LAS VEGAS (September 20, 2017)—VGM Group’s Ryan Ball received the Sam E. Hamontree Business Education Award during the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association’s (AOPA) World Congress.

The award, voted on by attendees, recognizes the best business education paper, idea and/or proposal presented at the annual education event for O&P professionals. Ball presented to a large audience who chose his presentation as the best among the finalists.      

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 20, 2017)—Today, the CMS Innovation Center (Innovation Center) issued an informal Request for Information (RFI) seeking feedback on a new direction to promote patient-centered care and test market-driven reforms that empower beneficiaries as consumers, provide price transparency, increase choices and competition to drive quality, reduce costs, and improve outcomes.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (September 20, 2017)—Based on its recent analysis of the home ventilation market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Philips with the 2017 North American Home Ventilation Product Leadership Award for its Trilogy series of homecare ventilators. Trilogy ventilators are cost-effective, invasive and non-invasive, with multi-mode capabilities providing easy-to-view and share data for near-real-time patient care.

CINCINNATI (September 20, 2017)—The franchise industry publication, 1851 Franchise, recognized FirstLight Home Care, a national provider of non-medical homecare, with a Franchise Development Website Award.

Industry experts evaluated more than 200 franchise brand websites. Seventy-five were recognized as best-in-class, with FirstLight being ranked at number 48.

—Via AAHomecare, Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2017)—Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-Wash) released a Congressional sign-on letter to Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), asking him to clear an HME-related Interim Final Rule (IFR) currently under review at OMB.

EXETER, Penn. (September 18, 2017)—Pride Mobility will introduce its VivaLIFT! brand of power lift recliners in booth 1911 at Medtrade Fall 2017 in Atlanta, October 23–25.

VivaLIFT! is a new lifestyle collection of power lift recliners featuring a variety of innovative features and fashion-forward designs for broader consumer appeal, along with industry-leading provider pricing to support their retail business.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (September 18, 2017)—3B Medical, Inc. is pleased to announce the hiring of two industry veterans to lead 3B Medical’s sales and marketing team. Brett Townsend has been hired as 3B Medical’s vice president of sales and marketing. Jose Llana, M.D. has also joined 3B as its new national sales director.

—Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 18, 2017)—AAHomecare continues to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to find immediate solutions for HME providers serving patients in areas affected by Hurricane Irma. In a conversation with CMS today, the agency offered further resources and contact information for providers facing challenges caring for patients.


Oldest Residents’ Safety More Vulnerable During Disasters
A look at the issues at play in keeping the oldest safe in the line of disaster. (Matt Sedensky/Associated Press)

CHICAGO (September 14, 2017)—Navicure and ZirMed have signed a definitive agreement to join forces to provide hospitals, health systems and ambulatory services organizations including physician practices with a comprehensive suite of analytics-driven solutions proven to help improve financial performance.