E-SP

From the moment I open my eyes in the morning, I have one goal: coffee. This is normal any day of the year, but on Cape Cod, getting coffee from Dunkin Donuts is a competitive sport that requires getting keys, wallet and shoes lined up the night before, getting up extra early to try and beat the lines, and dodging horrible drivers (hey, it’s Massachusetts) in the small parking lot, all for the magic elixir that keeps me going. And I’ve needed that fuel to keep up with all the happenings...

After Medtrade West ended today, I walked with Medtrade communications guy and press liaison Gregg Thompson (what IS your actual title, Gregg?) back to the hotel. On the way we talked about the show, which overall had a positive vibe. Very positive. In fact, Gregg was trying to put his finger on why everyone was so damn positive. (Journalists are, by their nature, a suspicious bunch). My personal theory: people that come out to events, be they trade shows or birthday parties for one-year-olds,...

I asked show director York Schwab this morning how his first Medtrade was going and whether such a big undertaking was daunting. Unfortunately, I inadvertently cut off the first part of his video, but to paraphrase, he said it had been a challenge in many ways, with the original date pushed from April to July, and so many unknowns even in recent weeks, as rules and regs keep changing. He gave a lot of credit to Medtrade/Emerald staff for their ability “to pivot.” He loves Phoenix...

I got a shout out from Liz in the company Slack channel for my “boots on the ground” reporting for two stories in that week’s very newsy holiday newswire on July 5: “Philips recall: Vent providers in wait-and-see mode” and “’Flat out miserable’: Pacific Northwest providers work through heatwave.” What she means by that is really talking with providers in the trenches to paint a picture of what’s going on out there for the larger...

We’ve been doing a lot of talking here at HME News about the Philips recall. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s all anyone’s been talking about in the industry, on webinars, on state association calls, to me. Forget COVID. "This is going to be far worse,” is a common refrain. It’s not hard to understand why, even as we don’t yet fully know how far the ripple effect will spread. While the immediate concerns have focused on just getting information to communicating...

While HME News obviously has a narrow focus on HME, editor Liz and I do our best to tie larger national issues to the industry when we can. Some issues, like a global pandemic that affects respiratory function, are a no-brainer. Others are trickier. Case in point: diversity, equity and inclusion. Nearly a year ago, a country struggling with the ongoing pandemic found itself horrified by the senseless deaths of Black people. The murder of George Floyd, caught on camera, sent protestors to the streets...

I got my first COVID vaccination in early April and immediately slacked my co-workers to share an image of my “Crushing COVD-19” sticker. Along with the obligatory congratulatory emojis, came the obligatory jokes about government chips and tracking. As a person with diabetes, I’m used to tracking. I track my numbers, my insulin doses and my carbs. In turn, my Freestyle Libre sensor tracks me and sends data wirelessly to the Diabetes Center from my iPhone (no more arriving at...

I received a press release last week from the DOJ about the latest news in Medicare fraud involving, what else, braces! Juan Camilo Perez Buitrago and two of his employees submitted more than $109 million in false claims for arm, back, knee and shoulder braces. (nothing to see here). But it’s the details that really made me say, WTF? You see, as part of his scheme, Buitrago had the employees, Jessica Jones and Elizabeth Putulin, list his wife, mother and yacht captain as directors for...

TV shows have begun having their fall premieres and as I settled in recently to watch a few (Chicago PD, Grey's Anatomy, Rise Up), I found myself transported more than once back to the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, when so much was unknown and scary, and yet, seemed so temporary. When I bailed on my office March 18 with the speed of one abandoning a city falling to invading troops, I honestly thought I'd be back in a week or 10 days. I'm sure most of us did. I think we all know how that...

After weeks of receiving email notifications from LinkedIn, I learned the reason why when I logged onto the company Slack this week. August 25 marked my 15-year anniversary with HME News, according to the impeccable records of the Capable Erika. Fifteen years! I'm never sure whether to celebrate or commiserate when someone hits such a lengthy tenure. That first week, I had no idea what I had done, what I was doing, what the heck was a rollator, and what the future held, either for me or this strange...