Mission Statement
Alpine Home Medical Equipment is dedicated to serving, supporting and improving the lives of our customers, our employees and community.
History
Alpine started in 1997 with one employee and has grown over 100. Alpine employs a full-time customer service and billing staff capable of meeting the needs of our customers. An on-call emergency service team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. An additional seven delivery vehicles have been added to the fleet to meet customer needs. This rate of growth is uncommon in the durable medical equipment industry, without acquisitions and mergers.
In the past fourteen years, Alpine has expanded its showroom locations to include Ogden, Provo, St. George and Logan. The Salt Lake City showroom is 4,000 square-feet of a diversified range of home health care services and products. “This is one of the best showrooms in the state.” commented Dan Meuser, President of Pride Mobility Products, during a visit to Alpine Home Medical’s new showroom. We are also proud to announce a new building in Provo that is currently in production. We are expecting our soft opening late Spring, 2011.
What sets Alpine apart from their competitors is product selection and variety of services. Alpine carries lift chairs, wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs, respiratory equipment, bathroom safety equipment, and other mobility devices. Services unique to Alpine include a repair shop and vehicle installation shop. All this and more is available in inviting showrooms that provide customers and caretakers a relaxing atmosphere to make important decisions.
Alpine also contributes to strengthening the community by donating medical equipment to a variety of events and organizations. Alpine has donated dozens of wheelchairs to Scout functions, museums, senior center events, and community humanitarian aid events with wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches.
The Joint Commission conducted an on-site evaluation of Alpine Home Medical on September 22, 2006 and awarded the certificate on November 13, 2006. The award of accreditation recognizes Alpine’s dedication to comply with the Joint Commission’s state-of-the-art standards on a continuous basis.
Alpine HME’s History Highlight:
- Started with one employee and two investment partners in 1997
- Became independently owned and operated in 2003
- Seven branches in five different geographical locations
- Largest Independent Home Medical Equipment Dealer in the State of Utah
- Opened Provo Branch in 2001
- Opened Ogden Branch in 2005
- Opened St. George Branch 2006
- Opened Service Center Branch in 2007
- Opened Web Branch in 2009
- Opened Logan Branch in 2009
- 125+ employees in 2012
- Over the last 5 years Alpine HME has grown nearly 200%
Customer Satisfaction
Alpine HME has received a 93% satisfaction rate company wide for its customer service.
Quality Products
We only buy from manufacturers with the highest standards of quality in order to provide the best product for our customers. The following are a few of the major manufactures we contract with:
Skilled Professionals
- 6 – ATP’s Assistive Technology Professionals(ATPs), the highest number of ATPs in Utah
- 3 – Respiratory Therapists
HME Membership
- 2005 – present UTMED, Vice President
- May 7, 2003 – present VGM, Elite VGM Member
- December 28, 2005 – present MED Group, Full Service Member
- November 2006 – present MED University, Full Service Member
- February 1, 2007 – present MED Certified Repair Center, Gold Member
- December 28, 2005 – present MED Group Em Trak, Full Service Member
- December 28, 2005 – present Manager Care Referral, Full Service Member
- February 7, 2007 – present Respiratory Network, Full Service Member
- May 11, 2007 – present Traveling Oxygen, Full Service Member
- January, 2008 – present AA Homecare, Full Service Member
Certifications and Awards
2011 – National Winner – Best Home Medical Equipment Provider, award given by HME News
- 2009, 2010 and 2011 – Best of State award, Utah
- 2009 – Excellence Award, MED Group’s National Respiratory Network Out of 136 respiratory networks in the nation award given to top 12
- 2008 – Provider Certification for Highest Quality Standards, Pride Mobility Products Corp.
- 2008 – President’s Award for Top Sales in the National Network, Bruno Independent Living Aids
- 2007 – Provider Certification for Highest Quality Standards, Pride Mobility Products Corp.
- 2007 – President’s Award for Top Sales in the State of Utah, Bruno Independent Living Aids
Joint Commission Accredited
Alpine HME is recognized as a Joint Commissioned accredited business by meeting quality standards through training, organization, and operations. Alpine HME submitted a detailed proposal and was inspected by The Joint Commission subsequently receiving their Joint Commission Seal of Approval in September, 2006. Once accredited, Alpine HME must perform annual audits based on adherence to the Joint Commission’s quality standards. For example, The Joint Commission requires Alpine HME to identify safety risks in the patient’s home and warn them about them about such hazards.
Innovation
Marketing Strategies
One of Alpine HME’s many competitive advantages is its nontraditional marketing efforts. There are three different ways Alpine HME accomplishes this; first-radio branding and marketing, second-Alpine HME’s jingle, and third-showroom design and layout.
New Entities
Web Branch
- Created a web site for online purchases
- Established a method of resupplying patients with necessary items such as CPAP supplies and compression stockings
- Patients receive reminder calls or emails that their equipment is due for resupply
Lean
Alpine HME has adopted a Lean culture. The simple definition of Lean is: Continuous Improvement and the Elimination of Waste. The Lean process aims to improve processes by eliminating extra steps or “non-value-added” steps and looks for ways to simplify processes, thus increasing efficiency and lowering the chance for errors. Alpine HME is committed to providing the highest level of customer service and continually looks to identify ways to improve and create more value for customers.
Through hands on “Kaizen” events scheduled throughout 2009, Alpine HME allows its employees to combine efforts and knowledge to identify problems, create solutions, and implement changes to the current processes.
Since adopting and training the staff on Lean Principles, significant growth and progress have resulted. The company has created a new team by taking members of two different teams and merging them. This new team is called the Revenue Qualification Team (RQ Team). The team verifies information from insurance companies and physicians. They focus on quality control ensuring that all documentation is accurate for billing purposes. This team serves the whole company, which has improved efficiency of the customer service and the accounts receivable departments. The company has also improved its inventory control practices by only ordering products that are needed and ordering products at larger quantities on certain dates of each month. Alpine HME has been able to focus more time on getting what the customers need.
Improving Lives
Alpine HME strives to improve the lives of our customers, employees and community.
Customers
Alpine HME will go the extra mile to meet the needs of our customers. The following is one example of the experience that our customer, Jason Hall, has had working with Alpine HME:
Jason Hall was left a quadriplegic after a tragic diving accident in 1986. After being confined to a power wheelchair, he was told he would never go to college, get married or have a great career. Overcoming many odds placed against him, Jason shares his story with thousands as a professional speaker. When Jason and his wife moved to Utah from Connecticut his chair was not functioning properly. It was 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and all home medical equipment companies he tried to call would not work on his chair. He contacted Alpine HME who provided a service technician to work on his chair until it was fixed. Jason was able to enjoy his independence and his family during the holiday season with a functional power wheelchair. In another instance, Alpine HME went the extra mile for Jason when he had a dysfunctional chair and was scheduled to fly out of town to give a presentation. Three of Alpine HME’s rehabilitation specialists worked until midnight to fix his chair so he would make his flight as planned. Jason says, “I’ll drive by ten different wheelchairs stores driving down from Syracuse (to Salt Lake) because I will only go to Alpine. After what they did to help me on Christmas Eve I will never go anywhere else.”
Employees
Alpine HME strives to improve the lives of its employees, often by employing from within. The following letters are from two Alpine HME employees regarding their experience working at Alpine HME.
Community
Riding For a Reason
Alpine HME created a non-profit organization called “B in Motion” to provide charitable contributions within the healthcare community. “B in Motion” sponsors an annual bike ride called Riding for a Reason to raise proceeds to help children receive specialized rehabilitation equipment.
Alpine Home Medical, with the help of Shriners Hospitals for Children, identifies children who are in need of custom power and manual wheelchairs. Riders included local physicians, therapists, friends of Alpine and members of the Alpine-Cycle Team. A 1.8 mile youth ride left from Sunnyside Park to Guardsman Way and returned back to Sunnyside Park. Adult bikers rode approximately 80 miles, they started at Sunnyside Park (840 S. 1600 E.) and climbed Emigration Canyon and Big Mountain, then dropped down to East Canyon into Henefer, turned around and came back to Sunnyside Park. 100% of the funds raised were used to purchase and properly fit a few children with new customized, power wheelchairs including all administrative and delivery costs.
Tierra Talbot, a teenager at Shriners, was a recipient of a brand new wheelchair. Ken Kozole, Seating and Mobility Coordinator for Shriners explains, “She is going to leave Shriners in the next year and she has never had a brand new chair.” Tierra has cerebral palsy and has been using second-hand chairs through Shriners since she was seven. “This is a great opportunity for her,” Ken remarked. On November 19, 2008, Tierra Talbot received her new custom power wheelchair. “B in Motion” also provided Jacquelyn Barron a custom manual wheelchair and scooter. Jacquelyn is a delightful 14 year old young lady who was diagnosed years ago with spina bifida and severe lordoscoliosis dyplomyleia diastematomyelia. Despite these limitations Jacquelyn is a very positive, energetic young woman who enjoys school and spending time with her friends. With funds from Riding for a Reason, “B in Motion” provided Jacquelyn with a new ultra light weight wheelchair as well as a scooter which she needed for long distances at school.
