Medtrade Expands Focus on Government Relations, Advocacy and Education

ARLINGTON, Va.—The Medtrade shows, starting with the
Atlanta show on Oct. 12-15, will be intensifying their focus on
advocacy and government affairs and on continuing education and
training for professionals in the home medical equipment sector.
Over time, the shows will also work to draw more health care
professionals and consumers of HME into Medtrade programs. This
will help in the effort to get more of the home care community
involved in lobbying programs, the American Association for
Homecare announced this morning.

Medtrade shows are produced by Nielsen Business Media and are
endorsed and promoted by AAHomecare.
 
The increased emphasis on advocacy, education and end-user
involvement is supported by Nielsen, AAHomecare and by key
exhibitors including Invacare Corp., Pride Mobility Products Corp.
and Quantum Rehab, the association said in a statement.
 
“With changes and challenges coming from all directions, HME
companies should take advantage of Medtrade as a place to
strengthen their businesses and also fight for home care,”
said Tyler J. Wilson, AAHomecare president. “Medtrade
offers top-notch education and great networking opportunities. But
Medtrade is also a place to focus on government relations, Medicare
issues and strategizing about how home care companies can be better
advocates.”
 
“Expanded attention to advocacy, education and clinical
issues is important because the HME sector plays a key role in
controlling health care costs, and it should be part of the health
care reform equation,” said Kevin Gaffney, Medtrade show
director. “We are pleased that Medtrade will serve in a
greater role in the efforts to strengthen HME policy in Washington.
Medtrade will help the HME sector speak with a strong, united voice
about the value of home care.”
 
“As the government focuses on health care reform, it is more
important than ever for our industry to deliver the message that
home care is the only trifecta of health care. Home care is
patient-preferred … everyone dreams about going home; it has
better clinical outcomes; and it is more cost-effective than
institutionalized care,” said Carl Will, senior vice
president, Invacare HomeCare.
  
Invacare has just announced that it will be exhibiting in Atlanta
in October and that it was drawn back to Medtrade by the
opportunity to help spur the show’s redirection toward issue
advocacy, education and greater end-user participation.

“The HME industry needs to come together with one voice,
and Medtrade represents the ideal opportunity to do that,”
Will said. “Invacare is returning to Medtrade because we
believe that the show can be more than just demonstrating new
products. Medtrade should represent the best that home care has to
offer for everyone to see—providers, patients, home care
professionals and government officials.”

“Pride and Quantum Rehab have remained strongly dedicated
to Medtrade because of the unique opportunities it presents to our
providers and clinicians,” said Kirsten DeLay, senior vice
president of sales management and operation planning, Pride
Mobility and Quantum Rehab.

“The show allows us to educate providers and clinicians in
a very cost- and time-efficient manner,” DeLay
continued. “The relationship Nielsen has developed with
AAHomecare signifies the positive direction that Medtrade is taking
in regard to the education component of the show and clearly
demonstrates their understanding of the role education plays in the
industry. We continue to support and applaud the efforts of Nielsen
and AAHomecare to expand the scope of the Medtrade show, as it
remains the premier industry venue for manufacturers, providers and
clinicians.”

HME providers will benefit from the renewed focus on education
and the increased emphasis on advocacy and consumer issues, the
statement noted.

“These enhancements give HME providers more good reasons
to come to Medtrade,” said A.J. Filippis, president and CEO
of Wright and Filippis and chairman of AAHomecare. “The
changes proposed for Medtrade 2009 and beyond will be good for
everyone who participates in Medtrade and good for an industry that
needs to speak with one voice.”
 
Under terms of a recently renewed agreement between Nielsen and
AAHomecare, Nielsen will provide increased financial support to
AAHomecare, enabling the association to enhance its lobbying and
other government relations efforts in Washington. In return,
AAHomecare will step up its involvement in both the Medtrade and
Medtrade Spring shows in the areas of education programming,
exhibitor participation and issue advocacy.
 
Medtrade and Medtrade Spring offer comprehensive educational
conferences and expositions that showcase more new products for the
home medical industry than any other event in North America.
Medtrade 2009 will take place Oct. 12-15 at the Georgia World
Congress Center in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.medtrade.com.