Joseph Lewarski, a healthcare industry veteran, will join Drive Medical’s subsidiary DeVilbiss Healthcare as vice president of global respiratory and sleep categories, effective August 3.

Lewarski will work alongside Richard Kocinski, managing director of DeVilbiss Healthcare, on respiratory product development and positioning, and all research and development for the respiratory and sleep categories of DeVilbiss products. He will work closely with the company’s global sales and product management teams to grow the respiratory and sleep categories worldwide.

Lewarski was previously with Invacare Corporation for 7 years, where he led the global respiratory group and was responsible for Invacare’s global respiratory sales. He was later the company’s corporate vice president of clinical affairs.

With more than 30 years of experience in many healthcare disciplines, Lewarski’s background is broad and diverse, extending from clinical research and development to sales and marketing strategies, executive management leadership positions, legal and regulatory processes, and government affairs. Lewarski is a registered respiratory therapist, a fellow of the American Association for Respiratory Care, a member of many additional healthcare organizations, and holds numerous faculty and board positions. He is also a prolific writer and researcher, having published dozens of scholarly papers, with an emphasis on respiratory and sleep therapy and technology. He is a veteran of the United States Navy.

Harvey P. Diamond, Drive Medical CEO says in a release, “Joe Lewarski is a superstar in the respiratory and sleep categories. He is a savvy businessman who understands the science behind the products we manufacture and market. His vast knowledge and unique perspective will be invaluable to the team as we look to build DeVilbiss into a worldwide leader.”

Lewarski says, “With Drive’s recent acquisition of DeVilbiss, this is an exciting time to be joining the Drive-DeVilbiss team. There is tremendous growth potential for the company in the respiratory and sleep categories, and I look forward to being part of one of the fastest growing healthcare companies in the industry.”