Heard at the Show

On preparing for the 9.5 percent cut

“We cut all expenses that we could as far as telephone, that kind of thing. And right now I’m looking at the possibility of alternating an extra day off for two of my employees so they work four days a week instead of five.”
— David Hicks, Medical Supplies of Central Ga., Cochran, Ga.

“We are cutting to the bone. With the cuts that are coming in January we are going to be impacted tremendously; we are going to lose about 500 oxygen patients in January, which is a lot. But we have to be ready for that. We have streamlined our business model and we have taken our time to implement IT and a new software system … to make sure we are on the right page. It’s going to be a challenge for everybody, but I think there are still some opportunities for people on down the road so it’s going to be an exciting time.”
— Mike Marnhout, Bluegrass Oxygen, Lexington, Ky.

On fraud and abuse

“I don’t think there’s an option now but to make the effort to do things right and change the image of the industry.”
— Wayne H. van Halem, WVH Consulting, Atlanta

On a scale of 1-10, how worried are you?

“10. I’m worried about the future, when the government will control who can sell what products and to whom.”
— Dr. Gene Livingston, MedAssure, Phoenix, Ariz.

“10. [Competitive bidding] is going to affect who gets business, how much businesses will make and what kind of business we run.”
— Debbie Duncan, Medi Home Care, Walhalla, S.C.

On what concerns you the most

“I think the thing providers today are most concerned about is being able to build a good stream of revenues to make up for the loss that is going to be facing us … It’s not only looking at revenue but it is an entire mindset change. We have typically been able to go and provide for the patient and take our time and meet their needs, but because it is really becoming about the bottom line, that’s a really scary place to be. Are we going to be compromising patient care for the sake of [the finances] we have to have to run our companies?”
— BJ Bowser, Davis HomePlus, Elkins, W. Va.

On moving forward

“I think the prospects are encouraging in the sense that we’re in the diabetic space, and it’s growing unbelievably fast in this country. If we can do a good job, we can get our fair share of that market, so we’re not running away from the business … we’re expanding. But we know there’s a cut coming, so one of the primary things we’re doing here at Medtrade is meeting with our vendors and getting some better prices.”
— Tim Binkley, Valentines Diabetic Supply, Roswell, Ga.

“The first thing that everyone needs to consider is that the patients we serve today are still going to need our services no matter what changes we face. If we lose sight of our patients, if we lose sight of the people we serve, then we’re in a downward spiral that leads to negativity. There are tremendous opportunities out there … We just need to change the way we do business. Will HME look the same in five years? No. Will we still be here? Yes. Those of us who survived the Six-Point Plan thought we wouldn’t be here after that; we just have to learn to change with the times.”
— Velma Goertzen, RN, A Step Ahead Consulting, Inman, Kan.

“The resilient people will stay. The creative people who redesign their business — they’ll still be there.”
— Tammy Johnson, AbleCare, Lexington, Ky.