CQRC NAMES LINCARE CEO AS NEW CHAIRMAN

HME News Staff

Updated 9:47 AM CDT, Mon June 17, 2024

WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care recently named Jeff Barnhard, CEO of Lincare, as chairman of the board. “It is an honor to serve as the next chairman of CQRC,” said Barnhard. “In this role, I look forward to advocating for reforms to protect the delivery of care to home respiratory patients and the stability of our profession. I am excited to engage with stakeholders across our diverse community to promote a greater understanding of our patient population and advance policies that align with their clinical needs, including access to supplemental oxygen.” In addition to Barnhard, CQRC elected Perry Bernocchi, executive vice president of Owens & Minor and CEO of the company’s Patient Direct segment, as treasurer. It named Tim Pigg, formerly CEO of Rotech, as secretary. One of CQRC’s top priorities is the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act (S. 3821/H.R. 7829), bipartisan legislation to remove supplemental oxygen from Medicare’s competitive bidding program and permanently extend Medicare’s blended payment rates, ensuring accessibility in rural and less densely populated urban areas.