AUSTIN, Texas—Responding to the growing demand for high-quality hospice care in Central Texas, VITAS Healthcare has expanded its reach in the Austin area by opening a new administrative office in Pflugerville. With the addition of this North Austin location, VITAS now serves the entire metro area and surrounding counties, bringing more access to compassionate, expert end-of-life care for patients and their families.
ANAHEIM, California—Walker Rheem has been named executive vice president and general manager of MK Battery. Formerly MK’s vice president of business development, energy storage and stationary power, Walker brings nearly 25 years of senior leadership experience in the battery industry to his new position.
ITHACA, New York—The School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR School) and Weill Cornell Medicine School of Cornell University have received a $300,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to administer a worker-focused survey of home health aides. It will allow for a comparison of homecare work in different institutional contexts, including the prevalence of labor unions in the north and limited collective representation in the south.
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas—WellSky, a global health and community care technology and services company, announced that WellSky Enterprise Referral Manager has been named “Best Home Health Care Solution” in the ninth annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards program. The program will be conducted by MedTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global digital health and medical technology market.
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia & WASHINGTON—Ahead of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s markup of proposed legislation impacting changes to the Medicaid program, aging and in-home care advocates urged Congress to protect Medicaid and preserve access to care.
WATERLOO, Iowa—VGM & Associates has announced the release of its new operations playbook, “VGM Playbook: Cost Management Trends, Strategies, and Solutions." The playbook is designed to help VGM members optimize health care operations and manage costs effectively.
UNITED KINGDOM—Portable oxygen concentrator (POC) maker Belluscura announced that it has begun a strategic review with the goal of generating new capital.
The company said that the U.S. import tariff on its portable oxygen containers remains at zero, pending any new changes. The company said this tariff number continues to support Belluscura's cost structure and reinforces its ability to offer competitively priced products.
In the United States, the market for durable medical equipment (DME)—including oxygen concentrators, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines and peritoneal kidney dialysis machines—has a projected market increase from $43.3 billion in 2022 to $64.8 billion in 2027. However, a study found that those who rely on this equipment tend to be energy insecure, as operating this equipment can add significantly to household energy bills.
WASHINGTON & NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana—The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) announced that Nathaniel Lacktman is the company's new chair of the Board of Directors.
DENVER, Colorado—Modivcare Inc., a health care services company that provides supportive care solutions to address social determinants of health, announced the planned departures of two members of its executive leadership team as the company continues to align its structure with its evolving business model and modernization strategy.
