June 2026: A Message from President Lindy Tentinger

Published in Member Communities on June 03, 2026

President of VGM & Associates, Lindy TentingerBy Lindy Tentinger, President, VGM & Associates

Recently, I heard a story that I have not been able to shake.

A patient was about to go without the equipment they needed because something small had gone wrong. Missing documentation. A delay that snowballed. They were frustrated and ready to give up.

Someone on the team could have followed the process and moved on. It would have been understandable.

Instead, they stayed on it.

They made the extra call.
They tracked down what was missing.
They pulled in the right people and kept going until it was resolved.

By the end of the day, the patient had what they needed.

No one outside that moment will ever know what it took to make that happen. But for that patient, it changed everything.

And that is what this industry actually runs on.

Not big strategies.
Not big announcements.
Moments like that.

There is something I wish more people in this industry heard more often: The work you do matters more than most people realize.

Not in a generic way. In a very real way that shows up every single day.

Because this industry does not run on strategy. It runs on people.

The Work That Keeps Everything Moving

In home medical equipment and non-acute care, most of what makes things work is not visible. It is:

  • The person answering a frustrated call 
  • The extra minute spent explaining something again
  • The clinician catching what could have been missed
  • The billing team fixing what others never see
  • The operations team keeping everything moving

It is small decisions, made well, over and over again.

Most of the time, no one outside your team sees those moments.

But they are the reason care happens the way it should.

What This Really Means

Patients do not experience policies or workflows.

They experience people.

They remember if someone showed up, followed through, and made something complicated feel manageable.

That is what stays with them. And every role touches that experience. It is easy to lose sight of when things get busy. But it is worth remembering. The small things you do are not small to the person on the other end.

The Part We Do Not Always Say Out Loud

This is not easy work.

There are long days. There are frustrating moments. There are systems that do not always work the way they should.

And most days, you move from one task to the next without stopping to think about the impact.

But inside that reality is something important.

Consistency matters.

Showing up.
Doing things the right way.
Taking care of people when it would be easier not to.

That is what keeps this industry strong.

Why This Month Matters

June gives us a moment to step back.

When people come together, one thing becomes clear: The strength of this industry is not just in what we provide. It is in the people doing the work.

Different roles.
Different responsibilities.
Same commitment to doing what is right.

That is what holds everything together.

A Simple Reminder

Wherever you sit in your organization, this applies.

What you do matters.

The way you show up matters.
The decisions you make matter.
The care you put into your work matters.

Not in theory. In the actual experience someone has when they are relying on you.

A Final Thought

This industry will keep changing, but one thing will not: Care is delivered by people.

And the reason it works, even when it is hard, is because people like you keep showing up and doing the work well.

That is what makes the difference.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and your perspective.

Lindy Tentinger
President, VGM & Associates


TAGS

  1. leadership

From Our Experts

Planning for 2027 When the Ground Is Still Moving thumbnail Planning for 2027 When the Ground Is Still Moving Plan for 2027 with six practical questions to help your HME business reduce friction, manage risk, develop people, and navigate uncertainty. Embrace Your Inner Expert in Ventilation Management thumbnail Embrace Your Inner Expert in Ventilation Management Boone Lockard explains how the new ventilation NCD is elevating providers' roles as clinical partners focused on compliance and patient outcomes. Embrace Your Inner Expert in Ventilation Management thumbnail Embrace Your Inner Expert in Ventilation Management Boone Lockard explains how the new ventilation NCD is elevating providers' roles as clinical partners focused on compliance and patient outcomes. From Opportunity to Action: A More Proactive Approach to RePAP thumbnail From Opportunity to Action: A More Proactive Approach to RePAP Proactive RePAP strategies can help HMEs identify eligible patients, improve outreach, and support replacement opportunities before patients ask. From Opportunity to Action: A More Proactive Approach to RePAP thumbnail From Opportunity to Action: A More Proactive Approach to RePAP Proactive RePAP strategies can help HMEs identify eligible patients, improve outreach, and support replacement opportunities before patients ask. Are Your Ventilator Assets Supporting Growth or Holding It Back? thumbnail Are Your Ventilator Assets Supporting Growth or Holding It Back? Discover how a flexible ventilator asset strategy can reduce risk, improve cash flow, and support growth for respiratory providers. Are Your Ventilator Assets Supporting Growth or Holding It Back? thumbnail Are Your Ventilator Assets Supporting Growth or Holding It Back? Discover how a flexible ventilator asset strategy can reduce risk, improve cash flow, and support growth for respiratory providers. The Leadership Investment That Keeps Paying Dividends thumbnail The Leadership Investment That Keeps Paying Dividends Learn how connecting people to purpose and teaching the “why” builds stronger teams from VGM expert Stephanie Robinson, Director of Billing and Reimbursement.