E-SP

Rising costs. Inflation. Never-ending pandemic. Never-ending supply chain challenges.  Or, as AAHomecare’s Jay Witter so succinctly summed it: It’s "rough" out there.  He’s not wrong, of course, and I occasionally look at our headlines and think, “Yikes.”  However, as I am reminded every day, week and month, HME providers are a resilient bunch, as evidenced by a quick perusal of headlines in this issue.  There are stories about growth,...

I occasionally miss the hum of working in a busy newsroom – not the clackety-clack of keyboards or the smell of microwaved fish – but that buzz of sounds that melds into a mélange of forward momentum and accomplishments, that sense of Things Are Happening Here.  Such was the case at Medtrade West in April, where attendees flung off two years’ worth of Zoom fatigue and hit the show floor.  It was music to Show Director York Schwab’s ears.  “As...

If I were the betting kind, I’d say Dallas is the odds-on favorite for the inaugural once-a-year Medtrade launching in 2023 as people on the show floor discussed the Big News. A surprising sleeper suggestion: Kansas City. “BBQ,” one attendee told me, pointing out the obvious. No one liked my guess that it would be located in Cincinnati. To clarify: I’m not saying I’m itching to go to Cincinnati, but hey, it’s centrally located is it not? At any rate, the...

My mom and I don’t talk on the phone every week, but we do check in on the important stuff. Take a recent phone call from mom.  Me: Hi Mom, what’s up?   Mom: We’re having a neighborhood margarita contest and I plan to win, so I wanted to get your recipe.  Me: Well, I think I just make them really strong?*  Fast forward to this week and all we seem to be talking about here at HME News is Medicare Advantage. Now, Mom has been talking up a storm about...

Lest you think a reporter’s work life is all glamour and press junkets, think again. It’s often a dull retread through accumulated information to provide context and updates while we wait for the next big story.  Take that old staple we here at HME News refer to as the legislative update. Every month (every week, if she could get it), Editor Liz Beaulieu pesters me for a legislative update, even when it feels like there’s nothing new to report.  I, in turn, pester...

Man, what a long year it’s been. I was reminded of just how long while reading a few news articles in the days right before Christmas warning that Texas was no better prepared for treacherous winter weather now than it was a year ago when a devastating ice storm, which brought snow, ice and single-digit temperatures to a state ill equipped for such conditions, knocked power plants offline and citizens froze to death while Ted Cruz slithered over the border to...

It was good to be back at Medtrade’s home base, the Georgia World Congress Center, and exciting (and a tad overwhelming at times) to connect in person. In deference to the Delta variant, fist bumps abounded. Masks, not so much, despite a requirement to wear them on the show floor and at sessions. I guess we’re all just doing our best The more things stay the same, the more they change In speaking with people on the floor, there was a mix of “old school” providers,...

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...