The year of the woman

ATLANTA - Two women took home prestigious awards at Medtrade this year.

Dr. Kirsten Davin, owner and president of Precision Seating Solutions, was awarded the inaugural HME Woman of the Year Award from the VGM Group at AAHomecare's Washington Legislative Update on Tuesday morning. The award honors a woman who has made increasingly significant contributions throughout her career to both her company and the HME industry.

Davin's long list of accomplishments includes founding Precision Seating Solutions, a company that manufactures affordable pressure mapping systems for wheelchairs; creating a series of long-running seminars on wheelchair seating and positioning called “Let's Roll” and “Hands On”; and serving as a volunteer firefighter, EMT and medical training officer for the Pleasant Plains Fire Department.

“Kirsten is the epitome of a leader,” said Robert Schafer, fire chief for the Pleasant Plains Fire Department, in his nomination of Davin. “She sets a goal, finds a way and achieves.”

Davin's father, Richard Kinner, who also nominated her for the award, said, “Dr. Davin is the great American success story.”

The finalists for the HME Woman of the Year Award were Davin; Rose Schafhauser, owner of Association Management, who serves as executive director for MAMES, AZMESA and WAMES; Laurie Tomaszewski, chief sales and marketing officer for Handi Medical Supply; and Patricia Mastandrea, COO of MedCare Equipment Company.

VGM received 37 nominations for the award.

Melissa Cross named champion

On Tuesday night, Melissa Cross, vice president of the homecare division for O.E. Meyer in Sandusky, Ohio, will be awarded the newly named Van Miller Homecare Champion Award from AAHomecare at the association's Stand Up for Homecare reception. The award honors an AAHomecare member who has made exceptional contributions to the homecare community throughout their careers.

Cross has been involved with the Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Services for 18 years, including a stint as president right before CMS was launching its competitive bidding program in nine cities, two of them in her state.

“We're probably going through the biggest battle of our lives with the bidding program,” said Cross, who has worked for O.E. Meyer for 22 years. “And what AAHomecare, VGM and others are doing for this industry—they're the true winners of this award. They're in the trenches day in and day out. We have to step up so their work means something.”

The Van Miller Homecare Champion Award was renamed to reflect the characteristics of HME visionary Van Miller, past CEO and founder of the VGM Group, who passed away in October of 2015.

Last year's Homecare Champion Award went to the Tart brothers, Joey and Billy, co-founders of Family Medical Supply in Dunn, N.C.