Page 42 - HME Business, November/December 2022

Observation Deck
Rose Schafhauser
What is the Value of Belonging?
Getting involved with your state or regional association offers a variety of rewards beyond protecting our businesses and patients.
Over the last month, I have participated in national events for our industry that brought together state, regional and nation- al Association leaders together throughout the country for the purpose of bringing more attention to the work being done at the Associations to promote engagement.
At Medtrade East, held Oct. 24-26 in Atlanta, Association leaders and AAHomecare hosted “State Straight Talk” in the exhibit hall. Providers participated in regional update sessions at a designated time to find out from Association leaders what was being worked on in their respective states, whether it was state legislative efforts or working with Medicaid agencies and other state payers.
Last month, VGM Government Relations hosted a face-to-face “State Leaders Summit 2022” that was a day and a half of collaborating with state and regional association leaders. A significant discussion topic was how to get more providers engaged on the state level and to join their respective association?
With so much work being done within the associations to develop resources and have opportunities to work together to affect changes in policies and reimbursement, it is difficult to hear of the struggles of get- ting members. The discussion ultimately turns to how can we get more providers to join the associations?
The Obvious Answer
As I thought about how to answer this question, I was brought back to the old Smokey the Bear commercials of my youth, with Smokey the Bear constantly reminding us: “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!”
And if you are not an active member of your state or regional associa- tion, you are not helping the industry prevent and put out the forest fires potentially burning our industry to the ground.
Moreover, the outcomes of fighting the raging fire alone versus fight- ing together as one voice are significantly different! And we need every provider on the front lines, fighting together to extinguish the fires we face as a DME industry!
Advocacy’s Tangible Upsides
As a former HME provider business employee who worked my way up from being the only billing person of a single location to becoming the general manager of that company that had grown to four locations, I always credited my rise to being very active in my state and national associations.
I was a sponge and learned so much from the members who were alongside me in the fight. They gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to push myself to be on top of the issues; to join the legisla- tive fight when the opportunity was there; and to push for changes that were affecting our ability to take care of our customers.
However, the biggest benefit was and still is the networking side of association membership. As a young woman leading a large DME, it was the discussions over lunch at an event or in a committee meeting,
simply talking about the issues I was facing on a day-to-day operations basis with my peers.
Today, I hear this at every association event and in every committee meeting: “The information and education I receive networking with my peers is a critical piece of being a member of the association.”
Bottom line: I loved being an active member of the association! And, when the opportunity arose to run associations for my fellow HME providers, I dove in headfirst!
An Advocacy Deep Dive
For the last 23 years, I have had my dream job of owning my business, Association Management LLC, and serving as the executive director of the Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services (MAMES) and the Southwest Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (SWMESA), formerly Arizona Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (SWMESA).
I have been fortunate to be in the association world, which lets me work alongside outstanding members every single day. I have seen lifelong friendships develop and even our first upcoming wedding! I have seen business successes and failures. I have seen huge legislative and regulatory wins because members banded together, brought their stories to the front lines and put out the flames of regulatory and legisla- tive madness.
There’s Still Work to Be Done
But I always wonder, what could we accomplish if every provider was a member, if every provider sent just one person to our events or to the Capitol, or made that call to their representative?
The work being done today by the HME industry’s associations is such a vital cog in keeping our members in the loop and current as
we fight alongside each other to protect our industry, our businesses and the communities we serve from those who want to continue to
cut reimbursement, reduce the quality of products and services, and reduce the number of providers available to service those who need our services so desperately.
Bearing that in mind, please let us know what we can do to show you the value of belonging to your state or regional association.
Rose Schafhauser is the executive director of the Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Supplies & Services (MAMES) and the Southwest Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (SWMESA). She also provides administrative services for the National Suppliers Clearinghouse Advisory Committee (NSCAC), the Jurisdiction A Council, the Region
B Council, the Jurisdiction C Council, and chairs the State Leaders Council for the American Association for Homecare. She is a 30-plus year industry veteran and her background includes the operation of a $17 million-dollar, four-location HME operation. And she is a diehard Minnesota Vikings fanatic.
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