Step away from the dark side with me

There’s an old adage in the news biz: “If it bleeds, it leads.” 

While I’ll admit there’s some truth to that, it doesn’t mean reporters enjoy it. Now, granted, we here at HME News are not exactly competing with the big guys out there, but we have our fair share of less than stellar news we have to report on and publish. And it’s not unusual for Editor Liz and I to bat headline ideas back and forth (“does this sound too negative?”) to ensure they are accurate and catchy, but also don’t sound like the grim reaper has come calling. Again. 

Case in point: My recent story with “stakeholders” (one of these days, we’ll trademark that) about, among other things, how the Change Healthcare cyberattack really makes clear that system meltdowns – for any reason – should qualify for disaster relief, alongside pandemics and floods. And how that disaster, along with recent reimbursement cuts and continued rising costs, makes everything harder. 

The resulting big banner of negativity plastered across page 1 of this issue: “Industry shares disastrous impact.” 

The first quarter of 2024 certainly saw its share of disasters. Along with the aforementioned cyberattack, I’d put the Philips exit from the oxygen and vent market in the U.S. right up there. Judging by the amount of traffic both of these subjects continue to generate on our website, they are top of mind for providers, too. 

Truth be told, with spring finally, sort of, here, I’m ready for more positive stories.  

Regardless of what goes on, in the world or in the HME industry, it’s also humbling to be reminded that there are bigger things out there. For a few minutes on April 8, millions of people stopped and looked up for a few minutes to catch the eclipse. Here in Maine, after an incredibly dreary winter, there was a rush on eclipse glasses when the collective masses realized the skies were going to be clear for once. Thousands headed to the northern parts of the state to catch the event in all its totality. I watched from my front porch (97%) and waved to my neighbors doing the same. 

We hope you all caught it, too, and join us in looking forward to brighter days ahead.