Reliable Respiratory 'quarterbacks' its path to success

NORWOOD, Mass. - Reliable Respiratory no longer considers itself a DME company, a mindset it is using as it ramps up growth, says Eric Mongeau, vice president of sales and marketing.

“We are truly a care management company, we are a data company,” he said. “We really feel like we are leveraging the patient population and the relationship we are creating with payers to serve more patients and it becomes very easy to scale the organization.”

While most of that growth has been organic, the provider in June acquired Mount Auburn Hospital DME in Cambridge, Mass., with whom they had an established relationship in both provider and consulting roles, said Mongeau.

The family-owned company started in 1991 and has grown from 21 employees and one office to more than 120 employees serving New England with locations in Springfield and Worcester, Mass.; Merrimack, N.H.; White River Junction, Vt.; and South Portland, Maine. Reliable Respiratory offers sleep therapy, ventilation, oxygen, nebulizers and breast pumps.

Despite its growth, the company strives to retain its family-values mindset, offering high-touch, quality care, said Mongeau.

“We use very high-level data, technology and efficiencies for operations and business, but we treat every patient like a member of the family,” he said. “We use RTs to do set-ups in the home. It's an expense we feel is worthwhile and will provide the highest level of patient compliance.”

That in turn, allows Reliable Respiratory to educate payers on the role data plays in keeping costs to the healthcare system down, said Mongeau. Over the next several quarters, the provider wants to work with health plans and large physician groups on data integration.

“Many times we are finding those groups aren't even prepared to digest the data,” he said. “As long as we have the data, we can work with them to set up programs and protocols. It puts us in the quarterback position in the relationship and that's a position we are fine being in.”