Page 12 - HME Business, September 2017

News / Trends / Analysis
Philips Cuts Ribbon on Pittsburgh ‘Innovation Center’
New office location expands company’s commitment to Western Pennsylvania and to collaborating with universities and other healthcare innovators.
WEBINARS
More industry intelligence is available at hme-business.com.
Free Live Event — On Tues., Sept. 26 at p.m. Eastern / 1 p.m. Central / 11 a.m. Pacific, HME Business will sponsor the “HME Collections
Boot Camp.” This live webcast will be free to all attendees thanks to the generous sponsorship of Brightree LLC. Presenter Lisa Ziehl will discuss how HME providers are leaving money on the table and the ways they can increase the efficiency and accuracy of their billing processes. Ziehl has been in the HME industry since 2004, and as a Strategic Account Executive with Brightree, she works tire- lessly to help providers maximize their efficiency.
Free On-Demand Webinars — Wound care can put HME providers in the fast lane to increased profitability, but which is the right on-ramp for your business? Now available for free at hme-business. com/webinars, you can watch and listen to “Wound Care: Picking the Right Path,” which is available thanks to sponsor McKesson Corp. Presenter Heather Trumm, BSN, RN, CWON, the director
of wound care for VGM Group Inc., explains the market basics, the various wound care categories, and the payment opportunities for HME providers.
Trumm was later joined by her colleague Maria Markusen, director of Operations & Development for VGM Retail, followed up that presentation with “Wound Care’s One-Two Punch,” which discussed how providers can take their wound care busi- nesses to the next level. Both of these important webinar were made FREE thanks to sponsor McKesson Corp., and are available at hme-busi- ness.com/webinars.
Register for all HME Business webinar at hme-business.com/webinars.
One hundred Philips employees in Western Pennsylvania have moved into the sleep and respiratory equipment maker’s new “innova- tion center,” located in Pittsburgh’s neighborhood of Oakland.
Located on the fourth floor of recently developed Schenley Place, the 14,000-square- foot office puts the Philips team closer to universities, medical centers, research partners and fellow innovators.
“By bringing our team closer to the heart of Pittsburgh, we generate even more opportunity to leverage the energy and growth of our innovation- rich city,” said John Frank, CEO of Philips’ sleep and respiratory business. “Working in close prox- imity to hospitals, universities, and start-ups alike will enable us to incubate our regional research partnerships and, ultimately, accelerate our ability to develop new solutions to drive the future of health technology.”
The Oakland move is also part of Philip’s dual commitment to the greater Pittsburgh area and establishing relationships with colleges and univer- sities across the globe. Philips recently entered into a relationship with the University of Pittsburgh to collaborate on developing talent, addressing health- care challenges and commercializing technology.
“We are incredibly proud of this alliance,” Frank added. “It’s a natural fit given our commitment to improving lives through innovation, both in the
Pittsburgh’s Schenley Place will house Philips’ new Innovation Center, which will puts its team closer to universities, medical centers and other potential research partners.
solutions we offer to our customers and the ideas we foster within our own organization. The rela- tionship will allow for enhanced collaboration, entrepreneurship and recruitment opportunities with such a reputable and forward-thinking institu- tion as the University of Pittsburgh.”
Philips first foray into Pennsylvania started
with its 2008 acquisition of Murrysville, Pa.-headquartered sleep and respiratory manu- facturer Respironics. Philips Western Pennsylvania presence now boasts more than 1,700 employees. Over the past two years, Philips has established offices and distribution facilities in Murrysville and New Kensington, and completed building a distri- bution and service facility in Mount Pleasant. n
CareCredit, OxyGo Strike
Financing Partnership
Entry into HME market by established healthcare credit card company should expand oxygen patients’ equipment, therapy options.
CareCredit, a provider of healthcare credit services, has entered the HME marketplace via a multi-year agreement to help finance patient purchase of Applied Home Healthcare Equipment Inc.’s OxyGo line of portable oxygen concentrators.
Portable oxygen devices have become an important retail sales opportunity for some respiratory providers who are discovering some patients will pay cash for POCs and other portable devices. The deal will see CareCredit provide financing options to patients visiting the nearly 20,000 providers of OxyGo devices. While new
UPCOMING COVERAGE
More industry intelligence is available at hme-business.com.
Developing Stories — After taking an August recess, congress is back in session. Watch HME-Business and subscribe to e-Source to see continued coverage during September of the industry’s advocacy efforts to find more permanent relief for rural providers and their patients, as well as to consolidate support behind nascent legisla- tion to protect manual CRT accessories.
e-Source — Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter, e-Source, to ensure you stay up to date on the latest industry news, trends and developments. You can enter your email address on the hme-business. com homepage to subscribe
12 HMEBusiness | September 2017 | hme-business.com
Management Solutions | Technology | Products
to the DME world, CareCredit has been financing healthcare purchases for 30 years and serves millions of clients annually.
“Our agreement with OxyGo gives their providers a way to help people finance the equip- ment they need — with convenient, monthly payments — so they can maintain or regain their independence” said Greg Pierce, senior vice president and general manager for CareCredit.
Having access to financing services can factor heavily in family healthcare decision-making.
A study conducted by CareCredit showed 72 percent of people surveyed reported that a health- care credit card lets them better prepare for their family’s needs, as opposed to delaying care.
“This new partnership will help patients live more independent and healthier lives,” said Dave Marquard, CEO & Founder of OxyGo. “Having the freedom to be on the go while you’re on oxygen can make a big difference.” n