MEDLINE LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCTS AND MARKETING PROGRAMS TO HELP HME RETAILERS GROW BUSINESS
New marketing, merchandising programs, DME products designed to boost sales
MUNDELEIN, Ill., October 15, 2012 – From new walking aids, including knee walkers and deluxe rollators, to new marketing and merchandising programs for durable medical equipment and continence care products, Medline Industries, Inc., is introducing a number of innovative solutions for home medical equipment (HME) providers at this week’s annual Medtrade Conference in Atlanta, Ga.
“Reimbursement cuts are impacting everyone’s bottom line. So it’s becoming increasingly important for HME providers to offer quality, well known and high-end products like our Curad® brand and Guardian® line that clinicians and therapists highly recommend to help drive more traffic to their stores,” said Rich Derks, president of Medline’s durable medical equipment division. “Along with the right product mix, HMEs can benefit with tools to help organize their showrooms to maximize space and merchandise their products to create an attractive and educational shopping experience for their customers.”
Medline (booth number 1553) will introduce and demonstrate the following new products and merchandising programs at Medtrade this week:
- Medline G2 Knee Walker — A viable alternative to crutches, the Medline G2 knee walker is designed for patients with either right or left below-the-knee injuries. It has a thick contoured knee pad and accommodates users of all heights and up to a 300-pound weight capacity.
- Medline Deluxe Comfort Rollator — Provides comfortable seating and smooth operation in one mode. Extra thick, memory foam seat contours comfortably to create an ideal cushion for tired users. It has a 300-pound weight capacity. Convenient cup holder, front storage pouch and cane holder come standard.
- New Merchandising Mobility Displays — Maximize floor space and draw customers in with an eye-catching four-sided spinner rack. The display can be customized for both Guardian® mobility products, such as walkers, canes and crutches, as well as Curad® orthopedic soft goods, including braces, splints, casts and slings.
- New Continence Care Planogram and Display — This highly attractive display organizes continence care products by product family for quick identification. This comprehensive continence care solution includes highly proven products such as the new FitRight® brief, Ultrasorbs® dry pads, Restore® with Remedy brief, Ready Flush® Wipes, Medline Remedy® body cleansers, gels, lotions and skin repair creams, and Freshwave® ostomy drops, spray and gel.
- New Medline Respiratory SuperSoft Nasal Cannula — Soft, flexible, and non-sticky so it’s gentle on the ear, cheek and chin – all sites where sores can develop with even short term oxygen use. This innovative cannula helps reduce pressure and friction on delicate tissue while enhancing patient comfort and compliance. Designed for long-term oxygen patients with curved, non-flared nasal prongs.
- New Curad® Post Surgical Mammary Compression Dressing — Recommended for recovery from breast surgery, open heart operations and other chest surgeries. The innovative dressing features maximum support and security when covering and protecting incisions. It has a front zipper opening and adjustable straps with a hook & loop closure to provide access to the surgical site for easy inspection and dressing changes. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each compression dressing will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to fund mammograms for underserved woman.
Industry experts from Medline are also featured speakers at Medtrade discussing topics important to HME providers. Corbett Brown, associate product manager in Medline’s durable medical equipment division, will be discussing “Extending the Life of Your Wheelchairs to Reduce Operating Expenses” on Monday, October 15 from 1:45 – 2:45 pm in room B308, and Joe Ritter, senior product manager for orthopedic soft goods in the durable medical equipment division, will be presenting “Profiting from Orthopedic Soft Goods in the HME Industry” on Wednesday, October 17 from 8:00 – 9:00 am in room B302.
About Medline’s HME Solutions
Medline is a leading provider of innovative home medical equipment products and comprehensive marketing solutions to the HME industry. Medline offers a complete line of durable medical equipment and continence supplies and is the manufacturer and distributor of such well known and respected brands as Guardian® walking aids and bath safety products and Curad® soft orthopedic products and compression hosiery.
About Medline
As the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of health care products, Medline manufactures and distributes more than 125,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, physician offices, home care dealers and retailers. Recently named one of the "100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare," Medline is headquartered in Mundelein, Ill., and has more than 1,100 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.
John Marks, (847) 643-3309 Ann Fahey, (847) 643-3011
jmarks@medline.com afahey@medline.com