Some heroes have exciting stories about dramatic events. Others just show up every day for decades and consistently do whatever needs to be done with a smile. Gary Durk falls into the latter category.
Durk started his career in home medical equipment in 1983 when his elementary school basketball coach helped him secure an interview with the Cleveland, Ohio-based company Fraiberg and Smith. When that business was bought out and much of the staff laid off, he went to work alongside his brother, Cliff, at Hastings Home Health Center.
Cliff would later move to Kansas City and start Accucare Home Medical.* In 1998, Accucare moved back to Ohio, where Durk joined with his brother to “make a go of it.” A few years later, they would open another branch in nearby Lyndhurst. Today, at the age of 65, Durk runs the retail floor, helping customers with all their needs. He repairs rollators and wheelchairs. He cleans and stocks shelves and keeps the showroom organized. He goes out of his way to chat with the seniors who come into the store and make them feel comfortable. In his own words, he wears many hats.
“Whatever needs to be done,” Durk said. “I am in contact daily with all of our employees to make sure things are getting done and the deliveries are going out.”
He said Accucare has a large walk-in business, which has helped the company survive difficult times—including most recently, during the Change Healthcare cyberattack, which limited the company’s ability to bill Medicare.
“I’m closely involved with our walk-in customers and get to know many on a first-name basis,” he said. “We get a lot of veterans in our store. I always enjoy striking up conversations with them and hearing their stories.”
“He treats everyone with dignity and respect,” Durk’s sister, Susan Rees, said in his nomination. “He keeps our small business running—repairing equipment, charging reasonable prices and coming into work every day with coffee and consistency. At the end of the day, somebody always pulls into the parking lot after hours and he will still help them, even though I’m sure he wants to go home. To me, he is a great example of true work ethic, and an unsung hometown hero in every way.”
Rees joked that she was sure her brother thought he would be retired by now, but he’s still working seven days a week. Durk credits his longevity in the industry to those who came before him and shared their knowledge. While at Hastings, he was encouraged to gain accreditation from the Joint Commission, which has helped in running Accucare. He said his proudest accomplishment is working with his family to keep Accucare running for 26 1/2 years, despite plenty of industry challenges.
In those nearly three decades, Durk has seen many changes in home medical equipment, especially in increased battery life and reliability for scooters and power wheelchairs. All of it moves toward a single goal, he said.
“As long as there are companies out there that continue to innovate and improve products, the end user will be allowed a better quality of life,” he said.
*Editor’s note: Two finalists work for similarly named companies but the two businesses are unrelated.
