When Money magazine ranked Fort Collins, Colo, as "America's Best Place to Live," I wondered: Does a town like that have the HME infrastructure to match? Money played up Fort Collins' reputation as an outdoor lovers' paradise with great schools, but what if I needed a CPAP provider with knowledge and compassion?

When I visited Market Centre Medical Equipment & Supplies (a division of Columbine Health Systems) in Fort Collins, I found a modest storefront and a gracious tour guide in Eric A. Taylor, the general manager. Wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a broad smile, Taylor commenced a walking tour that quickly demonstrated that the humble storefront was merely the start of a massive operation. Long hallways revealed rooms for billing, strategy, and training. From there we went to the cavernous warehouse with pallets stacked high and delivery trucks waiting.

All this can, of course, be found in many cities throughout America, but Market Centre takes it perhaps a step further. Within the complex, relationships with rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities, independent living apartments, and nursing homes all form an integrated whole. From a business standpoint, many of these entities are separate. But mentally and geographically, these facilities work together in a close manner that puts the patient first, knowing that revenue will follow. "Most nursing homes look great at the front door but not so great at the back," says Taylor. "So I like to take unannounced visitors through the back door of our nursing home because it is spotless."

If you're deciding where you want your mother to go and where to get her medical supplies, this is precisely what you want to hear. In fact, Taylor's obvious enthusiasm for his job is inspirational.

And speaking of inspiration, you can pick up a dose by reading Battling the Beast Within by David T. Williams, retired from Invacare and now a consultant for political/legislative strategy. The book, available on Amazon.com (with all royalties benefiting the Cleveland Clinic Foundation), documents Williams' continuing struggle with multiple sclerosis (MS), an insidious disease that brings seizure-like episodes of spasticity, life-threatening blood clots, severe bladder damage, and a diabolical variety of neuropathic pains. But don't be fooled, because this book is not a litany of miseries. Instead, it radiates honesty, realism, and a profound passion for life.

For 3 years now, HME Today readers have found that enthusiasm in the regular Our Turn column, which Williams cowrites with Cara C. Bachenheimer, JD, director of government relations for Invacare Corp. In these times of legislative uncertainty, a little inspiration can go a long way indeed.

Greg Thompson

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