In brief: Exec changes at OM & Inogen, cyberattack impact at Option Care 

RICHMOND, Va. – Owens & Minor has announced that Dan Starck, executive vice president of business excellence, has informed the company he is retiring on May 17, 2024. 

Richmond, Va.-based OM made the announcement in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16. 

Starck became part of OM’s executive leadership team when the company acquired Apria Healthcare in 2022 for about $1.45 billion, expanding its Patient Direct business unit. 

In addition to being the CEO of Apria Healthcare, Starck is the interim chairman of the Council for Quality Respiratory Care, which is taking the lead on bills in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to reform the home oxygen benefit. 

Goleta, Calif.-based Inogen has announced that Dr. Stanislav Glezer, executive vice president of R&D and chief medical officer, will leave the company on or before May 3. The company says the decision, which was announced in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 15, was “mutually determined.” 

Earlier this year, the company welcomed a new CEO, Kevin Smith. 

Option Care reports double-digit growth 

BANNOCKBURN, Ill. – Option Care Health reported revenue of $1.14 billion for the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year, despite the disruption caused by the Change Healthcare cyberattack in February. 

“The Option Care Health team delivered solid financial results while navigating a disruptive environment,” said John Rademacher, CEO. “I am proud of the resilient enterprise we have built and the team's unwavering commitment to providing extraordinary patient care in the post-acute and ambulatory setting.” 

Gross profit was $238.5 million, or 20.8% of net revenue, up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Adjusted EBITDA was $98.3 million, up 4.8%. 

Cash flow from operations was $(68.8) million compared to $89.8 million in the same quarter last year, primarily due to the Change Healthcare cybersecurity incident. 

Option Care also updated its if full year 2024 guidance: 

• Net revenue of $4.65 billion to $4.8 billion 

• Adjusted EBITDA of $430 million to $450 million 

• Cash flow from operations of at least $300 million, consistent with previous guidance. 

VGM promotes Dave Lyman 

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has promoted Dave Lyman, BA, RRT-SDS, to executive vice president. In this new role, he will lead and grow membership communities and lead the sales, business development, contracting and marketing teams. “We are beyond excited to have Dave appointed to this new role at VGM,” says Lindy Tentinger, president, VGM & Associates. “Dave has consistently demonstrated the ability to be an engaging business and sales leader who builds important relationships with our members and vendor partners, while also meeting our business objectives. His skillset and experience are critical to enhancing the post-acute home care industry as a whole.” Lyman, who has more than 25 years of experience in the DME industry, started his career as an RT at the Cleveland Clinic. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of sales for VGM & Associates. He also serves on multiple committees dedicated to patient outcomes and care, including the Education Committee of the Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Services (OAMES) and a respiratory focus group at AAHomecare. "For the past 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with VGM members, vendor partners, and fellow employee owners to forge meaningful relationships and establish successful business partnerships,” Lyman said. “I look forward to continue growing and retaining our membership groups, as well as keeping VGM & Associates at the forefront of the industry.” 

Aeroflow celebrates new breast pump law 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Aeroflow Health celebrates the passage of LB 1215, a new law that ensures every woman in Nebraska’s medical assistance program will be provided an electric breast pump. The law, sponsored by state Sen. Ben Hansen, also provides new mothers with 10 visits with lactation consultants starting no later than Jan. 1, 2025. “Aeroflow has been steadfast in its mission to broaden access to care and medical supplies for new mothers across all income levels, and we are proud to honor Sen. Hansen’s work to help families across Nebraska," said Ryan Bullock, chief strategy officer of Aeroflow Health. “Aeroflow will continue to work with legislators across our nation to remove barriers to care and provide medically-necessary products and services for hardworking American families.” In Nebraska, Medicaid covers nearly 35% of all births. The passing of this legislation in Nebraska follows Aeroflow’s success in expanding access to medically necessary products and resources in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio and North Carolina throughout 2023. The company recently rebranded, in part, to better reflect its focus on four divisions, including breast pumps. 

Medixine, Nonin Medical partner to leverage overnight oximetry as pre-screening tool for oxygen, sleep therapy 

ESPOO, Finland – Finnish health tech company Medixine has strengthened its presence in the U.S. market with “a deepened technological partnership” with Nonin Medical, a manufacturer of wearable and noninvasive medical monitoring devices. The new partnership will combine Medixine’s digital remote patient monitoring software platform with Nonin’s pulse oximetry devices. “In deepening our partnership with Nonin Medical, we’re setting ambitious goals together to bring remote digital care’s substantial benefits to both patients and clinicians across the United States,” said Lasse Rousi, CEO at Medixine. “The U.S. is an important market for Medixine; demand for remote patient care is high, as there are often vast distances between patients and health care providers. Furthermore, it’s especially significant for us that a renowned market leader like Nonin Medical has chosen our remote patient monitoring platform for its first transition from devices into digital services.” Medixine, which is currently active in eight countries (Finland, U.S., U.K., Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Spain and Portugal), covers a patient population of 2.5 million. The companies expect the partnership to, among other things, advance efforts to use overnight oximetry during sleep as a pre-screening tool to determine if patients need and qualify for supplemental oxygen or need to be tested further for sleep disorders. “Combining physical monitoring devices with Medixine’s digital platform offers huge potential benefits in understanding the need for overnight oxygen,” said Aaron Lobbestael, senior director of advanced technology at Nonin Medical. “At present, it may take months to acquire an accurate reading using overnight devices that patients need to take to and from the health care provider multiple times. Our digital solution would require just one night of measurement, which would be downloaded automatically to the patient’s records. By digitizing our healthcare services, patients can access all the same services they have received previously, but much more easily, while clinicians’ workflows are made significantly more efficient.” 

CMS shares cyberattack resources 

WASHINGTON – CMS has shared with AAHomecare a 35-page document with resources related to the Change Healthcare cyberattack. The document also contains contact information for United Health Group, AmeriHealth Caritas, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Centene, Cigna, CVS Health, Elevance Health, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and Molina Healthcare, along with other payers and subsidiaries. “CMS shared these resources with AAHomecare along with their response to our Mar. 13 letter requesting relief and timely-filing extensions for suppliers serving patients covered by Medicare Part C,” the association stated in a bulletin. “Suppliers may find the contact information for plan administrators useful going forward.” The new document can be found here. AAHomecare also has a Change Healthcare Disruption Resources & News page for additional materials and updates. 

Stakeholders take to Hill to promote high-tech wheelchairs 

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare will host a complex-rehab specific congressional fly-in in September to support H.R. 5371, the “Choices for Increased Mobility Act,” which would improve consumer access to titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs. The association says a specific date for the fly-in will be announced soon. “This Hill Day will be an opportunity for members of the manufacturing and supplier community to showcase the technology and equipment currently utilized by consumers, the work that goes into fitting a consumer, and how current policy falls short of meeting the needs of consumers,” the association stated in a bulletin. The bill would allow Medicare beneficiaries to pay the difference to upgrade to a titanium or carbon fiber manual wheelchair. Right now, if a consumer wants a titanium or carbon fiber manual wheelchair, they must pay for the full cost of the wheelchair out of pocket, have their provider file a non-assigned claim on their behalf and, if approved, wait to receive 80% of the Medicare allowable. Those interested in participating should reach out to Alexis Ward, alexisw@aahomecare.org, to receive invitation details. 

NCART recognizes Sen. Testin 

WASHINGTON – NCART has recognized Patrick Testin, a state senator from Wisconsin, as its “State Legislator of the Year Champion for Consumer Access.” The association says Testin has been a lead legislative sponsor of multiple bills to ensure access to complex rehab technology (CRT) and services, several of which are now law. “NCART and our members thank the senator for all his work in supporting consumers and the industry,” the association stated in a bulletin. Testin was among those who introduced  State Senate Bill 592, legislation related to reimbursement under the Medical Assistance program for CRT wheelchair repairs and accessories. The legislation states for HCPCS codes relating to CRT wheelchair repair and accessories, a reimbursement rate under the Medical Assistance program equivalent to the maximum fee paid in Wisconsin under the federal Medicare program, including fees under the KU modifier, if applicable, should be applied.