In brief: Sunrise Medical buys, OM integrates, ResMed accelerates  

FRESNO, Calif. – Sunrise Medical has acquired Ride Designs, significantly expanding the company’s custom seating offerings, clinical expertise and service capabilities.  

Denver-based Ride Designs, which was founded in 1998 by Tom Hetzel and Joe Bieganek, has built a name for itself for designing and delivering highly specialized seating systems for wheelchairs using the most up-to-date technologies, including 3D printing. 

“By joining forces with Ride Designs, Sunrise Medical adds a high-end custom seating offering to our seating and positioning product portfolio, similar to RGK for the manual wheelchairs range and Magic for the power wheelchairs range,” said Thomas Babacan, president and CEO of Sunrise Medical. “The acquisition not only addresses and significantly expands the broad spectrum of seating and positioning requirements for wheelchair riders worldwide, but also brings highly valuable clinical expertise and advanced 3D printing technologies and competences into the Sunrise Medical group. Together with Ride’s seasoned management team and highly skilled workforce, Sunrise Medical now has an even stronger product range, clinical expertise, and operational competences to offer the best suited seating solutions to all wheelchair riders. This optimizes their mobility in terms of clinical functionality, comfort, posture, and skin integrity." 

Ride Designs is also known for its evidence-based product and technology development, supported by collaborations and research projects with institutions and universities like the Aspen Seating Clinic. 

As part of Sunrise Medical, Ride Designs benefits from global sales networks, business resources and an infrastructure to accelerate its outreach and expansion. 

“We are very passionate to bring our advanced, clinically differentiated solutions to as many riders as possible,” said Tom Hetzel, CEO and co-founder of Ride Designs. “The strengths of the two companies complement each other very well. We are committed to providing uncompromising solutions to address skin and postural challenges, and we believe that Sunrise Medical is our strongest partner in achieving our mission." 

Other recent successful strategic acquisitions by Sunrise Medical include The Helping Hand Company, a U.K.-based company specializing in pressure management and pediatric products, and Budapest-headquartered NOW Technologies, a technological research and development company focusing on digital and software innovations of wheelchair control systems. 

Avera Health, OM to open Integrated Service Center 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Avera Health, an integrated health system based here, is partnering with Owens & Minor on plans for a 330,000-square-foot commercial building for supply distribution and other services. 

The new Integrated Service Center will consolidate eight different locations. 

“Serving over 72,000 square miles for our health system comes with logistical complexities, redundancies and challenges,” said Sara Henderson, vice president for supply chain at Avera Health. “The Integrated Service Center will house our key central services, products and equipment to become the logistical hub of our organization. Moving them to one center at Foundation Park will help us gain many efficiencies, reduce our cost to serve and leverage each of our departments’ strengths to serve our patients effectively across the entire footprint.” 

Once completed, the center will house numerous services, including pharmacy, which has experienced double-digit growth year over year for the past several years, and HME. 

Owens & Minor, which will remain Avera’s primary distributor of medical/surgical supplies, will use the new center to service the health system and other health care organizations in the region. 

“As longtime partners of Avera Health, we’re proud to collaborate and support this exciting new phase of Avera Health’s supply chain growth, while also strengthening our ability to support health care throughout the region,” said Peter McCullough, senior vice president of global operations, Owens & Minor. 

Site work for the new center will begin this fall. 

Nyxoah, ResMed partner in Germany to accelerate sleep therapy 

MOUNT SAINT GUIBERT, Belgium – Nyxoah, a med tech company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions to treat obstructive sleep apnea, has announced a partnership with ResMed Germany to increase awareness and therapy penetration in the German market. 

The companies will establish a continuum of care that will educate and guide OSA patients in the German market from diagnosis through treatment. 

"It is our joint goal to enable more patients to receive effective, personalized therapy,” said Katrin Pucknat, president, ResMed Germany. “Over 95% of patients in Germany suffering from sleep apnea are not diagnosed or treated. In addition, there are patients who have problems with their therapy and just stop it without considering an alternative. The partnership with Nyxoah will enable us to broaden the education around therapy options and empower patients to benefit from improved health outcomes.” 

Nyxoah and ResMed Germany will work to accelerate patient identification and better support patient set-up on the appropriate therapy through OSA helplines and direct-to-consumer marketing initiatives; sales and marketing efforts targeting ENTs and sleep physicians; and patient and clinician educational programs and symposiums. 

“We are thrilled to partner with ResMed Germany, as it strengthens further our patient-first approach to treating obstructive sleep apnea,” said Olivier Taelman, Nyxoah’s CEO. “OSA reduces quality of life and can result in other serious medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Together, ResMed Germany and Nyxoah will heighten awareness of OSA and increase therapy penetration. The OSA ecosystem created by this partnership will guide patients from diagnosis to the right treatment for them, whether that is a mandibular device, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS).” 

AAH hires Stephanie Legree 

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has added Stephanie Legree in the newly created position of project manager. Legree, most recently co-director of the business office & vice president of government affairs for Binson’s Home Health Care, will take over primary management of the association’s Medical Supplies, HME/RT and State Leaders councils, and co-manage the Diabetes Council. “I am excited to bring another dynamic industry veteran onto the AAHomecare staff,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare President & CEO.  “When I came on board in 2013, we had a single staffer with direct HME industry experience – Kim Brummett. With Stephanie joining the team, we now have seven team members with a first-hand understanding of our industry from service in HME. Stephanie understands every aspect of HME thanks to work in management, legislative advocacy, billing, operations and customer-facing roles with a multi-state, full-service HME company.” Legree will also partner with state association leaders, in collaboration with AAHomecare’s payer relations team, which is led by Laura Williard. In addition to her work at Binson’s, she has served as vice chair of AAHomecare’s Regulatory Council and is currently a vice chair of the Jurisdiction B Medicare DMEPOS Council. She will work remotely from her home base of Romeo, Mich. 

NSM sponsors music festival 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Seating & Mobility served as the official ADA sponsor of the 2023 Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival on Sept. 23-24. It’s the fourth consecutive year that the company has sponsored ADA-accessible viewing platforms for attendees with disabilities. “The Pilgrimage Festival is an incredible opportunity in our corporate headquarters’ hometown to support individuals with disabilities who travel from all over to hear their favorite artists,” said Chuck Bodner, NSM interim CEO. “We are proud to have served as the festival’s official ADA sponsor for the fourth year and are always excited to do our part in ensuring that our platform guests have the opportunity to see and enjoy the diverse lineup of talent throughout the weekend.” NSM also provided complimentary water bottles for those using the platforms, which provided unobstructed views of two main stages. The festival, in its ninth year, featured The Lumineers, Zach Bryan, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Swifts, The Black Crowes and The Head and The Heart. 

HME Home Health named Top Growing Company 

RICHMOND, British Columbia – HME Home Health has announced that it has been named to The Globe and Mail’s - Canada’s Top Growing Companies list for the second consecutive year. For 2023, the company ranked 388 on the list of 425 companies with its three-year revenue growth of 89%. "It is a credit to the hard work of our over 120 team members that HME has been able to see exceptional growth over the past few years, " said Robert Boscacci, HME Home Health's CEO and co-Founder. " To be recognized by The Globe and Mail – one of Canada's foremost business newspapers, for the second year in a row, is a significant achievement." Starting from a single operation in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland a decade ago, HME Home Health has expanded across the province in recent years and today has seven locations and more than 75,000 square feet of office and warehouse space in Richmond, Victoria, Surrey, Nanaimo, North Vancouver, and Kelowna. The company also recently promoted Michelle Harvey to COO. "It's a real honor for HME to be recognized among Canada's Top Growing Companies, and I look forward to continuing our fast-paced growth in my new role," she said.  

OM Foundation reviews successes 

RICHMOND, Va. – The Owens & Minor Foundation has highlighted its successes from the past year, including improving the health and well-being of families. The foundation, alongside flagship charity partner Ronald McDonald Charities, supported 1,800 families by volunteering more than 1,000 hours cooking thousands of nutritious meals and packing hundreds of medical supplies and snack kits. “By continuing to forge new partnerships and creating new opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the communities we serve, we are continuously advancing Owens & Minor’s mission and legacy of service,” said Faith Cristol, president, Owens & Minor Foundation. “We look forward to continuing our strategic focus on supporting causes that move us closer to our goal of building healthier communities.” The foundation focuses primarily on the environment, health care, and diversity, equity and inclusion, in alignment with Owens & Minor’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. In addition to program support, an important element of the foundation’s philanthropic efforts is providing Owens & Minor teammates with opportunities to engage and give back within their communities. Other successes from the past year include supporting health waterways for a healthier environment, helping communities through disaster recovery and advancing health for athletes of all abilities. 

HME Home Health donates to First Nations communities 

RICHMOND, British Columbia – HME Home Health has donated a large shipment of HME to Bella Coola General Hospital in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30. The Bella Coola Valley, a remote northern community in British Columbia, is home to more than 2,000 residents, the majority of whom are of First Nations Ancestry, in particular members of the Nuxalk Nation, on whose traditional lands the town and hospital reside. “HME is committed to working closely with our First Nations communities, on whose land we have the honor of operating our business on,” said Robert Boscacci, CEO and co-Founder. “HME has had a long-standing working relationship with the Bella Coola General Hospital and the Nuxalk Nation, and we are proud to support local community members with this much-needed equipment.” The donation included multiple pieces of essential bathroom safety products, including shower chairs and stools, bath transfer benches and commodes, along with multiple therapy items, including bed wedges and therapy balls.” Starting from a single operation in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland a decade ago, HME Home Health has expanded across the province in recent years and today has seven locations and more than 75,000 square feet of office and warehouse space in Richmond, Victoria, Surrey, Nanaimo, North Vancouver, and Kelowna. 

Sunknowledge partners with Illinois cardiovascular practice 

NEW YORK – Sunknowledge, a provider of outsourced billing and revenue cycle management services, has a partnership with an Illinois cardiovascular that has more than 34 specialties, 207 medical providers and 24 locations. “In today's challenging health care landscape, outsourcing has emerged as the solution to the labor shortage crisis in medical billing,” said Ronnie Hastings, a senior director at Sunknowledge. “Outsourcing offers a lifeline by providing expert support to bridge the labor gap and ensure precision in billing. This strategic move not only safeguards financial stability but also allows for scalability and helps you expand your services. In a dynamic environment, outsourcing is the key to thriving while staying compliant with healthcare regulations.” Sunknowledge says key benefits of the partnership include experienced specialists, eliminating the need for costly external consultants; affordability and efficiency, providing access to greater resources; and cost savings, enabling reductions to hiring, and operational and maintenance costs.