VGM Taps Prial for Government Relations

Mar 1, 2001 12:00 PM, Marie Blakey, J. P. Pieratt

Waterloo, Iowa

Shelly Prial, founder and former president of Melbourne, Fla.-based Homecare Providers Co-op, has been appointed director of government relations for group purchasing organization Van G. Miller & Associates. VGM acquired HPC in 1998.

“When I first sold HCP, I had a one-year contract,” Prial said. “Now, three years later, I am still working. I have been planning on stopping — I am 74 years old now — but they asked me to let daily operations go and … are springing me out to travel the country.” Prial will continue to publish The Weekly Messenger newsletter.

“My mandate is to, number one, get all dealers to support local associations, [the American Association for Homecare] and a buying group, and to, number two, get all dealers involved so that we can work on issues like IR [inherent reasonableness], PPS [the prospective payment system] — the alphabet soup.

“Where I feel I can be of value,” Prial added, “is bringing people and different organizations together. That's where I can make a difference. If we can get some more unison, then that should help us get what we need in Washington.”