President and Founder of the van Halem Group Wayne van Halem speaking to attendees of this week’s VGM Heartland Conference.
WATERLOO, Iowa — Noted audit and compliance consulting firm The van Halem Group LLC (Atlanta) has merged with HME industry member service organization VGM Group Inc. (Waterloo).
Announced to attendees of VGM’s Heartland conference, running June 9 to 12 at Waterloo’s Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, the agreement aims to expand both entities’ efforts to help providers prevent and respond to audits.
The deal, effective as of June 9, is something that has been in development for some time, according to Wayne van Halem, president and founder of The van Halem Group.
“It was a logical point in the building of the business,” van Halem said. “The business was getting to the point where we needed the assistance to expand our capabilities. With the reputation we have and the reputation VGM has in helping DME companies it was a logical partnership for us.”
“Our investment in the van Halem Group will allow them to expand their capabilities,” said VGM Group CEO and founder Van Miller. “They are the recognized leader in the audit defense field, and our members will benefit greatly from this association. This adds an array of mission-critical professional services we can offer all VGM Group Members in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.”
The van Halem Group will continue to operate from its Atlanta offices and retain it its employees, which together comprise more than 130 years’ experience working with Medicare audits. The audit firm will still serve its existing customers in the DME industry and other healthcare areas, as well as new customers both inside and outside of VGM’s membership.
“I think we’ve always been supportive of VGM customers,” van Halem noted. “This [merger] means more resources for them as they go through the environment of strict regulatory oversight.”
To read more about how and why van Halem launched his business, read “Bridging Worlds” from the April 2013 HME Business. Wayne van Halem is a member of the HME Business Editorial Advisory Board.