Invacare Corporation Wins Award for HomeFill Marketing Program

Business Wire, Dec 19, 2005

ELYRIA, Ohio -- Invacare Corporation (NYSE:IVC) was recognized recently at the 2005 MM&M (Medical Marketing & Media) Awards for its successful HomeFill(TM) II cooperative marketing program. MM&M recognized the program as the "Best Use of Direct Marketing to Consumers," which honors and promotes the role creative ideas play in effective direct communications.

Invacare's program was one of 474 entries, which included submissions from companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. E[acute accent]Invacare's marketing program for the HomeFill(TM) II Oxygen System is an advertising cooperative developed to help home medical equipment providers grow their oxygen therapy business. Providers who use this program can customize television commercials and print advertisements to effectively communicate the freedom and independence that the HomeFill offers oxygen patients. E[acute accent]"Invacare's HomeFill marketing program is a great tool to help providers grow their oxygen business," said John Ledek, vice president of Invacare Respiratory Products. "These tools allow HomeFill providers to grab the attention of the approximately 1.5 million oxygen patients in the United States as well as their physicians. Participating providers have dramatically grown their business by marketing a consumer preferred product that frees patients to live life without being dependent on weekly deliveries of oxygen cylinders." E[acute accent]The HomeFill enables oxygen patients to fill their own lightweight cylinders easily and safely at home, rather than depending on having oxygen delivered to their homes every week or so. The HomeFill cylinder comes in a variety of sizes weighing as little as 3 1/2 pounds and lasting as long as 10 1/2 hours. E[acute accent]The MM&M Awards program recognizes excellence in healthcare marketing. A panel of 39 judges consisting of healthcare marketers from the agency, client, service and media sectors reviewed the entries. E[acute accent]Invacare Corporation (NYSE:IVC), headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of innovative home and long-term care medical products that promote recovery and active lifestyles. The company has 6,200 associates and markets its products in 80 countries around the world. For more information about the company and its products, visit Invacare's website at www.invacare.com.