WATERLOO, Iowa--The VGM Group's Heartland Conference 2007 started with a bang last week as attendees watched a fireworks display at the annual hog roast on opening night. But the explosive nature of the HME industry's current circumstances--and how to survive them--is what drew an estimated 1,000 providers, manufacturers and others to the members-only event, held June 11-14.

"The greatest value of the Heartland Conference was the considerable networking and relationship-building opportunities that it offered," said Cindy Ciardo, CEO of Knueppel HealthCare Services in West Allis, Wis. "That and the solidarity of our industry will be our greatest strength in the months and years ahead as we fight for our industry in general and for the needs of the people we service in particular."

The largest conference to date--nearly reaching capacity for the Five Sullivan Brothers convention facility--Heartland offered more than 100 educational sessions and exhibits from 75 VGM participating vendors. According to Carolyn Cole, vice president of VGM creative services, the number of vendor representatives doubled this year, totaling 256.

The conference included information in nine tracks, among them products and technology, regulatory and reimbursement. "[Providers] have viable businesses, and their businesses will continue to remain viable," said Ron Bendell, president of VGM & Associates.

Confirmed attendee Wilson Rogers, business development manager, Rogers Home Medical, Victoria, Texas, "After listening to speakers at Heartland last year say you have to put out and display products to sell products, such as lift chairs, we have done that and have increased our gross sales by 50 percent."

But as at other recent industry gatherings, competitive bidding and accreditation proved to be the top-of-mind issues.

According to Mark Higley, VGM's vice president of development, providers are still looking for information on the final rule, how to prepare and submit a bid and the long-term impact of competitive bidding. With CMS' bid window set to close July 13, Higley said providers in the first-round MSAs need up-to-date information on their options, and "those who will be next in line should be able to prepare their businesses and restructure their operations to be ready when it is time."

Heard at Heartland
"Once we heard of the requirement that HME providers be accredited, we immediately went through the process as we are in Houston and thought it would be in the first round of competitive bidding. Since we now know we are in the second round, we have plenty of time, but we are making changes now such as streamlining our organization and preparing to bid financially. Also, for the first time, we are getting involved politically, approaching congressmen and senators in our district and visiting representatives in Washington with groups like VGM and AAHomecare. In the past, we left it up to everyone else, but now you can't do that--you have to be proactive. One of the biggest changes we have made is to put our time, resources and finances towards being politically active." --Jason Hall, Texas Home Medical, Conroe, Texas

"A lot of people seem to think mandatory accreditation is not going to happen, that there is going to be some kind of stay of execution on it and on competitive bidding. We are not looking at it that way at all. Currently, we have a branch in Dallas, which is one of the first [competitive bidding areas]. We are also looking at bidding in Kansas City and some other markets. People are making a mistake if they do not bid; it is not going to go away. We are very optimistic. Any time there is change, to me, there is opportunity." --Scott Higley, COO of Adorno Rogers Technology, Brentwood, Tenn.

"CMS' forecast is that 50 percent of the suppliers will be eliminated [with competitive bidding], but with the number of baby boomers coming our way, we should actually have more suppliers than less. Decreasing supply in the face of increasing demand is contrary to the most basic laws of business." --Wayne Sale, president and CEO of Health First Home Medical Equipment and chairman of the National Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers, Richmond, Va.

"I am an enormous supporter of accreditation. I think it is going to give us a professional look to Congress and to our patients. It is a good thing. Although it is expensive, it is a cost of doing business, and we have to absorb that cost." --Joan Cross, co-owner of C & C Homecare, Bradenton, Fla.

"Attendance at the Heartland conference shows the enthusiasm that remains in this business. By coming together, we can do a lot to preserve the financial success of the independent provider, starting with getting the Tanner-Hobson bill passed. We need to get providers to go into their home states and get their congressmen and senators signed onto this bill. [The 'any willing provider' provision] means that all companies can stay in the game, and Congress has to reauthorize any further movement toward competitive bidding." --Mal Mixon, chairman and CEO, Invacare Corp., Elyria, Ohio