At Home with Dealers

• By J. Daniel Hull, Nikolay Voutchkov, Jay Williams, Melissa Jackson
• Jul 01, 2005

Company Name: INSPIRE Medical Equipment & Svcs. Inc.

Location/Contact Info: Sharon E. Fowler, RRT, RCP—General Manager; 34 Rogers Road, Haverhill, MA 01834; 978-372-2290

Established: June 21, 2004

Types of products sold: Respiratory and DME

Size of Company: 5 employees; approximately 190 new patients in the first business year.

Home Health Productsspoke with INSPIRE's General Manager, Sharon Fowler about this growing company's passion for respiratory service.

Q: What is working well for you?

A: Seeking Oxygen Conservation Device (OCD) titration orders from physicians. This assures our physician community that their patients will get the right system and ensures that patients use the optimal OCD setting for them.

Q: What is unique about the store?

A: Three of INSPIRE's stockholders are respiratory therapists. Between the four partners we have over 60 years of experience in respiratory home care. The experience we bring to this start up has given us reality-based goals and a vision of our future. We see ourselves as respiratory home care specialists and do not plan to "do it all". We began preparing for accreditation on the first day of business and have a survey scheduled for July 2005.

Q: Describe a memorable relationship with a client.

A: Recently, our respiratory therapist made a home visit to an oxygen patient that we started about 10 months ago. She told him that when he first brought in the oxygen equipment she thought that she would never be able to fill the cylinders or manage the oxygen system. But with his instruction and help, she can now do it in a snap! What is memorable about this client is that she was very negative and dependent on others for everything—and now she feels independent, good about herself and her quality of life has improved. That's what it's all about.

Q: Describe your relationship with your manufacturers.

A: We strive to have a frank and open relationship with the manufacturers that we have selected. They know we are a start-up and understand our objectives. From an equipment and supply perspective we have kept our inventory narrow by going through a thoughtful selection process. We chose devices that are best suited to our business strategy and meet the needs of our target population—respiratory patients. We don't have "one of everything". Instead, we chose products that represent the best of today's technology and give patients flexibility and freedom. We chose vendors based on the strength of their product line, their reputation for service, the favorability of pricing, and their willingness to help us with financing—critical to a start up.

Q: What is something you have learned from your experience in the HME industry?

A: We've learned that EVERY client is the most important customer we have. Our welcome message to our clients is, "Our first priority is your complete satisfaction and peace of mind." We also know from experience that it will be a challenge to continue to shine as we grow—therefore we have developed a solid performance improvement program to that end.

Q: Do you think the HME industry is changing? What are some trends you have noticed?

A: As the health care industry evolves and develops, so will the home care industry. And as the perceptions of health care and lifestyle choices change in the minds of our target population, we must be ready and willing to respond to new expectations. Of course, the reimbursement climate is challenging, thus we must prepare for new ways of doing business. Our first step in this preparation is seeking accreditation. Once we have achieved this, we plan to expand our scope of service by seeking managed care contracts and expanding our service area.

Fun Fact: Inspire's Mascot is a Cocker Spaniel named Cooper!

This article originally appeared in the July 2005 issue of HME Business.