Author
HomeCare Staff
HomeCare staff Meg Herndon and Hannah Wolfson were joined by writers Kristin Easterling and Gail Short to tell these stories. Tamara Davie’s photo on page 32 was taken by Ursula Hope Photography.
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HME Products
Women’s Health
Camp Healthcare/Bra Naturalwear Bra Call 800/492-1088. Web site: www.camphealthcare.com. Circle 451 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Therafirm/Support Trouser Socks Ladies Trouser Socks Call 800/562-2701. Web site: www.therafirm.com. Circle 456 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Airway/Breast Form TriNature Light with Flex Gap Call 800/888-0458. Web site: www.airwaymast.com. Circle 454 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Salk/Women’s Incontinence Panties HealthDri Call 800/343-4497. Web site: www.healthdri.com. Circle 457 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Capital Marketing Technologies/Breast Form Nearly Me Soft Touch Lite Call 800/887-3370. Web site: www.cm-tech.com. Circle 459 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Camp Healthcare/Breast Form Harmony Call 800/492-1088. Web site: www.camphealthcare.com. Circle 452 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Ladies First/Slip, Camisole Mastectomy Slip and Support Cami Call 800/497-8285. Web site: www.wvi.com/~ladies1.... -
Operations
Pick Your Prophet
Ask a question of three home care providers and you will receive three different responses. At a least, that was the case when HomeCare queried Jim Binson, chief executive officer of Binson’s Home Health Care in Center Line Mich.; Todd Christopher, chairman and chief executive officer of Home Care Supply in Beaumont, Texas; and Joel Mills, president of Advanced Home Care in High Point, N.C., about their 2003 forecasts for the industry. HomeCare: How would you characterize the upcoming year for the HME industry? Jim Binson: Challenging and rough. A shaky economy, reduced reimbursement from state and federal programs, HIPAA, compliance [issues], lack of manufacturer support, competitive bidding, specialty providers, Wal-Mart and Walgreens entering our industry — all of these are equally challenging. Todd Christopher:... -
Providers
Provider NewsWire
Noteworthy PSAI Chief Needs Pay Cut, Shareholder Group Says: Pediatric Services of America’s chief executive officer, Joseph Sansone, must take a salary cut to keep his job, according to a group of shareholders led by David Nierenberg, a shareholder who holds a large interest in the Norcross, Ga.-based company. In a letter to PSAI Chairman Edward Wissing, the shareholder group — which has a 14 percent stake in the company — said that CEO compensation must be driven only by corporate performance and the creation of shareholder value. The PSAI board of directors recently approved a $200,000 2002 cash bonus for Sansone, which the group is asking be eliminated in 2003, along with an $80,000 automobile allowance. In response, PSAI said compensation for Sansone “is... -
Providers
Manufacturer NewsWire
Financials Respironics Announces Second Quarter Financials: Respironics, based in Murrysville, Pa., reported a net income of $13.8 million, or 40 cents per diluted share, for the second quarter ended Dec. 31, 2002. This represents a 38 percent increase, compared to a net income of $10.0 million, or 32 cents per diluted share, for the same quarter the previous fiscal year. Revenue for the quarter rose 29 percent, to $151.9 million, compared to $117.4 million for the same quarter the previous fiscal year. Invacare Reports 2002 Earnings: For the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2002, Elyria, Ohio-based Invacare reported a net income of $17.6 million, or 56 cents per diluted share, compared to a net income of $11.8 million, or 37 cents per diluted share, for... -
HME Products
New Products
Sankyo Pharma/Cygnus/Blood Glucose Monitor The GlucoWatch G2 Biographer Call 866/459-2824. Web site: www.glucowatch.com Circle 499 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Altimate Medical/Bariatrics Stander The EasyStand 5000 XL Call 800/342-8968. Web site: www.alimatemedical.com Circle 497 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Mentor/Male External Catheter The Clear Advantage with Aloe and Kink-Resistant Nozzle Call 805/879-6256. Web site: www.mentorcorp.com Circle 498 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Waldmann Lighting/Task Light The Roma Call 800/634-0007. Web site: www.waldmannlighting.com Circle 492 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Quantum Rehab/Seating Cushion The Synergy Solution Call 800/800-8586. Web site: www.quantumrehab.com Circle 487 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. FLA Orthopedics/Hernia Support The SoftForm Hernia Brief Call 800/327-4110. Web site: www.flaorthopedics.com Circle 494 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Becton Dickinson/Blood Glucose... -
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Operations
The Home Care Evolution
When one looks over the past 25 years in the home care industry, moderation isn’t exactly a word that springs to mind. Extreme is probably a better word choice, because, excluding our current decade, the home care industry has been all about extremes. Take the extreme autonomy the industry enjoyed during the 1970s, for example. There was little government oversight, and profits, revenues and reimbursements for home care were large. Providers were left alone, for the most part, to run their own businesses the way they wanted. Spilling over into the ’80s, this autonomy began to shift toward another extreme — government oversight — which came to a head in 1997, when Congress passed the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and cut reimbursements significantly. And... -
Legislation & Regulation
National NewsWire
Noteworthy CMS to Conduct Smoking-Cessation Pilot: The Baltimore-based Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will conduct a pilot program in seven states — Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wyoming — to test smoking cessation-strategies for older smokers. Although Medicare normally does not cover smoking-cessation therapy, it will cover the therapy for those enrolled in the study. Only people 65 and older who are enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare Part B are eligible to participate. For more information, call (866) 652-3446. JCAHO Panel Requests Comments on Asthma-Care Standards: The Disease-Specific Care Asthma Expert Panel, fielded by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, is requesting review and public comment on its initial set of candidate-standardized measures that address key aspects of asthma care.... -
HME Products
Bariatrics
Evermed/Bariatric Manual Wheelchair The CXD00 Super Ram Call 888/615-8989. Web site: www.evermed.com. Circle 434 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Essential Medical Supply/Bariatric Walker The Endurance Heavy Duty Walker Call 800/826-8423. Circle 433 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Sunrise Medical/Patient Lift The Hoyer HPL600 Heavy-Duty Power Lifter Call 888/353-2572. Web site: www.sunrisemedical.com. Circle 432 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Merits Health Products/Bariatric Power Wheechair The MP3HD Big Boy Call 800/963-7487. Web site: www.meritshealth.com. Circle 431 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. ConvaQuip/Bariatric Bed The 5500 Series Semi-Electric Bariatric Beds Call 800/637-8436; fax: 915/677-7217; Web site: www.convaquip.com. Circle 429 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Gendron/Bariatric Tilt-in-Space Power Wheelchair The Regency XLC Call 800/537-2521. Web site: www.gendroninc.com. Circle 430 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company...