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WASHINGTON – It should be business as usual for providers when CMS winds down the National Supplier Clearinghouse on Nov. 6, but industry stakeholders caution a wait-and-see approach.  Agency officials announced during a Sept. 21 Open Door Forum that it’s transitioning from the NSC to two National Provider Enrollment Contractors: Palmetto GBA, for the western half of the country (NPEC West) and Novitas for the eastern half (NPEC East).   While stakeholders are familiar...

ELYRIA, Ohio – Geoffrey Purtill, Invacare’s interim president and CEO, is the type of leader who keeps finding himself in turnaround situations and his current appointment is no different.  Purtill, who was named by the board of directors to replace Matt Monaghan in late August, has also led – and still does lead – the company’s Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific businesses.  “When I took over APAC, it didn’t have the proper foundation...

INDIANAPOLIS – DMEscripts is at the tipping point of driving “real scale” in the number of HME providers and referral sources adopting e-prescribing, says new CEO John Brady.  Brady believes the HME industry is now in the same position as the pharmacy industry in 2008, when it came together to form Surescripts and, over the course of the next several years, reached market acceptance.  “The future of DMEscripts is all about driving transactions,” said...

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Judi Knott believes investing in the Board of Certification/Accreditation’s people, as well as the technology that empowers them, is key to growing the organization into the future.  Knott, who has more than 30 years of business development and marketing experience, including as BOC’s current chief strategy and marketing officer, will step in as the organization’s president and CEO in January.  “I greatly value the people at BOC who...

NEW YORK – HME providers saw a 6.3% decline in their sleep patient volume in the last 12 months, but they expect double-digit growth in the next 12 months, according to the third quarter HME Sleep and Oxygen Survey from Needham.  The decline in sleep is mainly due to a shortage in flow generators. The eventual re-entry of Philips into the flow generator market appears likely to come mostly at the expense of smaller competitors rather than ResMed, according to the survey.  Respondents...

ELYRIA, Ohio – Invacare announced on Sept. 29 that it has received notice from the New York Stock Exchange that the company is not in compliance because the average closing price of the company’s common shares was less than $1 per share over a consecutive 30 trading-day period.  The notice does not result in the immediate delisting of the company’s common shares from the NYSE.  Invacare plans to notify the NYSE by Oct. 7 that it intends to cure the stock price deficiency...

RICHMOND, Va. – Owens & Minor has received two awards from Vizient in recognition of its performance and service.  Owens & Minor received both the Medical/Surgical Supplier Excellence Award and the Achieve Committed Program Excellence Award at the 2022 Vizient Connections Summit held Sept. 19-22.  “Customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we are proud of our long-term, consistent commitment to Vizient’s members,” said Jeff Jochims, executive vice...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Aeroflow Healthcare has contracted with UCare, an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health coverage and services across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Per the contract, Aeroflow will provide breast pumps; lactation education and support; continuous glucose monitors (CGM); catheters; incontinence supplies, such as diapers and briefs; and CPAP machines and accessories. "Providing necessary medical equipment is crucial to a patient's quality of life,” said...

WASHINGTON – InstaCart is launching InstaCart Health, a new initiative to deliver healthy foods in underserved communities. The initiative includes a comprehensive suite of new products, partnerships and commitments, including Care Carts, designed to give health care providers and caregivers the ability to order groceries and medical supplies on behalf of someone else. “Instacart has become a staple in millions of households, which puts us at the heart of the relationship that people...

ATLANTA –Grahovac, general manager at The Van Halem Group, has been named as an associate director on the board of directors of the Big Sky Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers. “I’m honored and excited to join the Big Sky board of directors,” said Grahovac. “State associations play a pivotal role in the HME community and help represent the interests of the independent provider on a state, local, and national level. "Grahovac has been a regular speaker at the Big...