Patterson mixes dental, vet, rehab supplies

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Patterson Dental, the nation's largest supplier of dental products, has acquired AbilityOne, a vendor of rehab products that includes Sammon Preston and Smith & Nephew Rehab. Patterson expanded into veterinary supplies two years ago. Both companies believe that “clear synergies exist between our respective company cultures and markets.” AbilityOne defines its principal customer as the PT/OT who works in a rehab facility, but counts HME providers as a strong secondary customer. AbilityOne expects to generate sales of about $220 million for 2003. CareCentric completes merger, goes public ATLANTA - CareCentric, makers of Mestamed and Dezine software, has completed a merger with an investor group, an action that will ultimately take the company private. The transaction has reduced the number of sharholders in CareCentric to 200 from 5,500. CareCentric's president, John Fest, said taking the company private will reduce annual administrative expenses and free management to focus more effectively. EClickMD starts whistling Dixie SAN DIEGO - ZDMed, the sales and marketing firm that's shepherding eClickMD's e-CMN system into the HME industry, recently signed an agreement with United Sales Associates, an Orlando, Fla.-based manufacturer's rep association that covers the southeastern U.S. with 28 reps. ZDMed also recently signed an agreement with Lake Court Medical Supplies, a distributor based in Centerline, Mich. EClickMD has already integrated its e-CMN product with Dezine's (a Mestamed program) HME software and is now integrating with Computer Applications Unlimited with plans to reach an agreement soon. Shortcuts Supracor, a manufacturer of honeycomb cushioning products, has just launched a division, called Lifestyles, that is targeting HME providers. Lifestyles is rolling out nine new products, including body scrubbers, pillows and lumbar support products....