Why we all show up

Greetings and Happy New Year from all of us at HME News!

As my first months as publisher of HME News comes to a close, I'd like to thank Rick, Liz, Theresa, Jo and everyone else here on our team for helping me jump into this new role and industry.

While there's much to learn and many people and companies to familiarize myself within the industry, I was delighted to start my position as publisher just as Medtrade Fall was taking place. It was a perfect opportunity to get an overview of the industry, meet industry folks, and learn about the products and issues facing those involved in the day-to-day business of HME. I appreciated the warm welcome from those I met on the show floor, as well as at the VGM reception following the first day.

I've spent most of my career working in publishing and trade shows, most recently for Emerald Expositions, and appreciated the well-run event presented by Mark Lind and the rest of his team. The show floor was busy both days, and based on comments that I heard from exhibitors, well attended by the right providers.

The show was my first chance to check out the latest innovations in mobility, sleep therapy, aids to daily living, rehab and respiratory—and it was an impressive array of products. From my meetings with the teams at Invacare, Pride Mobility Products/Quantum Rehab, Philips, The Compliance Team, Golden Technologies, movinglife, Acu-Serve and others, it's clear there's a unifying underlying reason for the existence of this industry.

My biggest takeaway from the show and these meetings is the dedication and commitment that the manufacturers, vendors and providers in the industry bring to their work. This is something one hears in many industries and is perhaps an overused sentiment, but in the case of HME, it really is about the people. How to help people navigate staying in their homes, keeping them comfortable and safe, and helping to take care of the needs of their families and loved ones.

So that's a pretty big reason to show up, do good work, and on our end, do all that we can to present a quality news media product for you every day.

I'm looking forward to MedTrade Spring, which will be here before we know it, and meeting so many more of you.

Cheers!