Tag: VGM

WATERLOO, Iowa – Jamie Downing, a longtime veteran in the HME industry, has joined VGM & Associates as the senior vice president of program development, where he will focus on the creation and implementation of Peer Learning Communities that will soon be offered by VGM. For the past 12 years, he has been the president and part-owner of the Sleep Wellness Institute, a clinical diagnostic sleep and respiratory DME company, where he grew the business to 75 employees, including six clinic multiple...

WATERLOO, Iowa – Jeremy Stolz, the new president of VGM & Associates (VGMA), believes “a greater sense of collaboration” is key to the company’s and the HME industry’s future.  “I’ve seen the industry evolve to have a greater sense of collaboration, whether you’re a national provider or a mom-and-pop provider,” he said. “Greater unity is what’s best for the patient. But I think we can take this concept even further. Associates...

 WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has released its third playbook this year, VGM Playbook: Emerging Opportunities in DMEPOS. Opportunities in DMEPOS highlighted in this playbook include e-commerce, care in the home, home accessibility and bariatrics. “We at VGM & Associates strive to help our VGM members improve on every aspect of their business as it exists today, and to assist in looking toward and planning for the future.” says Krista McNurlen, SVP of Marketing for VGM & Associates....

WASHINGTON – With CMS staying mum on a possible next round of the competitive bidding program, stakeholders want to know, “What’s the plan?”  “Nobody knows what CMS is doing or what their game plan is, as far as the next round of bidding,” said John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for VGM. “It’s supposedly out there for December, but nobody knows if that is only for braces or what it is they will push and, in the meantime,...

WATERLOO, Iowa – The need for HME providers to turn off the fee-for-service mindset was a key theme among speakers at this year’s VGM Heartland Conference.  “It’s no longer about fee-for-service; it’s about getting paid for improving costs and outcomes,” said Zach Gantt, CEO of Encore Healthcare during one of several sessions dedicated to value-based care. “How do we manage the entire patient? If we don’t coordinate and manage care for these...

WASHINGTON – With support for HME legislation slow-going, industry stakeholders are using the Grassroots Accountability Project (GAP) to take away the “fear factor” around advocacy.  GAP, a joint effort between AAHomecare, VGM and state associations, recently launched a short video to walk through the advocacy process for securing co-sponsors for H.R. 6641.   “We want to break down those barriers that might keep people from taking that next step of advocacy,”...

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – React Health, formerly 3B Medical, has named Clint Geffert as president, commercial operations, effective in June.  “I am extremely excited to be joining the React Health team,” said Geffert. “I believe React Health continues to position itself well in the industry as a leader and will capitalize on the long-term growth potential of the home medical equipment market.”  Geffert announced earlier this month that he was resigning from...

WATERLOO, Iowa – The cost of delivering home medical equipment continues to rise, according to the results of a new survey from VGM & Associates.  The survey of nearly 100 HME providers in eight regions of the U.S. looked at the increase in cost of goods, employee wages and freight, as well as cost of delivery per mile, PPE and average wages.   “While I suspected the various costs and related factors in securing appropriate HME delivery services would increase –...

Q. What is DEI and how should my business communicate about it?   A. Large companies have been focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for decades, but in recent years, smaller businesses are learning the value of doing so, as well.   Diversity is about the full range of human differences and similarities. These include personal dimensions like ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age and physical ability. But it can also include things like parental or family status,...

Q. Why does expertise matter in CPAP machine and resupply order fulfillment?  A. In today’s business environment, companies have little margin for error. They’re taking a hard look at processes, personnel and the partners they choose to do business with daily. It’s no surprise that HME companies are outsourcing certain aspects of their business as part of their strategic initiatives.  Finding the right partner who understands your business and has the required expertise...