In brief: Rotech agreement, Merits USA president, Belluscura financing

ORLANDO, Fla. – Rotech Healthcare has announced a supplier agreement with Signifier Medical Technologies to introduce the eXciteOSA device to payers, health care providers and patients to treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. 

The eXciteOSA device, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, uses neuromuscular electrical stimulation to tone tongue muscles to maintain an open airway during sleep, improving sleep quality and overall health. 

“Partnering with Signifier Medical Technologies is an exciting step forward for us,” said Robin Menchen, CEO at Rotech Healthcare. “The eXciteOSA device offers an easy-to-use and effective treatment for OSA, and we are proud to bring this cutting-edge technology to our network of payers and health care providers, ultimately benefiting countless patients.” 

Earlier this year, CMS established a new HCPCS code for the eXciteOSA device and the state Medicaid program in South Carolina has also approved it for coverage. 

Rotech says the eXciteOSA device will be available through its distribution channels, ensuring broad accessibility. 

“Rotech Healthcare’s extensive reach and commitment to patient care make them an ideal partner for us,” said Professor Akhil Tripathi, co-founder and managing director of Signifier Medical Technologies. “Together, we can ensure that patients suffering from OSA have access to innovative and effective treatment options.” 

Related: 

• Earlier this year, Signifier Medical Technologies received a “milestone” order of 10,000 units of its eXciteOSA device, placed by Spectrum Sleep Solutions, in the wake of the device’s approval by the state Medicaid program in South Carolina. 

• In 2022, Signifier Medical Technologies announced that Waha Capital PJSC, Angelus Sano Fund L.P., Segulah Medical Acceleration AB and others collectively invested approximately $49 million in the purchase of existing shares in the company from shareholders unrelated to the board and management. 

Move For Mobility racks up another award 

ELYRIA, Ohio – Invacare and Free Wheelchair Mission have received two more honors for their inaugural Move For Mobility campaign: the Anthem Silver Award and the Community Voice Award from the Anthem Awards. The awards recognize the campaign’s life-changing contributions in helping to transform lives through the gift of mobility. “The Anthem Awards’ commitment to amplifying global social impact is important and we are honored to contribute to the collective mission of driving meaningful change,” said Arielle Favard, global digital communications specialist at Invacare. “To receive these awards and be recognized for the hard work that both Invacare and Free Wheelchair Mission are involved in is an inspiring achievement.” As part of the campaign, more than 400 Invacare employees from around the world participated and got active during the month of May. Working alongside Free Wheelchair Mission, they raised funds and helped donate almost 300 wheelchairs to people in remote communities who have no access to mobility equipment. The Anthem Awards celebrate worldwide initiatives that champion community engagement, innovative thinking and tangible impact—all values that the Move For Mobility campaign focused on and that align with Invacare’s mission of Making Life's Experiences Possible. 

• Related: Invacare’s “Move For Mobility” campaign also won the Web Marketing Association’s 2024 WebAward in two categories: “Medical Standard of Excellence” and “Non-Profit Standard of Excellence.” 

VGM execs make Top Women list 

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM Group has shared that Barb Anderson, CFO, and Lindy Tentinger, president of VGM & Associates, have been named Top 50 Women Leaders of Iowa for 2024 by Women We Admire. This recognition highlights their exceptional leadership and their contributions to VGM and Iowa’s diverse industries, the company says. "Barb and Lindy truly exemplify the values and vision of VGM Group,” said VGM Group CEO Jeremy Stolz. “Their recognition as top women leaders in Iowa is a testament to their hard work and dedication. And I am immensely proud and grateful for their leadership, which has a significant impact on the HME industry and the communities we call home. Their leadership inspires us all to strive for excellence and make a difference." As CFO, Anderson, CPA, MBA, is the lead financial voice of VGM and provides vital strategic, analytical and financial perspectives for VGM’s businesses. She also serves on the board of directors of the Hawkeye Community College Foundation and is a past member of the Grow Cedar Valley Finance Board and the YWCA Investment Committee. Throughout her career, Tentinger, MBA, has demonstrated a passion for advancing and elevating the HME industry, as well as her team around her. She is also an established thought leader on a number of topics, including branding, technology and leadership, regularly speaking at various industry conferences and writing articles for publication. 

Merits USA names Maskery president 

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Merits USA has promoted Andrew Maskery from vice president to president effective Jan. 1, 2025. He succeeds Mike Laiman, who has served as president since January 2021 and who will stay within Merits Group. “On behalf of Merits Health Products, we are delighted to appoint Andrew Maskery as president of Merits USA,” said Jonathan Cheng, president of Merits Health Products Group. “Andrew has been an invaluable member of the Merits team for the past four years as vice president, playing a key role in driving the company’s growth and success. We are confident that his leadership will build upon the solid foundation established by Mike Laiman and propel Merits USA to even greater achievements.” Prior to his tenure at Merits, Maskery earned his ACA certification in the U.K. in 1995 and was involved in the launch and growth of two successful medical startups. With more than 18 years of experience in aerospace and manufacturing, he brings a wealth of expertise to his new role and is poised to continue Merits’ legacy of innovation and excellence, the company says. “I am honored to assume this new role and excited to work with the talented team at Merits USA,” said Maskery. “Together, we will continue to enhance the quality of life for our customers and take Merits to new heights of success.” 

Belluscura secures $4M 

LONDON and PLANO, Texas – Belluscura has entered into a credit facility of up to $4 million with Houston-based Sallyport Commercial Finance to build out its manufacturing, distribution and sales. The funding, as well as Medicare clearance on Oct. 28, means the company can now formally launch its DISCOV-R portable oxygen concentrator. "Since releasing the DISCOV-R earlier this year in a limited direct-to-consumer launch, we have seen increasing month-on-month demand for the product,” said Bob Rauker, CEO. “This new facility secured from Sallyport provides the company a platform to initiate a limited launch of the DISCOV-R into the important B2B market." The facility is for three years and covers accounts receivable, purchase orders, inventory and cash flow financing. Until now, the DISCOV-R has been available only through direct-to-consumer sales channels. Sallyport is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrim Bancorp, a $3 billion bank headquartered in Alaska.  

Pushback on physician payment cut intensifies 

CHICAGO – A bipartisan letter asks Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to support efforts to prevent a pending 2.8% cut in Medicare physician payments that will go into effect Jan. 1. “These continued payment cuts undermine the ability of independent clinical practices – especially in rural and underserved areas – to care for their communities,” the letter states. The letter was led by Sens. John Bozeman, R-Ark., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., and signed by 41 senators. It follows a Nov. 15 letter from the American Medical Association and 127 other state medical associations and national medical societies asking Congress to use these last few congressional days to prevent the scheduled cuts. In October, a bipartisan coalition of 233 members of the House of Representatives signed a Dear Colleague letter calling for a legislative fix to the cut. All the letters also call for a positive payment update in 2025. 

Philips updates vent instructions 

WASHINGTON – Philips has updated its instructions for using Trilogy Evo, EvoO2, EV300, Evo Universal, Aeris EVO, Garbin EVO and LifeVent EVO2 due to risk of inaccurate flow measurements caused by certain in-line nebulizer placements, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company says to be aware that this issue may affect any device that has ever been used with in-line nebulizer treatments. The updated instructions include making sure all alarms are set appropriately and keeping alternate ventilation sources available in case the ventilator stops working or doesn’t work properly. Philips also provided images of acceptable in-line nebulizer placements. The company had previously provided instructions on Oct. 7. Philips is updating use instructions due to the risk of aerosol deposits accumulating over time on the device’s internal flow sensor when in-line nebulizers are used in certain locations. Impacted flow sensors may cause inaccurate flow measurements, leading to patients inadvertently experiencing too much air (tidal) flow or not enough oxygen without awareness of the ventilator operator. This may cause serious adverse health consequences, including respiratory discomfort, lung damage (volutrauma/barotrauma) from over-delivery of tidal volume, low oxygen saturation and/or shortness of breath (dyspnea) from therapy delays or under-delivery of oxygen and death. There have been four reported injuries. FMI: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls/ventilator-correction-philips-updates-use-instructions-trilogy-evo-evoo2-ev300-evo-universal-aeris. 

HME Home Health hosts event for women leaders 

RICHMOND, B.C. - HME Home Health will host its second annual Women in Leadership event on Jan. 21 at its corporate office here. This year’s theme: “Taking care of you.” “Every day, you take care of your clients and staff; let’s take time to care for you,” the company says. The event, which will be led by facilitator Monica Murray, will bring together women leaders for an afternoon of conversation, networking and inspiration. It will include two workshops focusing on mental health, wellness and stress management, and conclude with a social hour and mixer. Food and refreshments will be provided. HME Home Health debuted its Women in Leadership event this year. FMI: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=MF9vEkyEmUKgsvxduQe5nXyL9Z1uB4hMoj-xDFgLM-xUQ0hBUE8zSjA3NDNJOFpNUFlTN1ZIVUlXWCQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl 

Product launches: Prochant, Pride Mobility Products 

Charlotte-based Prochant has expanded its revenue cycle management solutions by introducing full-service patient and referral calling. The new offering, called Engagement Servies, enhances intake, billing and collections to deliver a holistic RCM solution, the company says. "Managing patient and referral communications can be time-consuming and operationally challenging for providers,” said Joey Graham, CEO of Prochant. “The hard fact is that most providers simply can't afford to staff their phones with enough people to handle their patient and referral call volumes. That's why more and more are turning to outsourcing for simple calls, so their internal teams can focus where they are needed. With this launch, we aim to provide providers with consistent, high-quality interactions that boost their overall performance." Key provider use-cases of the new offering include obtaining missing information, acknowledging and scheduling orders and conducting switchboard operations. FMI: www.prochant.com.     

Duryea, Pa.-based Pride Mobility Products has launched two new products: Jazzy Ultra Light and Go Go Super Portable. The Jazzy Ultra Light’s features include a weight of only 33 pounds without battery thanks to an all-carbon fiber frame, mesh back and seat, and 300-pound weight capacity. The Go Go Super Portable’s features include a simple folding process (without needing to remove the seat), a weight of only 41.6 pounds without battery, and front and rear lighting. FMI: www.pridemobility.com/. 

AOPA calls for presentations 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association has announced that the Call for Presentations for the 2025 National Assembly, taking place Sept. 3-6, 2025, in Orlando, is now open. The program for the 2025 National Assembly will consist of general sessions, as well as five concurrent tracks, an Expo, networking events, and workshops. Experts, innovators, researchers and thought leaders are invited to submit proposals for engaging presentations that inspire and educate. Presentations should showcase expert content and should seek to share new ideas, tools or techniques; inspire and involve the audience; and address key trends, challenges and opportunities in O&P. Submissions are due by March 12, 2025 (except the Student Poster Contest which is due May 16, 2025). For more information regarding the submission process or the National Assembly in general, contact AOPA Staff at Assembly@AOPAnet.org.