Anything goes at Anything Medical

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. - Anything Medical, an HME provider in rural Arizona, is proof that you don't have to be in a big city to have a big retail business.

“We're truly a superstore,” said manager Ed Huyke. “We have everything from respiratory to Band-Aids, from scrubs to walking aids.”

Located in a former Marshall's, the 18,000-square-foot store's focus is on variety: there are 24 lift chairs on the sales floor, and customers may choose among three manufacturers of therapeutic shoes, said Huyke.

Moving into the massive space made sense for Anything Medical, which has steadily expanded since it opened nine years ago in an 800-square-foot store. In those years, its mindset has also shifted.

“We were still with the DME mentality of billing Medicare, but we slowly realized the writing was on the wall, so we started converting ourselves more and more into retail and learning more about different avenues,” said Huyke.

For example, Anything Medical developed markets for compression hosiery and orthotics.

“This is the future,” said Huyke, a 35-year industry veteran. “The days of prescription DME are just about gone.”

The store's layout is based on lessons learned over time.

Mobility aids for those who can't walk are placed up front. Scooters and lift chairs fill the store's center, while urological and incontinence products are in the back, to give shoppers privacy, Huyke said.

Anything Medical's showroom draws people from as far as 75 miles away, said Huyke. They can still use Medicare and private insurance.

“If you're going to go through insurance, you get the best quality I can get you and still make a profit,” he said.