Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

I have been very fortunate in being able to meet many HomeCare magazine readers at the various meetings, expos and conventions I attend. At Medtrade in September, I spoke with a number of friends and associates whom it has been my good fortune to know.

What excited me the most is that I did not hear much “doom and gloom.” In spite of the uncertainties, most of those I talked to were upbeat about the future. Sure we have problems, but that has always been the case. I can go back many years, and in almost every single one a new difficulty reared its ugly head.

But no matter what heinous programs are being hatched by the government or anyone else, the good entrepreneurs that HME providers are see new opportunities. They came away from Medtrade with new ideas to expand their companies and, best of all, came home refreshed and renewed.

I went from Medtrade in Atlanta to the American Telemedicine Association conference in Orlando. Then this cantankerous old curmudgeon was invited to the National Community Pharmacy Association meeting in Las Vegas. What an appreciative audience I found there. Several of the same providers I met in Atlanta also were in Las Vegas because they have a pharmacy as part of their operations.

From there this old guy went to West Virginia, where I was invited to talk about new opportunities for our industry. Needless to say, I spoke about home telehealth, and I am pleased to report that — as I have been telling you for months — I am now 100 percent sure of the opportunity this discipline presents to HME/DME providers.

Meeting and listening to providers at all of these meetings assured me that the role we continue to fill in providing services to our local markets is a strong one. Seeing and seizing new opportunities to serve customers is the bond that makes our industry so great, and it is the bond that will keep us all moving forward successfully.

I must remind you, however, that it will bemuch easier to accomplish the goals we all wish for if we work together. If I can convince you of the value of belonging to, working with and supporting your state and national associations, then I have done my job.

Tomorrow

“We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there.”
— Charles Kettering

As you read this, consider the fact that “tomorrow” is now, and we have to face up to a number of changes in legislation and reimbursements as well as the other problems we cope with. My answer to all of this is, “So what?”

In my more than 50 years in this industry, there has always been something hanging over our heads. I know that you can and will continue to flourish and grow because there are so many aspects of the business you can get into. Do it now!

Here are a couple of other quotes from Mr. Kettering to help:

“You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”

“The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.”

Take a Moment

As we come to the end of another year and the holiday season approaches, I wish to share with you an e-mail I received recently from an unknown source reminding me about the important things in life:

“Take just a moment and think about how lucky you are to be alive.

“Take a moment to think about how blessed you are to live in a country that is free. Take a moment right now to remember those who have fallen for your freedom.

“Take a moment to think about someone you love. And take a moment to think about someone who loves you.

“Take a moment to reflect on what is truly important.”

Sheldon “Shelly” Prial is based in Melbourne, Fla., with Prial Consulting and also serves as the director of government relations for Atlanta-based Graham-Field Health Products. In 1987, he founded the Homecare Providers Co-Op, now part of The VGM Group. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 321/255-3885.