Medtrade 2015 Award Winners

ATLANTA (October 30, 2015)—Medtrade officials handed out the hardware at the recently concluded Medtrade 2015.

• The Providers Choice Gold Award, sponsored by HomeCare Magazine, went to Urifunnel (www.urifunnel.com), a company founded by parents of a special needs son. The product is designed as a cost effective option to enhance bathroom sanitation and safety.
• The Providers Choice Silver Award, sponsored by HomeCare Magazine, went to EZ-Sit (www.ez-sit.com), an apparatus that attaches “arms” to an armless chair—helping people to stand independently.
• The Providers Choice Bronze Award, sponsored by HomeCare Magazine, went to College Canes (www.collegecanes.com), a line of American-made collegiate licensed walking canes. 

Caretailing at Medtrade: Three Products Win Innovative HME Retail Product Awards
Judges and Medtrade attendees cast their votes for the top three products in the biannual Innovative HME Retail Product Awards (sponsored by HomeCare Magazine), with Pride Mobility taking first place for its Go Go Folding Scooter.

Manufacturer representatives from all eight finalists made presentations in what proved to be a tight race for the top three awards. “The caliber of the entrants has gotten better every year,” said Jim Greatorex, Business Development, VGM Retail Services. “The manufacturers are realizing they need more than just a product. They must also have a marketing package to help sell it to consumers.”

The top three winners are:
#1 Go Go Folding Scooter from Pride Mobility with 181 points
#2 Recovery Patches from KT Tape with 158 points
#3 DayDreamer Lift Chair from Golden Technologies with 126 points

The eight finalists (listed in alphabetical order) were:
1) Back Joy Care Bath Seat (bath safety product)
2) Drive Hurry Cane (walking cane)
3) Golden Technologies DayDreamer (lift chair)
4) ING Calf Sleeve and Wrist Sleeve (compression/orthopedic support)
5) KT Tape Recovery Patches (elastic tape for pain relief)
6) MMJ Labs Buzzy Vibracool (massaging ice therapy)
7) Pik Stiks TelescoPik (reacher/activity of daily living product)
8) Pride Go Go Folding Scooter (rehab/mobility)

“The Innovative HME Retail Product Awards remain relevant in today’s HME world, and we developed a new word—caretailing—to properly describe the growing retail phenomenon,” added Gaffney. “Caretailing is defined as the act of providing customer service and expertise to consumers willing to pay cash for health-related products that improve their lives, and are beyond the usual scope of Medicare and other third-party payers.”

The top eight products were presented in a conference session, The Best New Retail/Cash Opportunities on Tuesday, October 27 at 8:30 a.m., in Auditorium C102. After officials from all eight finalists made their presentations, session attendees and judges voted to determine the top three winners.

Best Booth/Creative Concept Awards

• The prestigious Best Booth Award went to Mediware Information Systems (www.mediware.com).
• The Creative Concept Award went to McKesson Medical-Surgical (www.mckesson.com)

Visit medtrade.com for more information.

—Greg Thompson