Rooted Together

Written By: Brent Allen

WOW. I thought 2020 would never end. It was a year filled with distress, disappointments, and major inconveniences. It was a year where our country became divided like never before. It was a year where our economy struggled as many businesses were forced to close. Normal life was interrupted and became little more than masks and social distancing. For most of the year, I personally felt trapped in circumstances that I had little control over. Needless to say, it was a very discouraging year. However, deep inside, I knew that the hardships resulting from these circumstances would either make me bitter or make me better...the choice was up to me. I quickly learned that it was in my best interest to remain optimistic and accept what couldn’t be changed. We are now well into a new year. Unfortunately, we are not over the disruptions and the uncertainties. But we will get through it, and we will become stronger.

I recently read about a robin that built her nest in a wreath that hung on a family’s front door. The mother bird flew to and from her nest many times a day. But one day, the bird came in for a landing just as the front door opened. Instead of finding her nest...she flew right into the house. The bird became frightened and frantic. The family did all they could to set her free, but the robin didn’t realize they were trying to help. The distraught robin flew deeper into the house. She could not find her way to freedom. Finally, a young family member came to her rescue. He shut all of the windows and turned off all of the lights inside the house. He opened the front door as wide as possible and turned on the porch light. Within seconds, the bird found her way to freedom. This little example begs us to ask the question, can we see the light that will get us through this turmoil? Perhaps the following analogy will, in part, answer that question.

My wife and I own a cabin in the mountain range just east of Salt Lake City. Our cabin is surrounded by numerous aspens. The aspen trees are tall, magnificent, and majestic. The leaves are thick and green during the summer offering wonderful seclusion and privacy. The leaves turn bright yellow in the fall, offering a gorgeous contrast with the backdrop of a deep blue azure sky. In December, the trees transition into a spectacular winter wonderland. I love how the aspens contribute to the beauty of our mountain home.

Each aspen tree is a part of a huge community. Above the ground, each tree may appear solitary and strong in its beauty and majesty. Yet if we could see deeply, below the ground, we would find that each tree is connected with its neighbors through an enormous root system. An aspen gets its strength from its connection with the aspens that surround it. Likewise, each of us gets our strength from those around us. I often think about the Med One community. At Med One, we depend on one another. None of us are alone. We are like the aspen tree. We share common roots. This is the glue that holds us together. We function together as a team. When we experience victories, we all celebrate. When we suffer defeats, we all feel the pain and disappointment. Through the years, we have learned that it takes the entire Med One community to achieve our successes. We are ALL about making customers happy, and it takes ALL of us to do it.

Responding to a rental equipment request is the perfect example of a team effort. It requires a coordinated effort from all of our people. Any breakdown or mistake reflects negatively on Med One. We are only as strong as our weakest link. This is why we demand that all of our employees embrace and adhere to The Med One Way.

"We depend on one another. That’s where we get our strength."

First – A rental request begins with having an adequate inventory of medical equipment that is available for rental. We have a team who has been assigned the responsibility to determine our equipment needs. They accomplish this through Observant Listening...a critical component of The Med One Way. They listen carefully to our customers who we serve. They listen to our sales reps in the field. They invite recommendations, and then they act with wisdom and professionalism. We are all counting on them to make wise and prudent decisions.

OUR EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION TEAM IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR MED ONE COMMUNITY.

Second - We rely heavily on a very competent biomed team. Their job is to have our equipment clean, patient-ready, and functioning properly. They do this by embracing the following principle – Do it right...the first time and every time. This is The Med One Way. As a company, we depend on them to make us look good. We expect our equipment to be second to none, and we consistently achieve this expectation. This happens only because we have a very special biomed team who acts with pride and discipline.

OUR BIOMED TEAM IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR MED ONE COMMUNITY.

Third - We rely on an incredibly talented sales team. I love the adage, “Good, Better, and Best.” At Med One, we only hire the Best. Our sales team functions on the principle of Integrity...the core of The Med One Way. We know they will never rob their character to enrich their pockets because their primary focus is on what is best for our customers. This special group of individuals spends most of their time Building Relationships...a critical component of The Med One Way. As a company, we trust that they will continue to persevere, build solid relationships, and expand the demand for our equipment.

OUR SALES TEAM IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR MED ONE COMMUNITY.

Next - When there is a request for rental equipment, we rely on a very dedicated group of people known as our operations team. They have been trained to provide exceptional customer service. Key to their responsibilities is Responsiveness. Day or night, holidays or weekends – this team is on it. Responding in a timely manner is The Med One Way. Our drivers are a huge component of this team. Rain, snow, winds, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes will not deter them from their mission. They are determined to get medical equipment to our customers. Whether late in the evening or early morning when most people are still sleeping...our team is hard at work. They are alert and focused on responding to a rental request. On one occasion, a competitor could not get to a hospital because of a California wildfire. This did not hinder our Med One team. Somehow our drivers found a way. They went Above and Beyond to deliver medical equipment designed to save lives. Why? Because this is The Med One Way. We are all counting on our operations team to impress our customers in such a way that they will want to use us again and again.

"We are like the aspen tree. We share common roots. This is the glue that holds us together. We function together as a team. When we experience victories, we all celebrate. When we suffer defeats, we all feel the pain and disappointment."

OUR OPERATIONS TEAM IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF OUR MED ONE COMMUNITY.

Finally, we cannot over-look our support people. Our Marketing team is committed to Innovative and Creative solutions. Our IT team is constantly working to build systems that support our objectives. Our Accounting, Billing, and Sales Support teams work diligently in their efforts to keep things efficient and Simple. Our HR team works diligently to find and retain employees who possess Integrity and demonstrate Teamwork. These are the attributes that make up The Med One Way.

OUR SUPPORT TEAMS ARE CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF OUR MED ONE COMMUNITY.

Each day we rely on one another to effectively support our mission...Making Medical Equipment Available. Like the majestic aspen trees, Med One is a united community. We have different backgrounds, and we share different perspectives in life. Nevertheless, we are a bunch of people looking after each other. We share common roots. We depend on one another. That’s where we get our strength. I have been with Med One since its inception 30 years ago. We have experienced our share of ups and downs, but never before have we been so strong. Never before has the future looked so bright. Today, I stand proud! I am proud to be a small part of this great Med One community. I am proud to be a part of a company that has clearly made a difference. I am proud to be a part of a company whose equipment has saved lives. I am proud to embrace what we call The Med One Way. May I express my heartfelt thanks to our entire staff for allowing these practices to guide your lives. We will never falter as long as we align our actions with the principles encompassed in The Med One Way.