In brief: AAH advertises in Politico, Invacare boosts seating line

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - AAHomecare last week ran full page ads blasting competitive bidding in Politico, a widely read Capitol Hill newspaper. The ads feature the full text of the recent letter from 167 economists criticizing the program. The top of the ad reads: "In Letter to Congress, Economists and Auction Experts Predict Medicare Bidding System for Medical Equipment Will Fail." The ads will reach thousands of readers in Washington, D.C., including members of Congress and their staffs, according to the association. The ads were funded by the "Stand Up for Homecare" campaign.



Invacare, Motion Concepts join forces

ELYRIA, Ohio - Invacare and Motion Concepts, a manufacturer of power positioning and seating products, have combined product portfolios and sales organizations, they announced last week. "This partnership creates the strongest and most clinically effective seating and positioning line in the industry," stated Brian Ellacott, vice president and general manager of commercial operations in North and South America for Invacare, in a release. As a result of the merger, providers will benefit from simplified ordering, invoicing and pricing on Invacare's Matrx seating series. The merger will also lead to improved product design, accelerated product introduction, component interchangeability and greater ease in sales and technical support, according to the release.



Brightree hits the road

ATLANTA - Brightree has added a mobile software solution to its business management software solution. The company announced last week that it has partnered with Trevose, Pa.-based Airclic, whose Care Perform software allows drivers to document critical, point-of-delivery tasks in real time. The partnership has resulted in 20 new clients this year, according to a release.



Wright & Filippis powers vans with propane

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - Wright & Filippis has been approved to purchase 12 propane autogas vans over the next few years through a grant from the Ann Arbor Clean Cities program, according to a release. "We feel the clean burning propane will greatly reduce our maintenance cost and extend our engine life, which will naturally increase the life cycle of the vehicle," stated Tom Hopkins, distribution and fleet manager at Wright & Filippis. "It certainly helps that propane autogas is 30% to 40% less expensive per gallon than traditional gasoline." Wright & Filippis will purchase the vans from ROUSH CleanTech, which offers dedicated liquid-propane injection fuel systems for a variety of light- and medium-duty Ford vehicles.



AAHomecare board has new face

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - AAHomecare's board of directors earlier this month appointed Pete Coburn of Sunrise Medical to fill a vacant seat on the board. Coburn is president of U.S. commercial operations for Sunrise, based in Fresno, Calif. He replaces Joel Mills, president and CEO of Advanced Home Care, based in High Point, N.C., who resigned from the board after "many years in service in the leadership of the association."