A Tribute to Lisa Thomas-Payne

Through her intellect, zest for life and sense of humor, Lisa Thomas-Payne has touched thousands of people in so many wonderful ways. Now, as she battles a serious illness, we asked for comments and stories about her. The response was overwhelming. We received so many contributions that, due to space, we had to shorten many of them. Lisa, here's our tribute to you, a true industry icon. -- Cara Bachenheimer Kim Brummett Lisa was the one at Medtrade joking with the crowds in packed rooms, cajoling the crowd with know-how and cynicism. As an industry, we need to recognize those that have had the courage to say it like it is, and Lisa always did this. Tom Deckert Lisa has always been able to take complex, government double-talk and reduce it to the "lowest common denominator." She has approached every stage of her life with adventure, humor and confidence. She is truly a sexy, savvy, statesman for the industry. We love you! Ron Stephenson Bill Cron and I were responsible for HIDA's financial analysis of homecare dealers. We quickly found that Lisa Thomas-Payne was our salvation to understanding the financial data for planning, control and performance evaluation. She understood the financial information needs of homecare providers better than anyone in the industry. A. Maureen Hanna When I decided to spread my wings in 1992 and make the move from working for a national HME provider to starting my own consulting practice, Lisa was there to encourage and support that move. I am proud to have Lisa as a mentor and loving friend. Cullen Murphy Lisa is an intelligent and articulate woman who has been a driving force in the HME industry. Her many seminars have helped to educate thousands of us. Her operations skills, especially in acquisition transactions, are stellar. Ken Morselander In the 20 years that I have worked with Lisa, I have rarely talked with her for longer than 30 minutes without learning something that I needed to know...to make me better. If making others better, by applied intellect, is a measure of greatness, than Lisa brings greatness to her clients, her family and her friends. Kelly Miller I first met Lisa at a road course driving school for women, where I was able to experience a longtime dream. Funny, I thought that I was going so fast in my rented Mustang, but when Lisa took me around the track in her car--wow! She blew me away! Joel Mills Lisa is the person who taught all of us the importance of gathering the right billing information when we took the order. Lisa is intelligent, fun, unafraid to mix it up and could drop a quarter out of her butt with the best of them! Ralph McBride Growing up, I know you must have heard, "leave it better than you found it." Lisa, you did just that throughout your career. You left not just me, but an entire industry better. Thank you for challenging all of us to think and act differently. Alison Cherney Lisa is beautiful and intelligent, but I also learned that she has a wild side that appeals to my inner teenager. I remember first going to her house and her taking me up her local mountain in a Porsche...a very fast one. As I was wizzing up this winding hill at way too many miles per hour, all I could think of was, "This gal needs to slow down and take out this speed on the race track." Well, she did and years later she became a very proficient racecar driver. Lisa, without you, I would have thought this industry was incredibly boring. I love you dearly! Miriam Lieber I will always remember "cruisin" down the Las Vegas strip in your convertible singing at the top of our lungs, and the great time we had during our stay in Georgia. More seriously, thank you for your indelible contributions to HME. Your esteemed reputation will be etched in the minds of so many providers forever. Peggy Walker Lisa is not afraid to say what she thinks. She would not and will not back down from anyone or anything. If someone told her she couldn't do something then that was a red flag for her and she would do it regardless. She really supported and encouraged me to get out there and "do my thing." Craig Jeffries I remember arriving at the Denver International Airport in the 1980s to be greeted by a young, enthusiastic and charming Lisa Thomas whose competitive spirit was focused on making the newly formed Colorado DME Association the best in the country and certainly better than the California DME Association, where Lisa had apprenticed with her mother, Sue.