEO. “By collaborating with industry leaders in this way, we can improve upon the ways we mutually serve the infusion community, which helps more patients lead healthy, independent lives.” Membership in the FIAC provides Melinta with the opportunity for critical collaboration with the association and other organizations serving patients. This work helps to enhance continuity of care as patients transition out of the hospital, the company says. “We’re excited to join FIAC and collaborate with health care professionals on the patient experience both immediately and long-term,” said John Harlow, chief commercial officer at Melinta. “Through our partnership with NHIA, we have built a stronger understanding of the home infusion marketplace and customer needs, helping us address the changing landscape in outpatient infusion. Together, we can make a real difference in patient care – today and tomorrow.” 

Movano secures clearance for pulse ox 

PLEASANTON, Calif. – Movano Health has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for the pulse oximeter in its EvieMED Ring. The company says the clearance enables it to pursue multi-billion-dollar business opportunities for health monitoring solutions needed for applications such as clinical trials, post-clinical trial management and remote patient monitoring for both health care providers and payers. "We launched the Evie Ring in the consumer wearable market, but our broader goal has always been to provide a clinical-grade device for B2B channels," said John Mastrototaro, president and CEO of Movano Health. "This FDA 510(k) clearance marks a major milestone for the company and expands our reach to pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers and payors looking for a more accurate, consistent and comfortable health monitoring solution that would help improve compliance by fitting easily into patient lifestyles." Movano Health is currently in the agreement phase with a large payer for a pilot study with the EvieMED Ring planned for early 2025 related to the health management of high-risk populations and is also in discussions with a global pharmaceutical company and leading clinical research organization to use the EvieMED Ring in upcoming clinical trials. In addition, the company says the EvieMED Ring was recently selected for an MIT study on long COVID and chronic Lyme disease. "This milestone marks the beginning of our plans to accelerate distribution of EvieMED,” Mastrototaro said. “With the significant foundational work in achieving our first clearance now behind us, we are eager to continue to collaborate with the FDA on securing additional clearances, including respiration rate and other critical analytes and diagnoses. We also remain excited about the opportunities to leverage our proprietary radio frequency technology to address cuffless blood pressure and noninvasive glucose monitoring."