Briefs

Meet the new boss: same as the old boss ATLANTA — Graham-Field Health Products' new owners plan to name Irwin Selinger the company's new CEO. Selinger served as the company's CEO during its heady rise from a $9 million distributor of medical supplies in 1984 to a $440 million contender in 1997. Some blame Selinger for the company's subsequent descent into bankruptcy in May 2000. Selinger left the company in 1998 dogged by allegations that he'd propped up G-F's stock price to enable the acquisition of Fuqua Industries. A U.S. attorney confirmed that Selinger is still under indictment for those charges. Respironics appoints gov't relations manager MURRYSVILLE, Pa. —Ron Billingsley has joined Respironics as government relations manager. He will work as a liaison with U.S. Congressional sub-committees on health, CMS and various trade associations that represent the respiratory care and medical device industries. Billingsley has more than 20 years experience in the home medical equipment services industry, including management positions in reimbursement and operations with Medical Supply Services and Liken Home Medical. MED picks DeVilbiss for concentrators LUBBOCK, Texas — After consideration of “every major vendor in the industry,” The MED Group has selected Sunrise Medical and its DeVilbiss division as the trade group's primary supplier of oxygen concentrators. The respiratory deal is MED's second with Sunrise. The trade group has also identified Sunrise as its supplier of choice for the basic suite of durable medical equipment products. “With this agreement in place, Sunrise will now enjoy primary supply status with MED in aerosol, conservers and oxygen concentrators, and a shared position in sleep products with ResMed,” Ken Yannerella, vice president for national accounts for Sunrise Medical, said in a release distributed by MED.