Concerns over cuts and bid limits exist for rural providers.

Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 14, 2018)—The recently released FY 2019 budget proposal from the White House includes several items related to DME. AAHomecare has especially strong concerns about the first item noted below and plans to talk to the Administration for clarification.

Provisions found in the budget proposal and an HHS summary document include:

LARGO, Fla. (February 12, 2018)—Quality Medical announced today the successful completion of the pre-audit assessment for attaining the prestigious quality registration, ISO 9001:2015.

With full certification expected by Q2, 2018, this is the first official step of the stringent ISO-9001: 2015 process.

The company committed itself to ISO compliance in 2017 to ensure its business processes deliver the very consistent quality experience customers expect and deserve.

Research in noninvasive ventilation for COPD treatment.

NEW YORK (February 12, 2018)—Jeremy Orr, MD, of University of California, San Diego, has been awarded the new ATS Foundation/ResMed Research Fellowship in Noninvasive Ventilation (NIV) in COPD.

ResMed is a provider of NIV devices for treating COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in the home and hospital.

Dr. Orr’s $100,000 award will support his research focused on the impact of noninvasive ventilation on cardiovascular biomarkers in COPD.

Jeremy Bloom grants ski wish for 88-year-old.

NASHVILLE (February 8, 2018)—World Champion and Olympic Freestyle skier Jeremy Bloom is used to skiing with some of the world's best skiers, but his most recent skiing partner was equally inspiring. He recently met up with an 88-year-old Brookdale resident who dreamed of skiing one last time. As founder of Wish of a Lifetime, Jeremy spends much of his post-Olympic days granting wishes to deserving seniors like Eleanor "Ellie" Ross.

BOSTON (February 8, 2018)—SoClean, the CPAP sanitizing device company based in Oxford, Massachusetts, is adding a new corporate office in Peterborough, NH. Initially, the new Peterborough location will serve as a call center and home base for top marketing and sales executives as they renovate the current space to eventually house additional business functions.

WATERLOO, Iowa (February 7, 2018)—VGM Retail Services has released the dates and locations for its retail training series.

Ten workshops are scheduled throughout the year, beginning in Ann Arbor, Mich., on March 20 and concluding October 9 in Peoria, Ill. The one-day training sessions will teach health care providers how to build a robust retail program.   

AAHomecare and the American Thoracic Society will brief staff on issues affecting patients.

Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 7, 2018)—Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has scheduled a congressional staff briefing to discuss AAHomecare’s study on the effects of the bidding program on HME patients, discharge planners and suppliers, as well as a study published by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) highlighting access problems for oxygen patients.