Enos Home Medical focuses on ‘cleaner’ hospice market

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – Enos Home Medical tripled its size along the North Shore of Massachusetts when it bought the hospice business of a local company recently, says CEO Jon Enos. 

The family-owned Enos Home Medical, which was founded by Enos’ grandfather as a part-time oxygen business in 1950, also serves Connecticut, Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire. 

“I’m always on the lookout for ways to increase our footprint and this was a unique opportunity,” he said. “We hopped right on it and it’s going well.” 

Enos Home Medical still offers home oxygen therapy and incontinence supplies for non-hospice patients and does a “fairly large” business in online breast pumps, says Enos. 

But over the years, the company has entered and exited several markets to pare down its offerings to focus on hospice. In 2016, it acquired Cape Medical Supply’s hospice business to gain a foothold on Cape Cod, and in 2019, it sold its sleep therapy business to Cape Medical. 

“When competitive bidding and the 36-month oxygen cap came along, we started looking at dealing with payers that are easier to deal with and had less headaches,” he said. “With hospice, it’s pretty much fee for service. It’s cleaner and easier for us.” 

Regardless of the payer, Enos Home Medical keeps a constant watch on expenses, looking at ways to reduce costs and reduce waste, says Enos. 

“There’s no secret recipe – it’s a constant struggle,” he said. “The biggest challenge right now, and since COVID, has been staffing. With hospice demand, it creates long hours for drivers. They might think they’re done (for the day) and then someone needs an emergency bed.” 

A focus on hospice also requires employees who can handle the realities of that market, says Enos. 

“The key is having the right personnel,” he said. “They have to be compassionate for the family and the patient. It’s really just having the right mix of people.”