Trace Medical co-founder, Rhon Pannell, has passed away

WHITMORE LAKE, Mich. – Trace Medical has announced that Rhon Pannell, its co-founder and chairman of the board, passed away on Aug. 19. During the first 20 years of his career, he held positions in sales, marketing, key account management and operations with Puritan Bennett, Viasys and North American Draeger. In 2004, he co-founded Trace Medical with Carl Reid. Under his leadership, Trace Medical grew into a national provider of ventilator rentals, dialysis rentals and biomedical services. “Rhon recognized the challenges health care providers faced in maintaining access to the appropriate equipment at the right time,” the company stated in an announcement. “This understanding helped shape Trace Medical’s approach to inventory management, customer support, and collaboration with manufacturers. The company invested in the infrastructure and technology necessary to manage its ventilator inventory and respond to the changing needs of the providers and patients it serves. Rhon understood that Trace Medical’s work was ultimately about more than equipment, technology, or logistics. It was about supporting the healthcare professionals entrusted with delivering care and ensuring patients had access to the appropriate clinical solutions when they needed them most.” Trace Medical extends its deepest sympathies to Pannell’s family, friends, colleagues and all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. The company says it will honor his memory by continuing to uphold the values that guided him throughout his career: putting patients first, serving others with integrity, embracing innovation, and remaining a trusted partner to the respiratory care community.