Southeastern meets 'huge need'

LUMBERTON, N.C. - Southeastern Home Medical Equipment's complex rehab division hosted its first Education Expo in June, a sign of its growth since launching two years ago.

The expo drew almost 40 area clinicians and 12 vendors, including Sunrise Medical, Quantum Rehab, Ki Mobility and Permobil.

“The business is getting bigger by the month,” said Zachary Stamper, manager. “We're doing about 8-15 complex rehab wheelchairs per month, which is pretty good for the minimal staff we have.”

Stamper, who has 10 years of experience in complex rehab, runs the division with Lisa Collins, an ATP.

The expo featured vendor exhibits and a full day of education offering four CEUs, Stamper says.

“Yes, you're looking to build your referral base with an event like this, but we also wanted to educate people on the need for these more complex wheelchairs,” he said. “People around here have a tendency to order standard wheelchairs for everything, but those are for, I broke my leg and I'll be back up on my feet in a few months. You don't know what you don't know.”

The expo went so well, Stamper says there's another in the works for later this year.

“There were people this time who were going to try and make it but didn't make it,” he said. “I think we can get closer to 100 next time.”

Southeastern, which also offers a full line of HME and is owned by Southeastern Health, a nonprofit health system, launched the division to meet a “huge need” in the area, Stamper says.

“We're a rural area closer to the coast,” he said. “When Lisa left one of the national providers, there was no one locally to provide these services.”