Archive - March 2020

Answer: On March 19, the Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued guidance at a federal level regarding which business types are considered essential. It is important to note that in that memo, they clarify that “We recognize that state, local, tribal, and territorial governments are ultimately in charge of implementing and executing response activities in communities under their jurisdiction, while the federal government is in a

Like you, Essentially Women and all other communities here at VGM are closely watching and adjusting to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it develops. We continue to work relentlessly for your success. Essentially Women remains open to help serve you. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns during this time. Our teams have been in contact with CMS and other government entities to get answers for your questions. To stay connected on the latest information, visit vgm.com/coronavirus.

The House of Representatives and Senate are both in session on April 15, 2020. Let’s make our voices heard and call our senators and representatives asking them to sign on to support S. 562/H.R. 1370, the Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act. The breast is one of the only body parts not covered by Medicare as a custom prosthetic replacement! Women deserve to make the choice for themselves. Please note, the call-in day that was scheduled on April 1, 2020 will now take place April 15, 2020 due

Update 3/31/20: Due to Coronavirus, the scheduled LHD Call-In has been postponed.  This was the activity highlighted in the recent Essential Advantage newsletter asking people to call their legislators to ask for support of The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act, H.R. 1370/S. 562.  The original date referenced in the newsletter and our Facebook page was April 1st.  In the past week, we rescheduled for April 15th due to most Capitol buildings

In an age where many industries are turning to technology to advance their businesses, there’s one industry where having a physical showroom gives you the upper hand – and that’s retail! While brick-and-mortar retailers often struggle to compete against the low prices available online, solely online retailers can’t compete with the traditional retailer’s ability to capture the “touch and feel” customers. Physical stores provide customers with a different

By: Beth Cox Hollingsworth, Director of Operations, VGM Marketing As business owners and leaders, what is your personal mission or brand? Is it your mission to connect with community members through service? Your store gives women a place where they feel supported, can learn about new solutions, and hopefully, feel less alone. You work hard to build strong in-person relationships, and I’ll bet it shows. Now, have you considered bottling up all that you offer—your expertise, unique

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental new drug application for Nerlynx (neratinib) in combination with Xeloda (capecitabine) for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have previously received two or more anti-HER2 based therapies in the metastatic setting.  According to Cure Today, the approval comes off the heels of the phase 3 NALA trial that looked at the efficacy of Nerlynx in combination with Xeloda, which

A recent study from Medscape has found that alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (BC), but it is unclear whether these associations vary by a woman's familial BC risk.  The conclusion found was that moderate alcohol intake was associated with increased BC risk, particularly for women with ER-positive BC, but only for those at lower predicted familial BC risk (5-year BOADICEA < 1.25). For women with a high FRP (5-year BOADICEA

HME Business recently shared what providers should look for in software to help owners track their key performance indicators (KPIs) in order to know the right information about their business.  Key data points to keep in mind include:  Days Sales Outstanding (DSO)  Outstanding Accounts Receivable Over Time  Gross Profit  Cash Flow  Sales Per Square Foot  Inventory turn times  Unit sales  Along with identifying KPIs, it is also

HME experts often position retail sales as the ultimate panacea to whatever ails an HME business. It makes sense: retail sales are free from the hassles of Medicare and private payer; they aren’t subject to capricious price cuts; they can expand a provider’s reach into all new markets.  However, there are a number of real world business issues associated with retail sales, as well. One of the most important is purchasing.   HME Business provides information about why managing