Dalia Morales didn’t understand the power of home medical equipment (HME) until she started working in it. Morales had always been drawn to health care; she started her career as an administrator for an acute care rehab center in El Paso, Texas, where she first started billing for durable medical equipment (DME). From there, she moved to Respiratory and Medical Homecare Unlimited as an account manager in 2004. She’s been at RespMed, as it’s called, ever since, with several internal moves leading to her current position as Director of Human Resources/Compliance/CRT.
“It was unknown to me that the industry included so many life-sustaining devices, and therefore support for that the passion grew,” she said of her early years in HME.
Morales credits Irene Koogler, president and owner of RespMed, with her success.
“She is the pillar that holds me up and reminds me what our goal is when guiding staff, treating patients and/or advocating for the industry,” Morales said. “A nurse by profession, she has ensured that we maintain our expectations of ourselves higher than what is ‘required’ from us.”
One of the ways Morales has gone above and beyond is by expanding RespMed’s services into complex rehab technology (CRT). She noted there was a need, and in 2021 got the company accredited and certified. That same year, she also founded Avventura Technology Providers with her partner, Marco Vega, an assistive technology professional. Avventura isn’t a CRT supplier, but provides resources and support for the disability community through clinical education, financial resources, CRT assessments and community engagement. Morales works through RespMed to help patients receive the equipment they need following an assessment; there’s also an equipment lending closet that includes CRT and gait training equipment their team can customize to the user because of their experience.
Morales is also member of the Clinician Task Force for the National Coalition for Assistive Rehab and Technology (NCART). She regularly attends the NCART Congressional Fly In to advocate for the industry and for CRT users. Morales lives by the belief that “life should be an adventure for all,” and her role in HME and CRT helps patients fulfill their adventures, she said.
“My profession is an extension of my beliefs and, therefore, every call is an opportunity to educate, advocate and to assess how or what can be done for an individual,” she said. “No one likes calling health care providers for assistance, so when you understand that the call is in essence a need, then step back and provide a solution to whatever issue, it allows us not to be a worry and will allow some peace in [the patient’s] hectic life. Whether it is providing a piece of equipment, appealing an authorization review, requesting additional help for the elderly and/or educating staff or referral sources, I believe that I am a part of the solution.”
Unfortunately, the industry’s ability to do that could be impacted by ongoing HME policy changes, she said. With a possible return to competitive bidding proposed, she’s also focused on RespMed’s long-term stability.
“The best way that we’ve [adapted] is continuing to be diverse, and by always advocating doing things right,” she said. “This has maintained the faith of our community, and it has allowed us to always be considered when discharging a patient.”
In her limited free time, Morales enjoys reading, particularly the works of Sigmund Freud, and spending time with her three children and two grandchildren, who she says push her to continue growing her career. She’s also involved in El Paso’s disability associations, including the Autism Society, Down Syndrome Association, spinal cord injury groups and muscular dystrophy organizations. This volunteer work not only allows Morales to give back to the community but also serves as a means to keep tabs on issues affecting these populations. As HME continues to adapt, Morales said it will be important for providers to stay engaged in everything from expediting discharges from the hospital to educating the public.
“As an industry, we will have to continue to band together to communicate/educate cost of care at home versus cost of admissions, which in turn can allow for local coverage determination policies to become more lenient,” she said.
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