Kittitas Medical ‘leans’ into growth

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Kittitas Medical Supply has moved into a larger space, reflecting the provider’s growing success since opening in 2016. 

The new store, located on the well-traveled main street of this college town, features a 1,500 square-foot showroom, in addition to office space and fitting rooms, says Erik Mickelson, CEO of sister company Howard’s Medical, which has locations in Yakima and Sunnyside, and Howard’s Drug & Medical Supply, which has a location in Selah. 

“We’ve done this for 16 years, so knew exactly what we were looking for – where do we put CPAP fitting rooms, where do we put shoes,” he said. “All of that came into play when we built this, and we could not have asked for a better location.” 

Kittitas Medical Supply is a full-line HME store. In addition to CPAP devices and therapeutic shoes, the provider offers oxygen and mobility equipment. 

The local community depends on Kittitas Medical Supply, which borrows its name from Kittitas County, says Mickelson. 

“We are the only medical supply store in a 35-mile radius, so it made complete sense to carry everything,” he said. “No one knows who Howard’s is (here), so we purposely made the decision to rename (this location) Kittitas because everyone understands that.” 

Mickelson attributes the success of Howard’s to its “philosophy” of evolving. Even amid the current public health emergency, the company hasn’t slowed down. 

“We really strive to evolve and that’s enabled us to pivot, not only during COVID, but when there’s cutbacks or insurance problems,” he said. “The HME and respiratory business is alive and well, and if anything, it’s expanding left and right. Lean into it.”