In July, 2017, American Association For Homecare published a vivid report that brought into focus the DME decline plaguing the healthcare industry. It shows, state by state, the extent to which DMEs have gone out of business between 2013-2017. The losses are a sobering reminder of how important it is to control expenses. And the Smart Delivery™ oxygen model is one proven way to help dramatically contain costs. Home HealthCare TODAY went behind the scenes to talk with two DME providers who have survived this tumultuous market, about the impact of the Smart Delivery oxygen model on their business operations. Here’s what they had to say … Respiratory Services of Western New York is a fast-growing DME provider in the Buffalo/Rochester area that has leaned heavily on the Smart Delivery oxygen model to help fuel its growth. The company is a big player in providing patients with portable oxygen concentrators, CPAP masks, COPD & apnea supplies, bathroom supplies and ambulatory aids. Since its first store opened in Cheektowaga, NY in 1997, Respiratory Services of Western NY has been able to expand to five locations. Owner Michael (Mick) McCartney credits the Smart Delivery oxygen model as one of the key factors that has allowed him to expand and survive the negative impact of competitive bidding on revenues. Respiratory Services has abou
1. ADVERTISE & PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS TV spots, radio, direct mail, paid search and social media are just some measurable ways to effectively reach new customers. Set a budget and test different creative messages. Ask your manufacturer if they have marketing materials that you can customize for your business. Often, it is quite inexpensive to add your own phone number and website to a pre-produced TV spot. Be sure to use a dedicated phone number or website address to measure the response of the ad. If you are producing a direct mail piece, look at the photography that is available to you. Manufacturers often have great resources for you to use. Just be sure that it is tailored specifically to your needs. You can also look at local advertising. Get involved with community support groups. Promote open-houses and demonstrate the latest equipment. Build your online presence through social media. 2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Market effectively to your customer base. Speak to them in a voice they can understand. Use a font size they can read! Be sympathetic and understand their limitations. Use visuals that are relevant and relatable. Don’t promise them that they will be able to do things that are far reaching. They may not want to climb Mount Everest, but just go back to the things that they were doing before. Shopping, walking, visiting friends, traveling again. How can your products and ser
There is Texas ‘BIG’. And then there is Prairie Medical of Meridian, Idaho, ‘BIG’. The territory this highly specialized durable medical equipment provider serves (wound care, lymphedema and mastectomy products) is enormous. It includes Hawaii, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. That’s a lot of geography to cover for an independent DME. But Prairie Medical founder and president, Tink Prairie-Newcomb, has proven to be more than up to the task. Tink didn’t intend to provide service to so many states. But word of mouth about her expertise and patient service traveled fast. And when she traveled on vacation to scenic destinations such as the Hawaiian Islands, she kept her eyes peeled for new business opportunities. While vacationing in Honolulu, for example, she observed that many locals were suffering from venous insufficiency. This prompted her to make a few phone calls and physician visits. She found a demand in Hawaii for exactly the products she was selling in Idaho. Her business snowballed. Tink started Prarie Medical out of her Idaho home eight years ago. She had achieved a strong sales background working for the giant bio-tech pharmaceutical company, Amgen. And she had worked for a company where she had learned a lot about lymphedema, a swelling caused by excess buildup of fluids under the
Situated in Wickenburg, AZ, about 25-miles from Sun City, AZ, Discount Medical Equipment LLC caters to a well established and value-seeking retirement community. Owner Ruben Lopez recently signed up for the new OxyCare Total Advantage™ patient financing program that allows DME’s to offer quick POC and other financing to their customers through a third party and get paid quickly — usually within 24 or 48 hours. The program is win-win for the customer and the DME. It allows the customer to take home a POC or other big ticket item such as a lift chair or wheel chair by making manageable monthly payments. It allows the DME to make highly profitable revenue that previously would have walked out the door for lack of affordability. Ruben sold his first OxyCare Total Advantage financed POC within a day or two of signing up for the program, and was paid in full within 48 hours. “The only reason I didn’t get paid the next day was because I had to order the OxyGo® POC and that took a day,” he said. “I’m thrilled beyond my wildest expectations. It’s amazing! The lady I sold the OxyGo POC unit to could never have afforded to buy it herself without the OxyCare Total Advantage program. That program worked exactly as Don Volette, my OxyGo rep, explained to me it would,” said Lopez. “Don told me it was
In July, 2017, American Association For Homecare published a vivid report that brought into focus the DME decline plaguing the healthcare industry. It shows, state by state, the extent to which DMEs have gone out of business between 2013-2017. The losses are a sobering reminder of how important it is to control expenses. And the Smart Delivery™ oxygen model is one proven way to help dramatically contain costs. Home HealthCare TODAY went behind the scenes to talk with two DME providers who have survived this tumultuous market, about the impact of the Smart Delivery oxygen model on their business operations. Here’s what they had to say … Respiratory Services of Western New York is a fast-growing DME provider in the Buffalo/Rochester area that has leaned heavily on the Smart Delivery oxygen model to help fuel its growth. The company is a big player in providing patients with portable oxygen concentrators, CPAP masks, COPD & apnea supplies, bathroom supplies and ambulatory aids. Since its first store opened in Cheektowaga, NY in 1997, Respiratory Services of Western NY has been able to expand to five locations. Owner Michael (Mick) McCartney credits the Smart Delivery oxygen model as one of the key factors that has allowed him to expand and survive the negative impact of competitive bidding on revenues. Respiratory Services has abou
1. ADVERTISE & PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS TV spots, radio, direct mail, paid search and social media are just some measurable ways to effectively reach new customers. Set a budget and test different creative messages. Ask your manufacturer if they have marketing materials that you can customize for your business. Often, it is quite inexpensive to add your own phone number and website to a pre-produced TV spot. Be sure to use a dedicated phone number or website address to measure the response of the ad. If you are producing a direct mail piece, look at the photography that is available to you. Manufacturers often have great resources for you to use. Just be sure that it is tailored specifically to your needs. You can also look at local advertising. Get involved with community support groups. Promote open-houses and demonstrate the latest equipment. Build your online presence through social media. 2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Market effectively to your customer base. Speak to them in a voice they can understand. Use a font size they can read! Be sympathetic and understand their limitations. Use visuals that are relevant and relatable. Don’t promise them that they will be able to do things that are far reaching. They may not want to climb Mount Everest, but just go back to the things that they were doing before. Shopping, walking, visiting friends, traveling again. How can your products and ser
There is Texas ‘BIG’. And then there is Prairie Medical of Meridian, Idaho, ‘BIG’. The territory this highly specialized durable medical equipment provider serves (wound care, lymphedema and mastectomy products) is enormous. It includes Hawaii, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. That’s a lot of geography to cover for an independent DME. But Prairie Medical founder and president, Tink Prairie-Newcomb, has proven to be more than up to the task. Tink didn’t intend to provide service to so many states. But word of mouth about her expertise and patient service traveled fast. And when she traveled on vacation to scenic destinations such as the Hawaiian Islands, she kept her eyes peeled for new business opportunities. While vacationing in Honolulu, for example, she observed that many locals were suffering from venous insufficiency. This prompted her to make a few phone calls and physician visits. She found a demand in Hawaii for exactly the products she was selling in Idaho. Her business snowballed. Tink started Prarie Medical out of her Idaho home eight years ago. She had achieved a strong sales background working for the giant bio-tech pharmaceutical company, Amgen. And she had worked for a company where she had learned a lot about lymphedema, a swelling caused by excess buildup of fluids under the
Situated in Wickenburg, AZ, about 25-miles from Sun City, AZ, Discount Medical Equipment LLC caters to a well established and value-seeking retirement community. Owner Ruben Lopez recently signed up for the new OxyCare Total Advantage™ patient financing program that allows DME’s to offer quick POC and other financing to their customers through a third party and get paid quickly — usually within 24 or 48 hours. The program is win-win for the customer and the DME. It allows the customer to take home a POC or other big ticket item such as a lift chair or wheel chair by making manageable monthly payments. It allows the DME to make highly profitable revenue that previously would have walked out the door for lack of affordability. Ruben sold his first OxyCare Total Advantage financed POC within a day or two of signing up for the program, and was paid in full within 48 hours. “The only reason I didn’t get paid the next day was because I had to order the OxyGo® POC and that took a day,” he said. “I’m thrilled beyond my wildest expectations. It’s amazing! The lady I sold the OxyGo POC unit to could never have afforded to buy it herself without the OxyCare Total Advantage program. That program worked exactly as Don Volette, my OxyGo rep, explained to me it would,” said Lopez. “Don told me it was