In brief: AAH organizes, sleep provider grows

ARLINGTON, Va. - - As part of an ongoing effort to suspend Round 1 of national competitive bidding for DME, AAHomecare will hold a lobbying fly-in May 21 to convince Congress to take action to address the numerous problems that plague the bidding program, the association announced Friday. "We expect all affected groups to participate, including homecare providers, patient organizations, clinical groups, and other stakeholders," said President Tyler Wilson. "We are also working with the state homecare associations, the buying groups, and others to engage all of the communities affected by the bidding." Competitive bidding will exclude thousands of homecare providers from Medicare, cause service disruptions and confusion for homecare beneficiaries, and shift the homecare benefit away from medical equipment and services focused on quality to commodities focused on price, according to AAHomecare. Round 1 is scheduled to take effect on July 1 in 10 areas throughout the United States. Sleep provider adds jobs CARMEL, Ind. - Dormir LLC, the parent company of MD Sleep, a sleep center development and management company and CardioSom, a durable medical equipment provider, plans to expand its corporate headquarters here, creating 160 new jobs, it announced April 8. Dormir, which has sleep centers and DME retail locations in 14 states, will spend $2.5 million to expand its headquarters and upgrade its computer hardware and software. The three-year-old company plans to hire professional managers, IT specialists, billing technicians, sales and marketing representatives, HR professionals and accountants to its roster of 47 employees at its headquarters and 150 employees nationwide. CardioSom focuses on treating patients with sleep apnea and provides respiratory equipment, including CPAP devices and oxygen. Apria names leader of home infusion division LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Apria Healthcare has named Daniel Greenleaf president of its Coran Specialty Infusion Services division, the provider announced April 7. Greenleaf, who will work out of the division's office in Denver, replaces John Arlotta, who leaves Apria in June. From 2005 to 2007, Greenleaf served as president and CEO of VioQuest Pharmaceuticals, a New Jersey-based biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing oncology drugs therapies. Apria, which bought Coram for $350 million last year, provides home infusion therapy, home respiratory therapy and home medical equipment through about 550 locations serving patients in all 50 states. ISS wants your ideas ORLANDO, Fla. - The International Seating Symposium seeks ideas for presentations for its March 12-14, 2009, event at the Buena Vista Palace Resort and Spa in Orlando, Fla. The symposium will include scientific and clinical papers, a research forum, in-depth workshops, panel sessions and extensive exhibit halls. Presentations should address the seating and wheeled mobility issues of people with disabilities across the lifespan, such as neuromuscular disorders. Also encouraged: presentations that address service delivery issues, including evidence-based practice, models of practice, policy and funding, documentation and outcomes. Visit http://www.iss.pitt.edu.