A&C does it their way

SOUTHBURY, Conn. - A&C Medical uses a little lite jazz, Big Band and Ol' Blue Eyes to sing the praises of HME. The provider recently began bringing "Music and Mobility" to assisted living facilities and senior centers. A local singer who sounds like Frank Sinatra and evokes the sound of earlier eras performs for about 40 minutes. Then either Lynn or Peter Aiksnoras gives a 15-minute "infomercial" about A&C and the products and services they offer. They have with them items like scooters and lift chairs, and literature. The free program has been well received, said Lynn Aiksnoras. "We tailor the program to where we are going and the gentleman who does the music has a nice rapport with people," she said. "Some even get up and dance." "Music and Mobility" allows A&C Medical to ramp up efforte to get its name into the community. In business since 1993, Lynn Aiksnoras--who bought A&C Medical with her husband in 2004--said the company's buzz phrase could have been "I never knew you were here." But, rather than pouring money into print advertising, A&C hired a part-time community relations coordinator to bring programs into the community. "Word of mouth is the best source of business," said Lynn Aiksnoras. In the past two years, A&C has expanded, moving into a larger space and expanding inventory. The 1,600-foot-square showroom sits in a busy medical plaza. A&C stocks a full line of DME, including hospital beds, walkers, canes and wheelchairs. Lynn Aiksnoras is certified in post-mastectomy orthotics and her husband installs grab bars and other aids to daily living. "I tell people, 'Think of us as a Toys R Us for people over 50,'" she said. A & C Medical does a lot of unassigned Medicare and Medicaid and is an out-of-network provider for private insurance carriers. "People are becoming more aware of the limitations of their own insurance," she said. "They are not as floored that they are going to have to pay for something and we will submit the claim on their behalf."