Tag: Coronavirus Outbreak

YARMOUTH, Maine – COVID-19 cases are rising again and many HME providers are feeling the strain, according to a recent HME Newspoll.  Nearly 64% of poll respondents say the Delta variant and the subsequent uptick in COVID-19 cases have impacted their business, with 56% saying they have seen an increase in oxygen setups in the past month.  “Our oxygen setups have tripled our normal,” wrote David Snodgras, operations manager at Ozarks Healthcare Medical Equipment....

RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Gavin Dhanoi was a registered nurse for six years before becoming a mobility and seating consultant for HME in British Columbia, so when the pandemic hit, Dhanoi put his scrubs back on and volunteered to help out. “There’s no other time than now, where we have seen a shortage of nurses and hospital staff,” said Dhanoi. “Knowing that I have the education and background that I do, it didn’t feel right to not step in and give my time...

Even as vaccination rates grow and new cases of COVID-19 are slowing nationwide, HME suppliers and manufacturers remain in the grip of another side effect of the pandemic: higher product costs and increased operational expenses. HME suppliers first began seeing these impacts in early 2020, as demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) surged, with shortages and higher costs quickly following. Additional impacts of the pandemic were confirmed in a May 2020 survey on supply chain disruptions...

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Fisher & Paykel Healthcare reported operating revenue of $1.97 billion for the full year ended March 31, 2021, an increase of 56% over the previous year or 61% in constant currency.  The company reported net profit after tax was $524 million, an increase of 82% or 94% in constant currency.  “The unprecedented result was driven by our Hospital product group, which includes Optiflow and Airvo systems used to deliver nasal...

YARMOUTH, Maine – HME’s stock has risen in the larger health care ecosystem, as more and more care has been pushed into the home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, say respondents to a recent HME Newspoll. It’s a huge improvement over the old perception of HME providers as equipment jockeys, say the more than half of respondents (56%) who report the pandemic has caused patients, referral sources and policymakers to view HME more favorably. “We have been viewed more as...

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – ResMed has shipped more than 8,000 ventilators to hospitals in India since April and plans to ship more in the coming weeks, it says.    “ResMed stands strong with all the people in India as we provide support to mitigate the effects of its latest wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations,” said Justin Leong, Asian and Latin American president. “We continue to work closely with our partners on the ground to gauge demand, and our global...

WASHINGTON – As home respiratory providers look past the current public health emergency, they need to have the flexibility and stability to continue caring for patients, says Crispin Teufel, chairman of the Council for Quality Respiratory Care.  “We’ve started to have initial discussions on what happens when this is over,” said Teufel, who is also CEO of Lincare. “If you have set up a patient with COVID, do they need to get...

ELYRIA, Ohio – Invacare expects to ship $15 million worth of back orders in the next two quarters, which will give the company a nice lift going into the back half of 2021.  Invacare reported a 10.2% decrease in net sales for the first quarter this year compared to the same period last year, primarily due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including continued limited access to health care, and to supply chain disruptions.  “Our first quarter results were...

Between Zoom meetings, working remotely and virtual schooling, COVID-19 dramatically altered the way we connect with each other over the past year and in some respects, it forced people to utilize and better understand communications technology. It is emblematic of the adage “necessity is the mother of invention” – especially for HME providers toward business automation and interoperability. Information technology specialists are encouraged by signs of burgeoning connectivity...

YARMOUTH, Maine – The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a significant blow to their businesses in 2020, but CPAP providers say referrals are back to nearly pre-pandemic levels and, thanks to technology, they’re in a better position now than they’ve ever been.  The relaxation of certain requirements during the public health emergency, for example, has made it easier for patients to access care through telehealth and other...