HME News in 10

John Quinlan, the owner of Quinlan’s Pharmacy & Medical Equipment, says being the “squeaky wheel” helped him get his staff in line for the COVID-19 vaccine, soon after it became available in late December. Quinlan says providers and industry stakeholders have done a great job vocalizing their needs during the pandemic – for the vaccine, for PPE, for oxygen concentrators. Hear how this has been a chaotic time for providers like Quinlan but how they’re doing their part – and then some.

Hosts:
Liz Beaulieu
Theresa Flaherty

Guest:
John Quinlan

This episode is sponsored by:

 

Bill Mixon, the CEO of National Seating & Mobility, talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the company to review every element of how it operates, including how it services patients amid closures and limitations on face-to-face interactions. Hear how NSM has used “smart alternate solutions” for 25% of new clients during the pandemic and why Mixon believes remote services and telehealth should be part of the new gold standard for health care beyond the pandemic. “We think it can actually create a better level of services, if properly deployed,” he said.

Hosts:
Liz Beaulieu
Theresa Flaherty

Guest:
Bill Mixon, CEO, National Seating & Mobility

This episode is sponsored by:

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sarah Hanna, CEO of ECS North, gave her staff a pep talk about the important role they play in supporting front-line health care workers in caring for those affected by the virus. “We are the motor that keeps this thing going,” she told them. Hear Hanna on how the pandemic has challenged, yet advanced, revenue cycle and payment processes; and how it has taught her, as a leader, that you’re never too experienced to “get back into” the day to day. “You’re never too old to do the processes that you did 30 years ago,” she says. “Just because you have the title of CEO – that means nothing when it’s all hands on deck.”

Hosts:
Liz Beaulieu
Theresa Flaherty

Guest:
Sarah Hanna, CEO, ECS North

Vijay Kedar of Tomorrow Health talks about how the HME industry has more potential than ever, despite increasing complexity and cost pressures. Everything from an aging population to the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the home care industry, including HME and supplies, “within focus” for so many stakeholders, he says. “We think this is going to be a power period for this industry to grow and expand and deliver.”

Hosts:
Liz Beaulieu
Theresa Flaherty

Guest:
Vijay Kedar, c o-founder and CEO, Tomorrow Health

This episode is sponsored by:

Bill Guidetti, the new chairman of the board of directors at AAHomecare, rallies HME providers behind the association and its efforts to right industry challenges like Medicare’s competitive bidding program. Hear why lack of “time and treasure” is no excuse not to be involved in the industry’s advocacy efforts, and how the association balances addressing the needs of providers of all sizes. “We look (at the industry) holistically as a sector of health care,” Guidetti says. “The way we advocate, we make sure every provider is taken care of.”

Hosts:
Liz Beaulieu
Theresa Flaherty

Guest:
Bill Guidetti, executive vice president, East Division, Apria Healthcare

With PPE scarce, health care workers, including HME providers, are scrambling to find ways to safely reuse supplies, particularly masks. They’ve tried using hydrogen peroxide to sanitize them. Then hair dryers. Then an article in the New York Times touted the efficacy of UV light. Angela Giudice, the director of clinical education for 3B Medical, shares how its Lumin CPAP cleaning device found a new purpose during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hosts:

Liz Beaulieu

Theresa Flaherty

Guest:

Angela Giudice, RPSGT

Respiratory therapist Patricia DeMaida, the sales and clinical manager for Health Complex Medical, gives us a look into what it has been like for an HME company in Fairfield County, Conn., a suburb of New York City, where the coronavirus pandemic has taken hold. Hospitals are overloaded and having a hard time, she says, and HME providers are there to help

Hosts:

Liz Beaulieu

Theresa Flaherty

Guest:

Patricia DeMaida

Managing Editor Theresa Flaherty was at Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas the week of March 2, representing HME News at the industry’s second largest trade show. We Skyped her on the show floor to get the scoop on what attendees were talking about and what they were excited about.

Hosts

Liz Beaulieu

Theresa Flaherty

Mike Moran was an editor at HME News for about 14 years, from 1997 to 2011, when he left to work for a media company covering the health care technology industry. Liz, Theresa and Mike reminisce about the HME industry, and Mike offers his predictions on future trends in health care.

Hosts

Liz Beaulieu

Theresa Flaherty