Briefs

MED Group names new director LUBBOCK, Texas - The MED Group (MED) has hired Jacquelyn M. McClure as its new director of National Respiratory Network and Government Relations. She will manage MED's National Respiratory Network as well as assist in various legislative and regulatory areas. Prior to joining MED, she spent 11 years at Respironics with stints as manager of training/medical dducation, manager of reimbursement services and manager of government relations. McClure replaces Joe Lewarski, who left MED to return to business an HME provider. High-pressure O2 vendors feel more pressure ST. LOUIS - Two former Victor Medical executives have launched Responsive Respiratory, a distributor of high pressure respiratory products. Led by a former Victor vice president of sales and marketing, Tom Bannon, and Jim Hutchins, Victor's former vice president of operations, the new company has launched business from a 3,300 square-foot warehouse with 185 SKUs, including Luxfer cylinders, Sherwood valves and private-label products made by Victor. Bannon has lined up 47 independent sales reps and is planning to be full force at 60. Auto PAP gets respect POWAY, Calif. -  A new ISO standard currently under review by the FDA may help the industry in its fight to gain greater Auto PAP acceptance, according to ResMed. The new definition of Auto PAP excludes the CPAP acronym, characterizing the device instead as a self-adjusting sleep apnea breathing therapy device which automatically adjusts the pressure in the breathing system. That new definition, said ResMed's Ron Richard, might help open a reimbursement door to Auto PAP that's been closed by the DMERCs.