HME News in 10

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Brightree. 

Operational metrics like touch rates, completion rates and staff efficiency remain important in resupply, but are they the right measures of success? 

In this episode, Sanam Mehta, director of product management for SNAP Resupply at Brightree, discusses why providers should focus less on activity and more on outcomes—specifically, helping patients stay on therapy.

From creating seamless patient experiences to using AI to identify when intervention is needed, Mehta shares her vision for a resupply model centered on therapy management rather than transaction management. 

"Ultimately, resupply isn't about replenishing supplies," she says. "It's about protecting therapy." 

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu
Tracy Orzel

Guest: 
Sanam Mehta

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Parachute Health.

In this episode, Rob Boeye, executive vice president of HME for Parachute Health, breaks down how embracing technology in the ordering process can help you capture and win business with not only clinicians, but also payers and health systems.
 
Boeye emphasizes that in the current environment of shifting referral source, payer and health system expectations, providers that are winning look at digital ordering as part of what he calls their “relationship infrastructure.” 

“The ERPs made chaos manageable, and I think what digital ordering is doing is making growth possible,” he said.  

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu 
Theresa Flaherty
 
Guest: 
Rob Boeye

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Rhythm Healthcare. 

In this episode, Mitch Yoel, chief operating officer at Rhythm Healthcare, shares what it really takes for durable medical equipment (DME) providers to rise to the top of a hospital’s referral list. 

His starting point is simple but critical: 

Does your messaging sound transactional, or does it sound clinical and compelling? 

“I believe the future winners – especially in oxygen therapy – won’t just be equipment distributors,” he said. “They’ll be clinically fluent partners, helping hospitals improve outcomes after discharge.” 

Yoel breaks down what it takes to become that partner, from leveraging evidence-based decisions to eliminating disconnects around equipment selection. 

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu 
Theresa Flaherty
 
Guest: 
Mitch Yoel 

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Tactical Back Office.

 

Today’s guest is Lauren Barranti, payor relations with Tactical Back Office.

Long-term price compression, closed payer networks and third-party administrator models create burdens for smaller HME providers, who may not have the resources to juggle everything from credentialing and contracting to managed care strategy in a competitive market, Barranti says. That can be costly.

“Payers and customers will get mixed signals,” she said. “It will be obvious that things are not organized and flow will be affected. Ultimately, what happens is trust erodes. And that's probably the worst thing that can happen.”

What's the path forward for these providers? Ensuring that back-office people, processes and technology are intentionally integrated, Barranti says.

Hosts:  
Liz Beaulieu
Theresa Flaherty  

Guest: 
Lauren Barranti

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Prochant.  
 
Today’s guest is Ronda Buhrmester, vice president of client experience, for Prochant. 

As a 30-year veteran of the HME industry, she knows intake has always been a headache, but today it’s a full-blown pressure point that’s on a collision course with surging referrals, increasingly complex payer rules and ongoing staffing shortages.
 
In this episode, Buhrmester breaks down what’s really driving denials and delays, and more importantly, what providers can do about it.  

Her top takeaway? The providers who win are the ones who get proactive, dig deep and fix intake at the root. 

Hosts:  
Liz Beaulieu
Theresa Flaherty  

Guest: 
Ronda Buhrmester 

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Brightree. 

Today’s guest is Justin Lewis, senior director of Brightree’s ReSupply LiveCall Service. He offers a reality check on AI and how to use it in a way that actually improves patient experience. 

“We put a lot of thought into how a call should actually feel from the patient’s perspective – where it should start, how we should ask questions, what decisions need to happen in the background, and what a smooth handoff looks like when a human is needed,” he said. 

When providers move past common misconceptions about AI, Lewis says they can use it to: 

• Handle routine requests, like order status, more efficiently 
• Free up agents to focus on complex conversations 
• Better manage call volume spikes 
• Extend service capabilities 

Ultimately, Lewis says AI is at its best when it delivers real, measurable value – not hype.

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu 
Theresa Flaherty 

Guest: 
Justin Lewis

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by DDP Medical Supply. 

Today’s guest, Brian O’Neill, president of DDP Medical Supply, says providers of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are at a fork in the road. 

With the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adding CGMs to the next round of the Medicare competitive bidding program, providers must choose: 

• Step away before bidding begins; or 
• Scale up to compete for one of the limited contracts 

O’Neill shares why DDP is focused on partnering with those aiming to win – and how its expanded distribution network and other upcoming initiatives are designed to help providers deliver nationwide efficiently and economically. 

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu 
Theresa Flaherty 

Guest: 
Brian O’Neill 

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Rhythm Healthcare.

Today’s guest, Mitch Yoel, COO of Rhythm Healthcare, pulls back the curtain on what he calls the “hidden economy” of portable oxygen concentrators (POCs). Beyond the purchase price, providers often absorb the cost-of-service calls, tech labor, RMAs, loaners and downtime – expenses that can crush margins.

Yoel’s advice:

1. Measure service costs like you measure reimbursement
2. Partner with manufacturers who share downstream risk
3. Implement SLAs with exchange-for-new warranty programs

“I think providers who reframe oxygen as an uptime program – not just a product purchase – are going to own disproportionate referral share,” Yoel says. “They’ll enjoy better financials and deliver better outcomes for patients.”

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu 
Theresa Flaherty 
 
Guest: Mitch Yoel

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Strategic Office Support (SOS). 

Today’s guest is Steve Cela, CEO of SOS. He joins HME News in 10 to expose the invisible workflow leaks quietly draining revenue from even the best HME providers. His message is clear: It’s not staffing or reimbursement holding you back - it’s the leaks you can’t see.

In this episode, Cela encourages providers to embrace:

•  Visibility;
•  Automation; and
• Operational discipline.

As Cela puts it, “Change is a heavy lift, but the market is moving fast. The next five years will separate the winners from the watchers.”

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu 
Theresa Flaherty 
 
Guest: Steve Cela

Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Direct Supply.  

In this episode of HME News in 10, Nick Bush, vice president of sales, Smart Products & Special Markets, at Direct Supply, explores how the growing trend of consumerism in health care is strengthening—not weakening—the role of HME providers. 

“I think a big portion of it goes to the service side of it,” he says. “Medical equipment is really a local game (because) there is so much emotion tied to health care product decisions. It’s a decision people want to make where they trust who they’re deciding to work with. Price becomes less relevant in those situations.”

Bush also shares insights on: 

• How distributors and providers can collaborate to leverage their unique strengths 
• Why speed has become the new currency in HME 
• What it means to approach the future with “eyes wide open” and a readiness to embrace new care models 

Hosts: 
Liz Beaulieu 
Theresa Flaherty 
 
Guest: 
Nick Bush