“The litigation surrounding pressure ulcers is one of the most dynamic forces affecting the health care industry today,” says Joel Guerin, president of Tempur-Medical, Lexington, Ky. “There is a precedent to push companies out of existence if they do not provide the best possible care.”

In fact, skin care is the subject of the largest jury verdict in the nursing home industry ($312 million, upheld on appeal), Guerin told Dealer/Provider. With Tempur-Medical’s new program, Guerin says nursing homes can reduce their pressure ulcer incidence rate to 1%. “Historically, many people thought [pressure ulcers] were inevitable,” he says. “We are proving that they are not.”

Q How will Tempur-Medical’s new skin management program for nursing homes benefit the HME market?
A Traditional usage of powered rental mattresses (typically air-driven products that provide low air loss, alternating pressure, even lateral rotation) is dwindling due to cost/revenue pressures created by the prospective payment system (PPS). This leaves a void as nursing homes struggle to find permanent, more cost-effective solutions. Our Tempur-Medical Ultimate Skin Management Program (TUSMaP) will establish the clinically effective, nonpowered prevention-based mattress strategy as the only viable standard in the industry. There will be tremendous opportunities for local HME companies to distribute high-quality nonpowered mattresses to nursing homes if they understand how quickly and how profoundly this market will change.

Q Why does your company use Tempur Material as opposed to other materials available on the market?
A The material referred to as Tempur Material is a visco-elastic foam made with our patented process that produces purer, higher density visco-elastic material than anyone else in the world. It has fluid-like properties that make it the most effective material to use in a nonpowered mattress to effectively manage tissue.... Patient data indicate a rate of breakdown on our nonpowered mattresses of approximately three quarters of 1%. We will believe there is a more effective material out there when we see it.

Q What factors do you consider when introducing a new product?
A Three factors matter most. First, how well will the product do clinically? Second, how cost-effectively will it accomplish that task? Third, will the duration of the product’s ability to accomplish the first two (cost and clinical effectiveness) match the time frame appropriate for the task? For instance, you don’t want an effective but expensive solution to a short-term problem if there is a cheaper, more disposable solution available. By the same token, you do not want a short-term approach for a problem that lasts a long time. This is one of the great dichotomies of the pressure ulcer industry. Our entire industry grew up using expensive, short-term solutions (rental powered surfaces) without addressing the ongoing and heightened need for protection from reoccurrence.

Home Health Corp of America Inc (HHCAC), King of Prussia, Pa, emerged from almost 3 years in chapter 11 bankruptcy and received an asset-based revolving credit facility from Healthcare Business Credit Corp of up to $4 million.

Sunrise Medical, Carlsbad, Calif, launches its new personalized site, www.sunrisemedical.com. It is powered by Blue Martini Software and offers a tailored approach to online home care purchases.

Roscoe Medical Inc, now at its new headquarters in Strongsville, Ohio, has promoted Keith Heck to director of customer relations where he will oversee customer service functions and serve as a liaison between the company’s sales, operations, shipping, and other departments.

Graham-Field Health Products Inc, Atlanta, is moving toward an outsourcing strategy for its line of bathroom safety, ambulatory, pressure management, and specialty seating products. As a result, the manufacturing operations in Bay Shore, NY, will close, affecting 189 jobs. The product offerings will be marketed under its flagship brand name, Lumex.

Invacare Corp, Elyria, Ohio, received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Invacare® Xterra™ GT™ power wheelchair and the Invacare® Elevating Seat option for its 3G Storm Series® chairs and its Invacare® Pronto™ R2 power chair.

Gary Halick joined A&D Medical, Milpitas, Calif, as vice president of medical business.

Paul Higgs announces the rebirth of Higgs™ as the corporate name for his company. Formally known as Millennia, the company will now be called Higgs Medical Products™, Flanders, NJ.

Medical Depot, Farmingdale, NY, changed its name on February 1 to Medical Design & Manufacturing, a division of Medical Depot.