Revenue growth FY 2015 to 2017: 65%
What it does: Rehab Medical provides equipment—complex power wheelchairs, wound-therapy products, beds, some orthotics, and a range of mobility devices—needed for rehabilitation. President Kevin Gearheart said if someone has multiple sclerosis or ALS and needs a complex rehab wheelchair, the company works with the physician, patient, physical therapist, equipment manufacturer and insurance company to provide the necessary equipment and handle the requisite paperwork.
A tough industry: Gearheart said anyone who’s dealt with insurance companies and the requirements necessary to receive medical service knows how helpful it is to have someone in their corner. “We’re the experts to try to navigate that whole process. When it works, there’s nothing better than seeing a success story. And we enjoy that we can be part of the process. On the flip side, it can be frustrating. But as I say whenever anyone gets frustrated, that’s why we have a job. That’s why we’re needed.”
Company history: Rehab Medical started as part of a larger company called Orbit Medical, which specialized in providing oxygen and standard wheelchairs. Gearheart said CEO Patrick McGinley “was the visionary who saw the direction the company should take.” Gearheart, who had been working for Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care, came in and helped build the infrastructure.
Service-oriented: Gearheart said that, since insurance sets the prices and companies that provide these kinds of services all buy from the same manufacturers, the way Rehab Medical differentiates itself from its competition is service, speed and compassion. “This business is so service-driven, and the ability to get a patient a piece of equipment quickly and efficiently is really tough,” he said. “Some patients have to wait six months. We’re able to do that in half the time.”
Looking to expand: Rehab Medical is in 13 states now, and Gearheart said the company wants to have a national presence. Whether that happens organically or through acquisitions has yet to be decided, but “the reason we have been so successful and able to grow at the rate we have is that we focus on structure and focus on people.”
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