Barbara Smith named Woman of the Year

ATLANTA - Barbara Smith, CEO of Healthline Medical Equipment in Wichita Falls, Texas, was named the 2017 HME Woman of the Year at Medtrade this morning.

Smith has worked at Healthline for 25 years and has been instrumental in the company growing from three locations, to 12 locations and 196 employees, according to a press release from VGM Group, which created the award.

“This is such a huge honor and is very, very overwhelming,” she said. “There are so many women out there doing great things in our industry, and it's an honor just to be nominated.”

The finalists for the award were Smith; Lelia Wilkerson, director, Heritage Medical Equipment & Supplies; Rita Stanley, vice president of government relations, Sunrise Medical; and Maxine Paul, director of sales and operations, NuMotion, formerly owner of Academy Medical Equipment, Inc.

Over the years, Smith has been a powerful advocate for the HME industry on both a state and national level, VGM says. She was recently named president of the newly formed state association, TX MEP, which she helped to create.

“Barbara is a leader,” said Mike Mallaro, CEO of VGM. “She has earned the respect and admiration of people in her company, the referral sources and patients she and her company serve and her competitors and peers across the industry. She exemplifies the dedication and innovation required to evolve her business.”

The four finalists were selected from a pool of 38 nominees by an honorary committee that included last year's winner, Dr. Kirsten Davin, owner and president of Precision Seating Solutions.