A Note From the President, August 2026: A Pattern We're Seeing Across Healthcare

Published in Member Communities on September 02, 2026

By Lindy Tentinger, President, VGM & Associates

One of my favorite questions to ask providers is this:

What business are you really in?

The answers usually come quickly. Home medical equipment. Respiratory care. Complex rehab. Sleep. Accessibility.

And those answers are all true.

But the longer I spend in this industry, the more I find myself thinking about that question differently.

Early in my career, I probably would have answered it by talking about products, reimbursement, operations, contracts, and service lines. Those things matter. They always will.

But over the past year, as I've spent time with providers, referral sources, manufacturers, and industry leaders, I've noticed a pattern that keeps surfacing.

Patients feel overwhelmed.

Referral sources feel overwhelmed.

Employees feel overwhelmed.

And everyone is trying to do important work inside an increasingly complex healthcare system.

At first, those may sound like different challenges. But the more conversations I have, the more I wonder if they're actually the same conversation.

People are looking for confidence.

They are looking for clarity.

They are looking for partners who can help them navigate complexity.

What Patients Are Really Trying to Do

Nobody wakes up hoping they need a wheelchair. Nobody is excited to need oxygen. Nobody wants a hospital bed in their living room. And nobody gets excited about wearing a CPAP mask every night.

Patients don't really want equipment.

They want what the equipment makes possible.

A wheelchair means being able to attend a grandchild's ball game.

Oxygen means having the confidence to leave the house, spend time with family, and continue living life on your own terms.

A CPAP machine means waking up rested, improving your health, and reducing risks that could impact your future.

A hospital bed means comfort, safety, dignity, and healing.

The equipment is important, but it is rarely the thing patients care about most.

What they're really trying to regain is independence, mobility, confidence, safety, or quality of life.

That distinction changes how we think about the work.

Because once we understand what patients are trying to achieve, we start paying attention to more than just the product. We think about education, communication, support, and whether a patient feels prepared for what comes next.

Patients may not remember every product detail, but they often remember how they were treated when they needed help.

What Referral Sources Are Looking For

The same idea applies to referral partners.

Hospitals, physician practices, case managers, discharge planners, and care coordinators are balancing staffing shortages, increasing administrative demands, and growing patient volumes.

What strikes me is that nobody is asking for more complexity.

Nobody is asking for another portal.

Another handoff.

Another form.

Another layer of confusion.

What referral sources seem to value most is confidence.

Confidence that the referral will be handled well.

Confidence that communication will happen.

Confidence that the patient will receive the right care and support.

Think about a discharge planner trying to get a patient home before the end of the day. They're not simply looking for a supplier. They're looking for confidence that the patient will be taken care of.

Or think about a physician's office that sends referrals every week. The providers that earn trust are often the ones that communicate clearly, follow through consistently, and solve problems before they become bigger problems.

Trust creates confidence.

And confidence makes an already complex process feel more manageable.

What We Are Hearing From Members

One of the things I enjoy most about my role is the opportunity to spend time with providers of all sizes and specialties.

Over the past year, I've noticed many members asking different questions.

Instead of asking only, "What equipment do we sell?" they are also asking:

"What problem are we solving?"

"What obstacle is standing between our customers and success?"

"Where do people feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain?"

I hear those questions from family-owned providers, regional providers, and national organizations alike.

What seems to be emerging is a broader recognition that products matter, but experiences matter too.

The providers I talk with are spending more time thinking about communication, education, workflow, patient confidence, referral relationships, and employee experience.

Not because the work has become easier.

But because helping people navigate complexity has become more important.

Looking Through a Different Lens

What changes if you think of yourself as being in the trust business?

The confidence business?

The education business?

The navigation business?

There isn't necessarily a right answer.

But different perspectives often uncover different opportunities.

Because where we focus influences where we invest, what we improve, and how we define success.

Sometimes the biggest opportunity isn't selling more.

Sometimes it's helping people move through something difficult with greater clarity and confidence.

A Final Thought

As I look across our industry, I continue to see the same pattern.

Patients are looking for confidence.
Referral sources are looking for confidence.
Employees are looking for clarity.

And providers are working hard to deliver all three in a healthcare environment that continues to become more complex.

That complexity isn't going away. Regulations, technology, documentation requirements, staffing challenges, and patient expectations will continue to evolve.

But maybe that's exactly why this matters.

In a complex environment, one of the most valuable things any organization can do is help people navigate that complexity successfully.

Patients are trying to get back to something that matters.

Referral sources are trying to make sure patients receive the care they need.

Employees are trying to do meaningful work in systems that don't always make it easy.

When we understand that, we make different decisions. We communicate differently. We invest differently. And ultimately, we create different experiences for the people who depend on us.

If I had to summarize the pattern I'm seeing in one sentence, it would be this:

The organizations creating the most value today are helping people achieve important outcomes while navigating complexity with greater confidence.

That is a trend worth paying attention to.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and your perspective.

Lindy Tentinger
President, VGM & Associates

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