Claim to Fame

How Mask Fit AR Uses Facial Scanning and AI to Improve CPAP Mask Fit and Compliance, with Wade West

In this episode for the Claim to Fame podcast, Alex and Wayne interview Wade West, Vice President of MaskFit AR, about the company’s facial scanning technology designed to help CPAP patients find the right mask and size the first time. West explains MaskFit AR’s origins (about 14 years in development), its mask recommendations based on facial anatomy plus clinical questions (pressure, sleep position, deviated septum), and key differentiators including global patents for privacy/security (no patient photos transmitted) and nostril scanning accuracy under 0.1 mm for nasal pillow sizing. He discusses how poor mask fit drives noncompliance (50–55% average compliance; many cite the mask), ROI from reducing costly refits, and a fast workflow via web link/QR code with optional patient mask selection and virtual try-on. The conversation covers adoption barriers, interoperability via open APIs, and a future “Amazon-like” remote, monitored CPAP journey.

Growth Without Adding Cost in DME: Lowering Cost to Serve, Focused Growth, and Proving Value

Alex and Wayne interview Wes Hopper of Why Success Happens about helping DME providers grow without adding costs. Hopper shares his 30-year background across distribution, manufacturing, and consulting and says leaders are overwhelmed by fires, regulatory change, and profitability pressures while trying to put patients first. He argues providers should focus on lowering cost—not just price—by managing cost drivers in product, place (logistics/workflows), and promotion (their story), using technology to reduce repeat trips and platform fragmentation, and by freeing cash tied up in stagnant inventory. He highlights coordination gaps between departments, the need for data-driven conversations with referral sources, and using manufacturer/distributor reps for ride-along selling. Hopper says most DMEs aren’t ready for value-based models because they lack a well-supported story and proof points, and he urges leaders to commit time weekly to think differently and use AI as a tool they control.

Clean Data, Interoperability, and Scaling DME Operations with Dewey Roof of Valere Health

On the Claim to Fame podcast, Dewey Roof of Valere Health shares his 30-year DME/HME background, including selling an HME to Adapt Health in 2021, and explains how Valer Health emerged from internal software built around 2016–2017. After shifting strategy with CTO Doug Thornton, Valere adopted a data event streaming architecture to act as an underlying “utility” or “central nervous system” that connects fragmented DME tech stacks and automates workflows without relying on a single UI. Roof highlights key inefficiencies like manual intake, fax-based orders, eligibility and authorization delays, and rekeying data across systems, arguing that clean, complete, compliant data is the essential starting point to reduce audit risk and improve net revenue. He outlines Valere’s CAST approach—Clean, Accelerate, Scale, Transform—predicts increasing automation adoption, and emphasizes preserving human touch in patient care while moving staff from busy work to oversight and decision-making.

HME News Editor Liz Beaulieu on DME Trends, Medtrade Takeaways, and the Shifting Payer Landscape

Alex and Wayne interview Liz Beaulieu, editor of HME News, about her background in trade publishing and how HME News covers the home medical equipment industry through print, a daily-updated website, and newsletters produced largely by a two-person editorial team. Liz discusses what has and hasn’t changed in DME, citing technology as the biggest shift while issues like competitive bidding persist. She identifies the payer environment as a major current theme. From Medtrade, she observed a strong tech-company presence and attendees moving from being overwhelmed to asking detailed questions about compliance, audits, and fit. They also discuss likely consolidation among AI “point solutions,” how HME News decides what’s newsworthy (“What’s in it for Mario?”), top-read stories, and the HME News Summit in Louisville, Oct. 12–14.

From Pharmacy to Respiratory Care: Casey Toomajian's Inspiring Journey with Hometown Healthcare

In this episode of Claim to Fame, Alex and Wayne interview Casey Toomajian from Hometown Healthcare. Casey shares the compelling origin story of his family-owned, respiratory-focused DME company in upstate New York, which has grown to serve 14 counties with a core product line including CPAP, oxygen, ventilators, and sleep supplies. The conversation covers the challenges of transitioning from a small pharmacy, founded in 1953 by Casey's grandfather, to a modern medical equipment provider, as well as the hurdles of running a family business. Casey discusses the importance of maintaining a shared organizational conscience, balancing compassion with high performance, and aiming for purpose-driven success. The episode concludes with Casey offering insights on leadership, family business dynamics, and his vision for the future of Hometown Healthcare.