'We're still just scratching the surface,' says longtime provider

VICKSBURG, Miss. – David Hosemann has been in the HME industry so long, he used to get his oxygen from the hardware store. 

“Not too many people in the DME industry today can say that,” said Hoseman, owner of Hometown Medical. “From there to the little POCs we are putting out now, that's how far technology has come.” 

Hosemann was recently recognized by his staff for 40 years of service in the DME industry. Founded in 2002, Hometown Medical offers aids to daily living, mobility, and sleep and respiratory therapy through locations in Vicksburg and Flowood, Miss. 
In 1981, Hosemann, who was newly married and wanted to spend more time with his bride, left his retail job at his aunt and uncle’s NAPA Auto Parts store and lumber business to work at Warren Medical Equipment, a “very, very, very” small DME, he says. 
“I did a lot of reading because DME was not prevalent in 1981,” he said. “It was misunderstood back then and I did a lot of research on products and medical conditions when I wasn’t delivering hospital beds or wheelchairs or oxygen.” 
It was that penchant for research that kept him in the industry. After 10 years, Hosemann questioned whether he could support his family long term. Then he started analyzing what the market would look like around 2000. 
“I told my wife, ‘Folks are going to get older and these baby boomers, like me, are going to have needs and somebody’s got to be here to service those needs,’” he said. 
While technology has made leaps and bounds since 1981, DME is still misunderstood 40 years later, says Hosemann. 
“DME has been the best kept secret for years and years, and we’re still just scratching the surface,” he said. “I’d like the (health care industry) to recognize what we do, how fast we do it, and understand this is a worthy cost-saving mechanism for the whole health care system.”