Steve Lica
CEOVirtuoxSteven F. Lica is a seasoned healthcare executive with over two decades of leadership experience in the respiratory and diagnostic services sectors. He is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of VirtuOx, a company he helped establish in 2005. Under his leadership, VirtuOx has grown into a leading independent diagnostic testing facility (IDTF) specializing in at-home diagnostics for sleep, respiratory, and cardiac conditions.
Before founding VirtuOx, Lica served as CEO of Infinity Diagnostics Inc., a sleep-disordered breathing diagnostic company, where he successfully led the company through its acquisition by an industry consolidator. He also held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Homecare Respiratory, a Massachusetts-based respiratory therapeutics and pharmacy supplier. During his tenure, he expanded operations and diversified services, leading to a tenfold revenue increase and the company's eventual acquisition by Air Products.
Lica's career in healthcare began at Southeast Medical, Inc., where he served as CEO before orchestrating the company's acquisition by Lincare Holdings. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of South Florida.
SM02: Beyond the Sleep Lab: Expanding Referral Networks to Empower Primary Care in Sleep Therapy Access
As sleep-disordered breathing continues to affect millions of Americans, the traditional referral pipeline—from specialist to therapy—faces serious bo…As sleep-disordered breathing continues to affect millions of Americans, the traditional referral pipeline—from specialist to therapy—faces serious bottlenecks. With sleep physicians operating at full capacity and newer CPAP alternatives increasingly…As sleep-disordered breathing continues to affect millions of Americans, the traditional referral pipeline—from specialist to therapy—faces serious bottlenecks. With sleep physicians operating at full capacity and newer CPAP alternatives increasingly entering the market through primary care pathways, HMEs (Home Medical Equipment providers) must evolve their outreach strategy. This session will explore how HMEs can grow sustainable referral pipelines by engaging primary care providers (PCPs) alongside traditional sleep specialists. We’ll examine the opportunity to integrate Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities (IDTFs) into this workflow to streamline diagnostics and improve turnaround times. Attendees will learn practical approaches for collaborating with PCPs, navigating diagnostics, and ultimately improving patient access, adherence, and satisfaction in sleep therapy. Learning Objectives Understand Market Shifts Identify the changing landscape of sleep referrals, including the strain on sleep specialists and the rising influence of PCPs in initiating sleep diagnostics and therapy. Engage New Referral Channels Learn actionable strategies to educate and equip PCPs to recognize sleep-disordered breathing and refer patients for diagnostic testing and therapy. Leverage IDTF Partnerships Discover how partnering with Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities can streamline the diagnostic process, reduce patient wait times, and increase therapy conversion rates. Optimize the Patient Journey Explore how a simplified, integrated referral and testing pathway enhances the patient experience, from symptom recognition to therapy initiation. Future-Proof HME Operations Gain insights on building scalable, diversified referral networks that align with emerging care models and technology-enabled diagnostics.Show MoreClick the title to see all details
