Heartland Conference Draws 1,000

WATERLOO, Iowa–The VGM Group’s Heartland Conference 2007
started with a bang last week as attendees watched a fireworks
display at the annual hog roast on opening night. But the explosive
nature of the HME industry’s current circumstances–and how to
survive them–is what drew an estimated 1,000 providers,
manufacturers and others to the members-only event, held June
11-14.

“The greatest value of the Heartland Conference was the
considerable networking and relationship-building opportunities
that it offered,” said Cindy Ciardo, CEO of Knueppel HealthCare
Services in West Allis, Wis. “That and the solidarity of our
industry will be our greatest strength in the months and years
ahead as we fight for our industry in general and for the needs of
the people we service in particular.”

The largest conference to date–nearly reaching capacity for the
Five Sullivan Brothers convention facility–Heartland offered more
than 100 educational sessions and exhibits from 75 VGM
participating vendors. According to Carolyn Cole, vice president of
VGM creative services, the number of vendor representatives doubled
this year, totaling 256.

The conference included information in nine tracks, among them
products and technology, regulatory and reimbursement. “[Providers]
have viable businesses, and their businesses will continue to
remain viable,” said Ron Bendell, president of VGM &
Associates.

Confirmed attendee Wilson Rogers, business development manager,
Rogers Home Medical, Victoria, Texas, “After listening to speakers
at Heartland last year say you have to put out and display products
to sell products, such as lift chairs, we have done that and have
increased our gross sales by 50 percent.”

But as at other recent industry gatherings, competitive bidding
and accreditation proved to be the top-of-mind issues.

According to Mark Higley, VGM’s vice president of development,
providers are still looking for information on the final rule, how
to prepare and submit a bid and the long-term impact of competitive
bidding. With CMS’ bid window set to close July 13, Higley said
providers in the first-round MSAs need up-to-date information on
their options, and “those who will be next in line should be able
to prepare their businesses and restructure their operations to be
ready when it is time.”

Heard at Heartland
“Once we heard of the requirement that HME providers be accredited,
we immediately went through the process as we are in Houston and
thought it would be in the first round of competitive bidding.
Since we now know we are in the second round, we have plenty of
time, but we are making changes now such as streamlining our
organization and preparing to bid financially. Also, for the first
time, we are getting involved politically, approaching congressmen
and senators in our district and visiting representatives in
Washington with groups like VGM and AAHomecare. In the past, we
left it up to everyone else, but now you can’t do that–you have to
be proactive. One of the biggest changes we have made is to put our
time, resources and finances towards being politically active.”
—Jason Hall, Texas Home Medical, Conroe, Texas

“A lot of people seem to think mandatory accreditation is not
going to happen, that there is going to be some kind of stay of
execution on it and on competitive bidding. We are not looking at
it that way at all. Currently, we have a branch in Dallas, which is
one of the first [competitive bidding areas]. We are also looking
at bidding in Kansas City and some other markets. People are making
a mistake if they do not bid; it is not going to go away. We are
very optimistic. Any time there is change, to me, there is
opportunity.” —Scott Higley, COO of Adorno Rogers Technology,
Brentwood, Tenn.

“CMS’ forecast is that 50 percent of the suppliers will be
eliminated [with competitive bidding], but with the number of baby
boomers coming our way, we should actually have more suppliers than
less. Decreasing supply in the face of increasing demand is
contrary to the most basic laws of business.” —Wayne Sale,
president and CEO of Health First Home Medical Equipment and
chairman of the National Association of Independent Medical
Equipment Suppliers, Richmond, Va.

“I am an enormous supporter of accreditation. I think it is
going to give us a professional look to Congress and to our
patients. It is a good thing. Although it is expensive, it is a
cost of doing business, and we have to absorb that cost.”
—Joan Cross, co-owner of C & C Homecare, Bradenton,
Fla.

“Attendance at the Heartland conference shows the enthusiasm
that remains in this business. By coming together, we can do a lot
to preserve the financial success of the independent provider,
starting with getting the Tanner-Hobson bill passed. We need to get
providers to go into their home states and get their congressmen
and senators signed onto this bill. [The ‘any willing provider’
provision] means that all companies can stay in the game, and
Congress has to reauthorize any further movement toward competitive
bidding.” —Mal Mixon, chairman and CEO, Invacare Corp.,
Elyria, Ohio