According to the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP), obesity affects 58 million people across the nation and its prevalence is increasing. In 1991, 12% of the US population was obese, the society says. By 1998, this had risen to 17.9%. Dealer/Provider spoke with Steve Allee, director of marketing for Burke Inc, Kansas City, Kan, about the bariatric industry, how it has changed, and where it is headed.

Q Has the demand for Burke’s products increased since it began in 1980 manufacturing bariatric support frames?
A Yes, considerably. For a large percentage of the population, lifestyles continue to become more sedentary, even when involved in recreation. We have stronger ties than ever to the computer and the Internet, spending more and more time in front of the screen; also, in the workplace and in one’s personal life, many activities that used to be manual are now accomplished with key strokes or buttons. A generous portion of our population does not exercise regularly, and they don’t have a balanced diet. All this sets the stage for various risk factors in a person’s health.

Q How do Burke’s products benefit bariatric patients, and what new technological advances can consumers look for?
A Burke beds ensure solid support and proper positioning options, and encourage mobility by allowing the patient to enter or exit out of the foot of the bed. Our Tri-Flex model offers two patient surface widths within the same frame to provide greater comfort to the patient.

Q How does Burke ensure caregiver safety?
A By manufacturing a well-tested, strength-enhanced steel frame with quality components that will easily support the patient while in the room or in transit, by providing a suitable range of high-low positioning for easy access to the patient, as well as enough surface width to allow sufficient room to work with the patient, and by having a battery backup in the bed so its positioning functions can be used during a power outage or in transit.

Q Where is the bariatric industry headed?
A Continued growth, more awareness of the bariatric community and its requirements, greater creativity in support products, and, hopefully, a more thorough acknowledgment of this industry segment’s unique requirements by all third-party payors.

The In Good Company Awards sponsored by The Business Journal honored Bruno Independent Living Aids Inc with the Home Grown Ventures award, which recognizes Milwaukee-area companies that began in garages, basements, or even laundry rooms. Founder Michael Bruno started the company by designing and assembling its first automatic lift in his Winamac, Ind, garage in 1983. Now, Bruno has a campus of 160,000 square feet, 270 employees, and a network of more than 2,500 dealers.  Pulmonetic Systems Inc, Colton, Calif, appointed Jim Hickey president and CEO. Hickey brings with him experience in general management, sales, and operations for health care device firms.“My primary focus will be to maximize our value to our customers, employees, and shareholders,” he says.   Lift chair, scooter, and bed manufacturer Golden Technologies, Old Forge, Pa, has expanded its sales and marketing department by hiring sales and marketing manager Charles J. Copley. ResMed Inc, San Diego, saw its net income for the quarter ending September 30, 2001, increase 30% to $8.5 million from $6.6 million in the September 2000 quarter. For more details, visit www.res med.com.   CareCentric Inc, Atlanta, appointed John Festa as its president and CEO. He replaces Bruce Dewey who will continue to serve with CareCentric as vice chairman of its board of directors.  Blue Air, Chicago, named Premier Sales and Marketing of Jasper, Ga, as the national sales organization for its air purifiers.

Scott Moser, CEO and chairman of the board of Mobility Inc, La Jolla, Calif, began his involvement in promoting bathroom safety when Dr John Duff, chief of general surgery at University Hospital, London, Ontario, explained the difficulties of handling and lifting patients in the hospital environment. Dealer/Provider spoke with Moser about his work.

Q As the inventor of Mobility’s products, what is the process you follow from the beginning idea to the finished marketable product?
A It begins with one large piece of paper on a drawing board. My process entails free-hand sketches, layouts to clay scale models, to engineered solid models, to our fused deposition modeling machine (FDM/rapid prototyping), and then sanding and painting. The product idea, now a chameleon, will either adapt to its environment or be discarded. My goal is to design and build with logic and simplicity in mind.

Q How are Mobility’s products designed to prevent falls in the bathroom?
A Foremost are the diamond grips on the handles. We worked closely with a company dedicated to mold surfacing, to come up with a grip that would emulate power tool grips. These tools are under vibration, used by workers with sweaty hands, and have been tested extensively for slippage. Also, the seat surface has to prevent someone from slipping after coming out of the shower. In this damp environment, plastic can also stick to skin, as well as slip on it. There has to be enough air between the skin and the plastic so as not to have it stick to the patient, but also provide enough contact and traction to avoid slippage. We did a lot of focus groups, but we had to get the people to laugh and tell us that “you know what, once my pants hit the floor, I can’t grab them.” We really find out the core of the problem, and make people relaxed enough to really say what is wrong with a situation. That’s the way we look at every type of product development.

Q Medicare does not currently pay for bathroom safety products. Do you believe this will change Mobility’s acceptance rate?
A A product is weak or contains little value if it needs Medicare reimbursement to sell. What happened to developing a product and having its value speak so clearly that a consumer would just take out his wallet and pay for it? A lot of companies have relied heavily on these Medicare reimbursements to build their business. They fall into the trap of designing products for these codes. They are so dependent on these codes that the codes take priority over the product. Our vision is that the dealer end of the business should represent only 25% of our business. We use several different media to grab the consumer’s attention: catalog sales, Internet, retail, and infomercials.

Q What are Mobility’s goals for next year and what new products can our readers look for?
A Mobility’s goals are to help as many people as possible help themselves. We will introduce new innovative products that will assist others, while internally maintaining fiscal responsibility to turn a profit for our valued shareholders. Concerning new products...just wait and we’ll surprise you.