In brief: Cardinal Health partners with Square, Quipt terminates equity program 

DUBLIN, Ohio, and SAN FRANCISCO – Cardinal Health has partnered with Square to launch modern payment solutions for independent pharmacies and give them access to products that can help them better manage their business. 

The partnership allows Cardinal Health to offer its independent pharmacy customers access to innovative products that can seamlessly manage business operations, integrate flexible payment options for in-store, online and delivery purchases, and reduce payment processing costs. 

"Through our work with Square, we can offer our customers options to stay current with payment trends, as well as business tools and insights to help them streamline their operational workflows for greater efficiency," said Brad Cochran, executive vice president of retail distribution at Cardinal Health and president of Medicine Shoppe International, Inc. "Modern payment solutions will enable community pharmacists to offer the personalized care their patients value, while providing greater flexibility for the pharmacy to meet their customers evolving preferences." 

Easy-to-use dashboards allow the pharmacy to track sales and payment transactions, whether customers are paying during home delivery, online, at the drive thru, or at the counter. Pharmacies can meet their buyers wherever they are, with flexible payment options that include text-to-pay, Apply Pay and Google Pay, without ever missing a sale. 

Using Square's open platform, Cardinal Health is offering payment and commerce solutions that integrate directly with third-party software, including pharmacy management systems, and seamlessly connect with Square's suite of hardware and software tools. 

"As consumer preferences continue to evolve, modern payment solutions like those offered by Cardinal Health and Square can reduce administrative time and give pharmacists more time to focus on their customers,” said Gerry O'Hare, a member of the Cardinal Health Retail Advisory Board whose 45-year career in pharmacy has seen his business grow to nine locations. “Square has significantly reduced our processing costs and given us the ability to complete a sale anywhere in the store, out in the field when making deliveries, or even online – and a great backend system to show us what our business looks like." 

Quipt terminates ATM 

CINCINNATI -Quipt Home Medical has terminated its “at-the-market” (ATM) equity program, which it first announced in May. The company has not made use of this ATM and has elected to terminate it as a result of market conditions and to limit ‎uncertainty and unfavorable dilution for its shareholders during this period of global ‎market uncertainty.‎ “Given our robust balance sheet with modest leverage, strong operating cash flow generation and track record of careful capital deployment with a focus on enhancing long-term shareholder value, we opted to discontinue the ATM program to limit uncertainty and potential unfavorable dilution for our shareholders,” said Greg Crawford, CEO and chairman. “On the heels of our exceptional fiscal Q2 2023 financial results, the installation of the ATM was done to economically diversify our potential sources of capital to fund our long-term acquisition strategy focused on accretive acquisition opportunities. As we previously announced, the company had no current intention of making use of the ATM given the significant liquidity profile we have, and believed it was a prudent tool to have in place for the future if such a time arose where it made sense. Given the response from shareholders, and significant disconnect between our valuation and fundamentals of the business, as well as the fact that the company does not require the ATM for capital, we have come to the conclusion that the ATM program is not appropriate for the company and have made the decision to immediately terminate it.”  

NMEDA names new CEO 

TAMPA, Fla. – NMEDA has named Toby Cummings as CEO effective July 10. Cummings comes to the association from the International Municipal Signal Association, where he served as executive director for the last four years. "Toby Cummings is an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of association management and a genuine commitment to advancing the mission of NMEDA," said Chad Blake, past president of NMEDA and co-chair of NMEDA’s CEO search committee. "His extensive association experience and proven leadership skills make him the ideal choice to lead our organization into the future. We are confident that Toby will build upon our strong foundation and further enhance NMEDA's position as the leading voice in the auto mobility industry." Cummings succeeds Danny Langfield, who announced in February that he would transition to a new role as the executive director of NMEDA’s new research foundation.  

Philips, Masimo receive FDA clearance for patient monitor 

AMSTERDAM, and Irvine, Calif. – Royal Philips and Masimo have received clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration allowing the activation of SedLine Brain Function Monitoring, Regional Oximetry (O3), and CO₂ measurements in Philips Patient Monitors – IntelliVue MX750 and MX850. The latest extension of Masimo and Philips’ ongoing collaboration will help enable clinicians to make quick and informed decisions without the need for additional monitoring equipment. “Our work with Masimo has enabled us to forge new paths in continuous monitoring,” said Christoph Pedain, general manager, Hospital Patient Monitoring at Philips. “We’re connecting data and technologies to help arm care providers with the robust information they need to make timely, informed care decisions for their patients.” The integration can help clinicians assess and monitor blood saturation in the brain (cerebral oxygenation), anesthetic sedation, and patient respiratory performance with ease, all from the same monitor. The data can also be shared between monitors. These capabilities and metrics help care providers to act decisively while also helping to lower cost of care by providing a more holistic view of the patient from one system. Earlier this year, Masimo and Royal Philips announced an expansion of their partnership to augment remote patient monitoring capabilities in home telehealth applications with the Masimo W1 advanced health tracking watch.  
 
ComForCare, Connected Home Living ink deal 

TROY, Mich. – ComForCare, a franchised provider of in-home caregiving services, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Connected Home Living, a leader in remote patient care, to introduce Connected Care for clients. The new technology will be integrated into ComForCare/At Your Side's in-home care protocol to monitor vital signs, alerts, medications, and the mental and physical state of older adults, ensuring continuity of care and rapid intervention for best possible outcomes. "This partnership is a transformative step forward in our commitment to delivering comprehensive and compassionate care to our clients," said J.J. Sorrenti, CEO of Best Life Brands, parent company of ComForCare/At Your Side. "The integration of virtual care into daily use, alongside our hands-on, in-home care is revolutionizing the way we empower older adults to maintain their independence and well-being. With the ability to detect weakness, illness, and support dementia progression, caregivers can respond swiftly and manage proactively, ultimately gaining more time to focus on an individual's social and well-being needs that are crucial to thriving in the home.” Connected Care enhances care with fall detection, wellness monitoring, daily virtual calls, and chronic disease management. "We are looking forward to this partnership with ComForCare and At Your Side Home care to bring technological efficiencies and prioritize care and resources to older adults,” said Neil Tantingco, founder and CEO of Connected Home Living. "We are passionate about supporting patients and their families by extending the care management team, reducing social isolation, and promoting healthy behaviors." Connected Care will be rolling out across ComForCare and At Your Side Home Care franchise locations over the next several months. 

Wearable Health Solutions launches DTC website 

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Wearable Health Solutions, a provider of wearable health solutions, has launched a new direct-to-consumer website, www.1800medalert.com, to bring its personal emergency response systems (PERS) to customers worldwide through a user-friendly online platform. Wearable Health Solutions’ PERS systems combine cutting-edge technology with user-friendly features tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals. The devices offer real-time monitoring, fall detection, two-way communication, GPS tracking and more. With these innovative features and 24/7 monitoring services, individuals can confidently navigate their daily lives, knowing that help is just a button away. "We are excited to introduce our new direct-to-consumer website and expand our global reach," said Harrysen Mittler, CEO. "Through this online platform and our robust digital marketing initiatives, we aim to make our innovative wearable health solutions easily accessible to individuals around the world, ensuring their safety and well-being." Wearable Health Solutions is working with its product engineers to develop an iHelp MAX charging/docking station that will act as a home smart speaker and a PERS digital health watch, all with hands-free voice commands, intuitive technologies, and Chat GTP plug-ins under the iHelp brand name.