Southern Home Medical Equipment Launches Respi-Care Respiratory Therapy Program
April 20, 2011
Specialized Treatment Programs Are In High Demand As The Population Ages
LYMAN, SC – April 19, 2011 – Southern Home Medical Equipment, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SHOM), a Holding Company providing healthcare services, healthcare professionals and equipment to medical institutions, announced today that in response to the growing demand for specialized solutions for respiratory therapy illnesses, Southern Home has launched its Respi-Care Respiratory Therapy Program. The program provides specialized treatment for Sleep Apnea, bronchodilator therapy, tracheostomy care and other respiratory illnesses.
Respi-Care combines the expertise of certified respiratory therapists with the latest in respiratory therapy equipment, patient assessment and education to both the patient and health care staff. The Respi-Care treatment program is provided to patients through home health, skilled nursing and other facilities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the fourth leading cause of death in the adult population as chronic lower respiratory disease, which includes bronchitis, emphysema, COPD, and asthma. The mortality of chronic lung disease is predicted to decrease at a rate of 1.5% a year until 2030, and yet the cost of treating it is predicted to more than double from $176.8 billion in 2006 to $389.2 billion in 2011 and to reach $832.9 billion in 2021. Medicare spent over $8 billion on respiratory disease, excluding pneumonia, in 2006, a figure that is bound to increase tremendously in the next decade.
Highly specialized treatment programs for various respiratory illnesses are in growing demand as the population ages, said Jeff Sarvis, President and CEO. The facilities who utilize Respi-Care find that being able to contract for our services on an ‘as needed’ basis is far more financially viable than hiring in-house staff and building their own programs.
Respi-Care combines the durable medical equipment facilities with the care giver expertise of both the ApneaRx and Encore Divisions of Southern Home Medical Equipment. Care facilities acquire Respi-Care on a per-hour basis and bill Medicare and other health care providers as appropriate.
The Respi-Care program will soon be implemented in all of the Company’s nine Encore franchise locations. Southern Home Medical has received numerous franchise requests in other territories and is actively pursuing these expansion opportunities.
About Southern Home Medical Equipment, Inc.
Southern Home Medical Equipment, Inc. is a Holding Company with a focus on servicing the needs of the Healthcare Industry. The Company has quality health care professionals to support hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes and other medical facilities providing RNs, LPNs, CNAs, RTs, Billing Specialists, Customer Service Specialists, Delivery Techs and Marketing Reps. With offices in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Florence and Lake Hartwell, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Baltimore, Maryland; Dunwoody, Georgia; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Southern Home Medical is leveraging the success of these business models to expand sales opportunities in these areas with health, medical and equipment needs.
