HME Home Health embraces ‘different’

RICHMOND, British Columbia – HME Home Health Ltd. was included in the Globe and Mail’s “Canada’s Top Growing Companies 2022” in September, an accomplishment made possible by its leadership team completely re-imagining the rehab and accessibility markets, resulting in a 91% increase in revenue over three years. 

With revenues of $10 million to $25 million in 2021, HME Home Health was ranked at 340 out of 430 companies across Canada and is the first home medical equipment company to make the list.  

“In 2012, we purchased a small, one-location company and have taken great strides over the past 10 years to modernize and build the company from the ground up,” said Robert Boscacci, co-founder and CEO. “We noticed the industry was slow moving, so we prioritized innovation and efficiencies through processes and technologies. We asked ourselves, how can we get products out faster? How can we meet our client’s needs more efficiently and effectively? For us, the answer was to invest in people and technologies to meet these goals.”  

Boscacci purchased HealthLinc Medical Equipment Ltd., which employed six at the time, with Cameron Fleming, co-founder and chief intelligence officer. Both had extensive entrepreneurial experience in the real estate and construction markets. The company was renamed and rebranded as HME Home Health in 2021. 

HME’s approach to the market revolves around leveraging as much technology as possible – from using a customer relationship management system for sales to an expense management system for pre-accounting to iPads for deliveries to online ordering for prescribers. 

“When we joined the industry 10 years ago, we were shocked to see a fax machine,” Boscacci said. “We came from finance where everything is digital. We’ve worked closely with our funders, agencies and prescribers, and where we sit right now is 85% of orders are coming in electronically.” 

HME has taken it upon itself to drive the transition to online ordering because the company sees it as a necessity, not a nicety. 

“When a client is in the hospital and needs discharging, there is an urgency to provide equipment to get people home,” Boscacci said. “There is nothing to be proud of if it takes 12 weeks for equipment to come in. Client’s need same-day or next day and technology, coupled with efficiently managed inventory is key. We saw the industry going in the wrong direction, and we think it’s critical over the next 10 years that if you don’t get this right, you’re not going to be in business.” 

Another reason HME, which now employs 120, has prioritized technology is to attract a younger workforce.   

“The average age of our team is 27,” Boscacci said. “We get that younger foundation by using technology.” 

Looking ahead, HME has two new tech platforms under development around improving inventory management and order-to-lead time. In addition, the company looks to further expand its presence in British Columbia and beyond. 

“We have about 85% of BC’s entire population covered from six locations, and in the next two-to-four years, we expect to continue to expand,” Boscacci said. “We’re in the process of opening two new locations in North Vancouver and Kelowna and see much more growth in the years to come.”