What's your ranking? The all-powerful HME News contact database

Those of you who've been around long enough have probably heard rumors of the HME News staff's contact database, which contains the names and contact information of thousands of providers across the country.

You may have even have heard we have a ratings system by how much we like you and how quotable you are.

In both cases you'd be right.

Of course, thanks to everything thrown at providers over the past few years, I know that the database isn't as accurate as it once was. For example, editor Liz is listed as former associate editor with a ranking of “very high” along with the comments: “workaholic” and “best writer I ever met.”

For the provider information, many have combined with other providers or closed up shop; others have moved to different positions or with different companies; and still others have added or dropped products and services as the market dictates. We make notes of all this in the database as we can.

I just got off the phone with provider Joel Gallion, the newly-minted president of Bellevue Healthcare in Bellevue, Washington. I've never spoken with Joel before, although we've spoken with the company in the past. Gallion told me he's been with the company since 2004 (about a year longer than I've been with HME News).

Bellevue Healthcare (no affiliation with any other Bellevues but itself) is growing. It recently added a 17th retail location and rearranged some execs so that it could further focus on the business of growing.

Like me, Gallion lamented on how tough it's getting for the independents out there, and he's concerned that, down the road, the consolidation of the HME industry could be a bad thing.

After my conversation, I checked the database to see if he was listed. Sure enough, he was. His info was originally entered in 2004 and under title it said “sales and marketing,” with no ranking.

Today, the HME database promoted him to president with a ranking of “high.”