Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/50323
18 Providers BY ELIZABETH DEPREY, Associate Editor TOM COLLINS, SR., and Tom Collins, Jr., in 1965. FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Despite challeng- es facing the HME industry, one small, family-owned provider has defied the odds. Collins Home Medical Equip- ment celebrated 80 years in busi- ness in November. What's the Collins family secret? "We continually educate our- selves on products and we don't put all of our eggs in one partic- ular basket," said Chris Collins, general manager of Fairfield, Conn.-based Collins Home Medi- cal Equipment. "We continue to move and continue to find busi- WWW.HMENEWS.COM / JANUARY 2012 / HME NEWS Eight decades in, business going strong nesses where we can remain prof- itable and remain with our heads above water. I think that's prob- ably a simple formula but it seems to have worked." In 1931, Tom Collins, Sr., opened a drugstore across the street from his family home in Bridgeport, Conn. Since then, the company has grown and changed with the times, adding HME and, later, selling its pharmacy busi- ness to CVS to focus solely on HME. The provider has faced many challenges over the years, but some of the biggest have been recently, with reduced reimburse- ments and increased regulatory issues, Chris Collins said. "We've all struggled to pro- vide the best product—one that's going to last and meet the patient's needs," he said. "Nobody wants to pay for service these days. They just want the bottom cost." In 2005, the provider moved to a new location in neighboring Fairfield, Conn., but made sure to keep a main feature in both the old and new locations: retail space. "Any time we get a call from a customer, one of my primary goals is to get them to come out and look at the product first- hand," said Bryan Collins, direc- tor of sales and marketing, and Chris Collins' nephew. Collins Home Medical's show- room features bathroom safety products, therapeutic footwear, ambulatory aids and lift chairs. Collins Home Medical also accepts Medicare, Medicaid and all major insurances. Bryan Collins said the provider is always working to improve and innovate, but appreciates its solid foundation. His uncle agreed. "I think we're pretty blessed to have a great reputation for all of these years that our fathers and grandfathers provided for us," said Chris Collins. HME Accreditation. There's a better way. HQAA is the only accreditation provider with coaches to review your standards documentation, an Online Workroom to efficiently manage the process, and the ACT Service to maintain high quality standards between accreditation periods. There's a better way. Switch to HQAA. View three great videos about switching and download our FREE switch guide at www.HQAA.org/switch. Or call 866.909.4722 for more information. BIDPREP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 choose: Essentials ($1,995), Enhanced ($3,995) and Elite ($6,995). A free trial lets pro- viders try before they buy. "We assume you don't know anything about it and walk you through every pro- cess and every new term that's out there," said Rice. "We also have videos that explain some of the more confusing concepts. When you're on the topic of capacity, for example, BidPrep Debbie pops up and explains it to you." One thing BidPrep doesn't Become a Quality Champion. do: tell providers what to bid. "We give providers the tools to show them where they're still profitable and where they are losing money," said Rice. "We can provide them with calculators, but we are not going to tell them, 'bid this number.'" HME