More About What We Do

This blog is titled "Life at AOM" and at times I feel like I should be writing more about what's going on with the company or the durable medical equipment industry itself.   How many people really care about what's going on in the world of home medical care?  The politics of medicare would bore most people to death.   I guess my goal with this blog is to let people know that we aren't just some typical boring home medical company.  We're not a company that focuses on our shareholders (we have none), we're not a company that focuses on making millions (though that would be nice, I could go fishing more:) ).  If you were to meet any of my staff, you would know that everyone here, cares about every patient we work with.   I have been fortunate to have a staff that I consider part of my family. We all work very well together.   I believe that at some point, this job makes a difference in the life of every employee we have.  Whether they recognize it or not, the lives we affect also affect our own.   (I just had to text my son's teacher to be sure I used the correct form of "affect") 

With the permission of my staff, I'm going to start sharing more and more about what goes on with AOM.  I've got a great group of people that bust their butts to help others.  I think it would be good if everyone got to know a little more about what we do.   Of course with the good ol HIPPA laws, I have to be careful about what I share about patient care, but I hope to make it interesting. 

I was on call this weekend and believe it or not, for the most part, I enjoy being on call.  I truly enjoy spending time with patients and their families.   If some of you that read this are in the medical field, I hope you can relate.  There are so many different people out there.  So many that have so much going on in their own lives.  And for that brief second, you get to be a part of that.  Hopefully you are a positive part of that experience. 

With that said, this is where I find myself being pulled in several directions.  As much as I enjoy being with the patients, I'm also responsible for running and growing the company.  This is the not so glamorous part of the job.   Between dealing with marketing and medicare compliance and every other little thing involved with running a DME company, it sometimes becomes difficult to stay focused on the things you enjoy like the patient relationships.

Being compliant with Medicare is a fulltime job in itself.  I understand the principle behind accreditation.  It has made us a better company, but some of the requirements are absolute time and paper wasting machines.  I know most of it is just to cover your butt,  which in today's world is important, but so much of me just wishes we could worry about the patient and what it takes to take care of them and that's it.  Life would be so much simpler. 

That of course is my dream world.  Instead, we have to get the order from the physician.  We have to be sure every I is dotted and every T is crossed.  If it isn't we have to send it back to the physician to correct it (this always makes the doctor really happy).   Then we need to make sure there is documentation in the medical record that supports the need for the product the doctor just requested.  Finally we can deliver the product.  Then comes the task of billing for the equipment you just provided.   Once you bill the insurance company,  you get a notice requesting documentation as proof that the patient really does qualify for the equipment.  Finally after about a month of bickering with the insurance company you hopefully get paid for your services.  So do you see why I enjoy spending time with the patients??:)   They are the best part of the job.  They remind me all the time of why I started this company in the first place. 

Ok I'm done babbling for now.  Hope everyone is still focused on losing some weight.  Frenchie has taken over the lead once again.  I didn't weigh in on Friday because I was still pouting about my weight on Wednesday.  Before my bike ride,  I hopped on the scale only to be sadly disappointed that I was up to 168lbs.  I had gained 6 lbs!!!!  I couldn't believe it.  Now I can't get rid of this miserable cough that I've had for the past 3 weeks.  I've tried everything.  First was just Albuterol.  Then it was Albuterol with Advair.  Then Symbicort.  Now I'm trying Albuterol with Pulmicort.  Oh ya, I also had an allergy shot on Friday.   When I was a little kid, my grandma's concoction for this cough was a little bit of whiskey heated  up with honey and lemon juice...............Guess what I'm getting ready to drink with a tea spoon:)  Nothing opens up the bronchials like the smell of whiskey.  I have no idea how people drink this stuff straight.   I can barely handle a spoon full. 

Well that's about it for tonight.  Looking forward to another good week.  Hope you all have a good night.
Nighty night.  I'm gonna leave you with a picture of the coolest little kid in the world:)  The future CEO of the company:).  Maybe he'll go to medical school instead.