Cape Medical Supply prioritizes sleep

SANDWICH, Mass. - Cape Medical Supply opened its Sleep Therapy Center in December, the company's most recent move in a clear shift in focus toward sleep.

Cape Medical converted nearly half of its existing retail showroom at its headquarters here into a sleep center that has the look and feel of a physician's office, with a comfortable waiting room and private treatment rooms.

“All the information, signage, etc., is geared toward that patient base,” said CEO Gary Sheehan. “They are not commingling with the walkers and other medical equipment.”

Sheehan estimates that sleep now comprises 50% of Cape Medical's business. In June, the provider launched an online resupply portal for its sleep patients.

Having dedicated space for sleep patients sets them up to succeed, Sheehan said.

“We think that the patient experience and having a space that is more conducive toward patient learning has a high impact on the initiation of therapy,” he said.

The space also creates efficiencies for the company. A clinician who normally sets up three or four patients per day in the home can do six or eight in the clinic, Sheehan says.

Cape Medical has made a concerted push in recent years to move away from HME retail, closing two standalone locations in 2013.

“There are folks who have chosen to do retail and do it well,” Sheehan said. “That's not where we feel we leverage our expertise most efficiently.”

And so Cape Medical, which also has locations in Canton and Plymouth, Mass., and Kittery, Maine, will continue to push its sleep program, Sheehan says.

“We feel we have a repeatable model and we are committed to this market,” he said.