Finnegan begins again

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - After letting it simmer for two years, Finnegan Health Services has turned up the heat on its e-commerce division to try and gain a foothold in the booming market for home medical supplies.

“Folks are getting older and they need those supplies,” said Terrie Davis, COO. “Everything is going toward online and we want to get into that.”

Finnegan Health Services recently hired Chris Wilson as its chief marketingofficer to help draw more traffic to its e-commerce site, www.finneganmedicalsupply.com.

On Wilson's to-do list: create original content for the site and improve its search engine optimization.

“I've been networking with bloggers who have influence and trying to get our name out there,” he said. “We are also using social media and our blog, and we are about to start producing videos.”

Although Finnegan Health Services has a strong presence in Arkansas, it launched the cash-only site to create a national presence—but it's proving to be a challenge, said Davis.

“There are so many companies out there and just getting your name out on Google is very expensive,” she said.

Finnegan Health Services carries a wide range of home medical supplies and equipment, but it specializes in disposable supplies for catheters, incontinence, ostomy and nutritionals.

Medicaid is the biggest payer at Finnegan Health Services' brick-and-mortar location here. The provider has about 3,000 customers and revenues of $4 million to $5 million, says Davis.

“We try to be down home and friendly,” she said. “When they call in, we know who they are.”