CCS streamlines diabetes management

DALLAS – CCS is better serving its growing number of CGM customers by expanding its digital health platform, CCS Health, says CEO Tony Vahedian. 

“It’s new in the way we are thinking about it and investing in it,” he said. “We see a lot of demand from the patients that we are delivering products to; they are also the patients who need us to help from a digital perspective. I do believe what we have is a seamless way for these patients who need a more streamlined and easier way to manage their conditions.” 

CCS recently tapped Mike Rolla – whose resume includes roles at Becton, Dickinson and Company and Livongo – as its new chief growth officer to steer the company’s expansion of both its digital health platform and its distribution network. 

For many diabetes patients, the journey from diagnosis to successful self-management can be a fragmented experience, says Vahedian. By merging CCS Medical’s 25 years of experience in the HME space with a digital health platform with many years of data – the company has more than 50 million records and data from 65 million claims – the company aims to bridge the gap between patient care and technology. 

“In HME, historically, we have had very close relationships with these patients,” he said. “It’s a natural progression in our mind to then say, ‘Let’s put you on a health platform to better manage you and coach you through your journey.’” 

While there are many digital health platforms available to diabetes patients, they do no good if they aren’t being used, says Vahedian. Ninety-two percent of patients receive no formal diabetes education at all in the first year, he says. Of those who do have access to digital health, only 2% who enroll in a program stick with it long enough to gain clinical benefit, he says. 

“CGMs are wonderful and getting better and better, but just because a patient gets a reading, they may not know what to do next,” he said. “So, to have another tool is really important. To be able to say (to a health coach), ‘Hey, I got this reading, what do I do?’ (is important).” 

CGMs have fueled growth in the diabetes market, but it’s only the beginning, says Vahedian. 

“There’s also this macro trend of health care at home and the macro trend of diabetes as a disease wave,” he said. “I think there’s more innovation coming, and we’ll continue to see it grow. We think we’ve created a unique combination and we’re excited about it.”