By Bradley M. Smith, ATP
Volume 1 Issue 19, October 14, 2014
We all know the story of how one acorn dropping from a tree and landing on Chicken Little’s head created the paralyzing belief that the “sky is falling.” While the world of durable medical equipment (DME) has experienced more than one random acorn via competitive bidding and related market turbulence, there remain tremendous opportunities for those than can see beyond self-imposed despair and false conclusions.
Here are four reasons that you may want to consider as you look for potential DME investments:
There are many versions of the “sky is falling” folktale and my favorite is the one where the King congratulates Chicken Little on its journey of courage. You may not know that this story was adapted by our government during WWII to help everyone understand the disastrous effect of fear mongering at a time when clear thinking and courage were necessary. While not as cataclysmic, the lesson can be applied to our DME marketplace – if you can see the inevitable opportunities and act intelligently amidst the turmoil, you can reap a significant reward.
For over 20 years, Brad has held a number of significant executive positions including founding Lone Star Scooters, which offered medical equipment and franchise opportunities across the country, Lone Star Bio Medical, a diversified DME, pharmacy, health IT, and home health care company, and BMS Consulting, where he has provided strategic analysis and M+A intermediary services to executives in the healthcare industry. In addition, he is a regular columnist for HomeCare magazine and HME News, where he focuses on healthcare marketplace trends and innovative business strategies for the principals of healthcare companies. At VERTESS, Brad is a Managing Director and Partner with considerable expertise in HME/DME, home health care, hospice, pharmacy, medical devices, health IT, and related healthcare verticals in the US and internationally.