Support Medical Systems has eye on becoming ‘household name’

FALL RIVER, Mass. – Support Medical Systems wants to become a recognizable name across New England, and it’s laying the groundwork for that through investments in fleet, logistics and warehouse operations, says President Kristin Forloney.

Building a regional footprint

Currently, SMS, a regional distributor that services hospitals, nursing homes, skilled rehab centers, hospice agencies, has a presence in five out of six New England states, excluding Vermont. It operates out of two service locations in Fall River, Mass., and Topsham, Maine, and several strategically located warehouses.

“We have to be really strategic in what we're doing and how we're doing it because if the equipment's not great and we deliver it four hours away from the closest driver and it fails at 2 a.m., you have a big problem on your hands,” said Forloney. “That’s what we’ve really honed in on – making sure our warehouse is efficient. But also, our hope is that we're doing that service side better than the average company out there.”

SMS also serves home care patients directly through its homecare division, Dartmouth Medical Equipment.

Investing in operations

This year, SMS has focused on expanding and upgrading its fleet, improving warehouse operations and optimizing delivery routes. Such improvements allow the company to put its focus where it matters: on the patients, says Forloney.

That’s a message that resonates with referral sources, she says.

“How do we make sure the quality is always exceptional and where are the opportunities to continue to grow this so other people can experience this exceptional service,” she said. “And, at the end of a sales process, we tell them to give us a try and let (our service) speak for itself.”

Centering employees on service

At the core of the SMS’s service is its employees. Forloney says they embody the company’s commitment to caring.

“We've been really fortunate that staying true to ourselves has really helped us continue to be able to provide service,” she said. “There's a lot of cross collaboration, and there's a lot of respect for (work-life balance), but at the end of the day, we have to take care of our patients, too.”

Building brand, eyeing future

SMS wants to see what other opportunities New England holds, before it looks beyond those borders, says Forloney.

“I’d definitely like us to be more of a household name,” she said. “I know we're not going to be the next Kleenex or Amazon or anything like that, but I'm really excited for the things we're doing and we're trying really hard to put ourselves out there more, so people recognize us and we're branded a bit more.”