Vernon Pertelle joins SeQual as board member

SAN DIEGO - Apria's former director of respiratory and HME services, Vernon Pertelle, has joined the board of directors of SeQual Technologies, which plans to market a 17-pound portable oxygen concentrator later this year. Pertelle, who over the past few years has led the charge to prove the clinical value of HME, departed Apria in January and joined the Tri-City Hospital District as vice president of outpatient services. Upon joining Tri-City, Pertelle said that several HME manufacturers had asked him to serve on their board. Alex "Pete" Hart has also joined SeQual's board. Hart has almost 30 years of experience in banking, payment services and consumer finance, plus extensive board experience. He previously served as CEO of Advanta Corp., and from 1988 to 1994, he was president and CEO of MasterCard International. Jim Bixby, CEO of SeQual, said Pertelle and Hart join the board as the company prepares to enter a new phase of growth with the introduction of the new SeQual Eclipse Oxygen System. Developed over five years at a cost of $12 million, the concentrator offers both pulse and continuous flow to serve the stationary and ambulatory needs of patients, Bixby said. "SeQual is finalizing plans to launch the Eclipse in the next few months," he said. "We are pleased to have Pete and Vernon join the board at this critical juncture. They have already provided valuable counsel on home medical equipment marketing, organizational growth and distribution. We are looking forward to their active participation in taking SeQual to the next level." SeQual recently announced that it had raised $4.35 million in the first closing of a $5 million private placement to help finance introduction of the Eclipse and expand staff at its San Diego headquarters.