Archive: September 2015
HME provider opens second location
September 30, 2015Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
DENVER, Colo. - YouCan TooCan Home Medical Supply has opened a new store in Colorado Springs, it announced today. The 2,500-square-foot store offers scooters, wheelchairs, lift chairs, respiratory equipment and aids to daily living. The store is owned by Marvin Holland, who acquired it in November 2014.
NCPA videos examine changing healthcare models
September 30, 2015HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The National Community Pharmacists Association has launched a five-part video series that looks at how community pharmacies can adapt to changing healthcare models and improve patient care. Topics include the role of technology, marketing, and new models of payment, according to a press release. “Pharmacy is changing and the shift toward quality standards and value-based patient care presents opportunities, as well as challenges,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey. “Community...
BraunAbility sells to Swedish investment firm
September 29, 2015HME News Staff
WINAMAC, Ind. - BraunAbility has signed an agreement to sell to Patricia Industries, a division of Stockholm, Sweden-based Investor AB.
BraunAbility will join Permobil on Patricia Industries' roster of “high-quality, high-growth” companies, according to a press release.
“With the support of Patricia Industries, we will be positioned to accelerate our rate of growth, powered by product innovation, development of our brand promise within the communities we serve and continued...
Short takes: Brightree, AOPA, Masimo, Nonin
September 29, 2015HME News Staff
Brightree's electronic health record solution for home health and hospice has been selected by Merida Health Care Group. Merida already uses Brightree's solution for HME…The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association has announced the winners of its annual student poster awards: Tyler Klenow has received the Otto and Lucille Becker Award for his orthotic abstract, “A Functional Comparison of Carbon Fiber AFO and Two Modular KAFO Conditions Using Outcome Measures in a Veteran...
Michael Blakey: Embrace templates, but do it right
September 25, 2015Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
When it comes to using templates confusion reigns. So HME News reached out to Michael Blakey to clear a few things up. Blakey, president of DMEevalumate, says he's excited that the conversation around templates has evolved to the point where providers are asking what they are and if they should be embracing them.
HME News: So, can HME providers use templates or not?
Michael Blakey: They are certainly allowed. With all the noise surrounding competitive bidding, the face-to-face requirement...
Grant funds new mobility training
September 25, 2015HME News Staff
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Craig H. Nielsen Foundation has awarded a one-year, $49,000 grant to Barbara Crane and Laura Cohen to develop and deploy a seating and wheeled mobility training curriculum for entry level physical therapists and physical therapy assistants, and for continuing education for practicing clinicians. “There are limited training opportunities for professionals to gain the skills needed to prescribe a wheelchair effectively, particularly at the pre-professional level,” a...
Accessibility market complements HME biz
September 25, 2015John Andrews
Before Medicare came down hard on the HME industry with competitive bidding, getting involved with home accessibility just wasn't something that providers thought much about. Because the machinations are different enough, they didn't see it as a natural extension of their business.
Now in the days of waning Medicare reimbursement, HME providers are taking a fresh look at opportunities in home accessibility, studying its merits and potential application as a new, more commercially oriented...
Managed Care: Locate the haystack
September 25, 2015Lynn Everard
A. Shifts in the market point to continued growth in managed Medicaid. This is the place where most HME providers will need to be prepared to play. So whether you get a direct contract or become part of a network, success requires that your company be built for a managed care world. The following are key elements in being a sustainable HME managed care provider.Cost: We often focus on product costs but this is about operational efficiency and bringing service costs in line with revenue. This includes...
Branding: Be that company
September 25, 2015Lalaina Rabary
A. Coca-Cola, Nike, McDonald's, Apple.These one-word business names represent some of the most well-known brands in the world. When you read these brand names, what do you envision? Do you immediately know what each company does? How each brand makes you feel? If you can quickly answer these questions, it is clear each brand has made an impact on your life. Often, communication professionals and businesses simplify a brand into colors, taglines and logos. Although these elements are important,...
Apria Healthcare doubles down on wound care
September 25, 2015HME News Staff
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Apria Healthcare has extended its partnership with MoInlycke Health Care by taking fulfillment and support for the Avance Max negative pressure wound therapy system to acute facilities across the country. This complements Apria's existing role as exclusive U.S. distributor of MoInlycke's Avance Flex negative pressure wound therapy system for the home. “Transition planning upon admission with product continuity is now possible, benefitting patients and healthcare...