New biz: I Love Lucy's

WINDSOR, Colo. - As an 18-year-old HME patient, Lucy Sodre learned how critical the right equipment is to the recovery process. At 21, she began working for a Miami-based provider. As Medicare guidelines started tightening up and patients began finding it harder to obtain coverage for needed equipment, she found herself no longer able to stomach it.

“I was not happy calling a patient in the hospital and telling them their insurance doesn't consider them covered,” said Sodre, owner of I Love Lucy's Home Medical Supply in Windsor, Colo. “That was heartbreaking for me.”

Sodre switched gears for several years, but when she and her husband relocated to Colorado, she was encouraged to try again, this time launching her own retail location in August. She spoke with HME News recently about HME News about her business philosophy and why she has to refrain from stopping strangers on the street.

HME News:What attracted you to the HME industry?

Lucy Sodre:I fell in love with everything that has to do with helping people who are going through a daily struggle, from the simplest things like putting on your shoes to walking again. Giving someone a product that really helps makes a huge difference.

HME:What was your personal experience with HME?

Sodre:When I was 18, I was diagnosed with a tumor in my throat, and then we realized the thyroid was involved, as well. I was discharged with four drainage bags on my neck and would get reflux. I had to rely on lift chairs and I couldn't sleep flat. No one could help me or give me the education I needed. The first company that delivered the lift chair never asked me my height and weight, so the first chair was for someone who weighed 400 pounds.

HME:How does that impact how you serve customers today?

Sodre:I feel like stopping every person I see and saying “Your walker is not adjusted properly.” I see it every day. In our store, if you come in and you want a cane, I ask you what side is your weakest. I measure it for you. We are not here just to sell you something—we are here to give you what you need to get you through your day.