SAN DIEGO--On Thursday, SeQual Technologies announced the appointment of Ron Richard to the position of CEO effective July 1. He replaces Jim Bixby, who will continue as a member of the company's board of directors.
Richard has been involved with HME for more than 30 years, holding positions in the areas of sales, marketing, product development and clinical research. Prior to joining SeQual in 2007 as senior vice president of sales and marketing, he was senior vice president of strategic marketing for Poway, Calif.-based ResMed.
Richard is an author on multiple topics in health care, and is also an active supporter of advocacy groups for patients with chronic conditions such as COPD, sleep apnea and degenerative neuromuscular disease. He has been active in several associations, such as NAMDRC, ACCP, AARC and ASAA, helping with standards, health care finance issues, reimbursement and strategic planning.
Richard's background as a respiratory therapist and EMT has enabled him to bring a clinical perspective to the development and marketing of products for the respiratory and sleep market, and he holds patents for products related to expiratory pressure support and for minimizing hypoventilation in patients using NPPV.
He also developed one of the first home care ventilator support programs to aid the discharge of patients into the home care setting.
“I joined SeQual Technologies because it was apparent that the team here shares my passion for providing solutions that improve patient quality of life and health care providers’ standard of care. I intend to ensure that we maintain that patient-oriented focus through clinical and technological superiority,” Richard said in a statement. “I’m delighted to lead this talented team who, together with our customers, are transforming the medical device marketplace.”
“We welcome Ron to the helm. He has a great vision for SeQual’s path forward as an organization that supports providers, clinicians and patients,” said Vernon Pertelle, board director for SeQual. “He possesses the passion, excitement and knowledge of the marketplace to take the company to the next level as the oxygen delivery market leader.”
Richard was a receipient of HomeCare's HomeCaring Award in 2004. “He has always demonstrated his care and concern for respiratory patients in the corporate world,” stated an award nomination letter. “It can be accurately said that Ron is the patient's advocate before he is anything else.”
Founded in 1991, SeQual offers a family of oxygen products including its flagship Eclipse Personal Oxygen System.