Author

Tim Heston

  • Operations

    They May Not Need You Yet

    This is no Medtrade. That’s something Reece Franklin hears over and over from the home medical equipment businesses that exhibit at his Southern California Senior Expo. The first clue might be the large dance floor, last year placed in the back corner of the Ontario, Calif., Convention Center. Others might be the cruise ship exhibitors and the Lion’s Club booth. At this show, instead of manufacturers marketing to providers, providers market to consumers. At its inaugural event last October, roughly 6,000 people walked through the turnstiles onto the show floor. The expo sold 249 out of 250 booths and had 187 vendors. Among them, 11 were DME dealers, each marketing directly to potential customers, social workers and other referral sources. “There’s been an explosion of...

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  • HME Products

    Pushing for Comfort

    Seating and positioning professionals share a high level of passion and caring about what they do and how they affect patients’ lives. “[The passion] imbues the whole corporate culture. Everything we do physically touches clients and makes their lives better,” says Don Gordon, vice president, marketing, Adaptive Equipment Systems. “Every little bit matters. You don’t find that in other industries.” “Providing equipment to improve the lives of physically challenged children is socially beneficial and very rewarding,” says Merv Watkins, president of pediatric-mobility manufacturer Convaid. “For some children, this means a degree of independence, for others an enhancement of their capabilities and a broadening of their horizons.” “Seating and positioning is important because every wheelchair user is an individual with personal postural support needs,” adds Randy...

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  • Operations

    Not Your Father’s Respiratory Therapy

    Respiratory therapy continues to advance in home health care. Industry experts see no end to the market’s steady and, in segments like sleep apnea, skyrocketing growth. “The respiratory sector remains the most important revenue generator for home care providers,” says Erika Laskey, vice president of sales and marketing for CHAD Therapeutics. “Medicare spending for home oxygen grew 13 percent in 2002, and the aging population — the baby boomers — will start to impact our industry in as little as four years. Our future looks bright.” Within the market, two elements continue to shape respiratory product development: cost concerns, and a growing, educated patient base. Sleep Takes Center Stage The sleep disorders segment of the respiratory market is “dynamic,” says Ron Richard, vice president of...

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  • Providers

    BLACKOUT

    After the lights went out, Marty Maduro, a Medigas customer service representative in Newmarket, Ontario, rigged his location’s phone system to run off his car battery. “This enabled us to keep an open dialogue with our clients and continue to call everyone on our disaster list,” says George Ristevski, president of Medigas parent Praxair Healthcare Services, based in Danbury, Conn. After the lights went out, Rochelle Arini-Monza, an Apria Healthcare branch manager in Troy, Mich., worked from her car and took orders by candlelight so drivers could be dispatched. Ryder Trucks faxed a list of fuel locations and set up a special account for the company’s Michigan branches in case gas was needed. After the lights went out, Zeb Pirzada, CEO of Medstar Surgical in...

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