2023 HME WOY Dana McLaughlin is ‘open for questions’ 

CLEVELAND – Dana McLaughlin is at the point in her career where it’s time for her to “give back” to other women in the HME industry, she says. 

“The greatest reward I can have is to help guide others and be open for questions,” said McLaughlin, president of Medical Service Company, where she’s spent the last 15 years of her 28-year career in HME. “What I’d like to (do) is to use this recognition I’ve achieved to help bring additional resources and knowledge-share to support other women who are just starting out in our industry." 

McLaughlin, who in December was named the 2023 HME Women of the Year, an award sponsored by VGM Group, spoke with HME News recently about leading with compassion. 

HME News: You have a long career as a woman in HME with a background in finance. How does that inform your everyday work? 

Dana McLaughlin: The finance piece allows me to realize what’s going to work and what’s not, financially, but that’s not at the forefront of how I conduct myself or how I lead. My role is caring for people who care for people. So, I lead and conduct my role every day with compassion and support, showing appreciation and giving folks access to the opportunity to learn and professionally grow.  

HME: Do you feel there is more opportunity for women in HME than in the past? 

McLaughlin: Yes, but I think we need more leadership presence from women in the industry. When we have leadership events, women aren’t as represented as they could be. I don’t want them looking outside the industry for professional growth. I’d really like to see those of us who have more tenure open up ways to share (our experience).  

HME: What would that look like, ideally? 

McLaughlin: What I’d like to see is we talk about it more and we’re starting to see that. I created a group at MSC called EmpowHer. It is a support group for women at MSC who are seeking an avenue to ask questions for those of us who have raised our children, our families and built our careers, and have that balance – I use the word balance with quotation marks. We are a resource for them. I’d love to network with some of the other women, working across other organizations. We’re competitors in the industry but we don’t need to be competitors. 

HME: What does being recognized as WOY mean to you? 

McLaughlin: This award for me has been the ultimate thank you. It shows I have made an impact in my 28 years of service to the industry. The biggest takeaway is the heartfelt messages I have received from folks I worked with over the years, telling me that I deserve it. I can’t thank enough those who made this possible. It highlights women, in general, and is the beginning of a great movement that I want to be a part of.