ROSEVILLE, Calif. (July 11, 2017)—Always Best Care Senior Services, a senior care franchise system in the United States, announced the winners of its annual Caregiver of the Year Awards. Always Best Care awarded nine of its caregivers at its Bi-Annual Franchise Conference in Miami last month. Since launching the annual program in 2013, Always Best Care has recognized its caregivers who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to the care of their clients and their families.

TUCSON, Ariz. (July 10, 2017)—COPD hospitalizations are at an all-time high. The 30-day readmission rate for patients ranges from 20 to 39 percent, with related health care costs at an estimated $50 billion. A recently published study, funded by Royal Philips, revealed that although positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy was associated with a reduction in hospitalization, more than 92 percent of patients studied were not receiving it in any form.

NEW YORK (July 10, 2017)—United Spinal Association announced the appointment of Lisa Wells, vice president of marketing at Cure Medical from Las Vegas, Nevada, as a member of its Board of Directors.

“After serving people with disabilities for nearly a decade, this is a wonderful opportunity to further the support, programs and resources available to people who use wheelchairs nationwide,” said Wells.

California Joins States That Protect Patients Against Nasty Surprise Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7, 2017)—TRICARE is issuing its first official acknowledgements that they will reprocess claims from July 1 through December 31, 2016 to reflect adjustments to the fee schedule mandated by last December’s CURES bill.

-Via AAHomcare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 6, 2017)—AAHomecare members are taking advantage of the Retail Work Group to learn new and innovative ways to infuse cash sales into their mix and diversify beyond an insurance-based model.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 6, 2017)—Named the second best out of 109 midsize companies, Pediatric Home Service (PHS) has been recognized for the seventh year in a row in the Star Tribune’s annual ranking of the Top 150 Workplaces in Minnesota. This year, PHS also received a special award for having the best managers.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (July 6, 2017)—The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) is pleased to announce Harry “J.R.” Brandt, BOCO, CO, LO as the inaugural recipient of the Jim Newberry Award for Extraordinary Service. In making the announcement, BOC Board Chair L. Bradley “Brad” Watson, BOCO, BOCP, LPO commented that Brandt is a highly respected practitioner and orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) advocate, and has played a significant role in BOC’s growth and success.

ATLANTA (July 5, 2017)—Brightree LLC, a provider of cloud-based software to improve business and clinical performance of post-acute care organizations, announced today that it has acquired AllCall Connect, a provider of a live-calling solution for CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) patient resupply.