The VGM Group has selected Barbara Smith, chief executive officer of Healthline Medical Equipment Inc. as the winner of the 2017 HME Woman of the Year award, which was presented to her at a ceremony held at last week’s Medtrade event in Atlanta.
Smith was one of four finalists selected from 38 nominees. The other three finalists were Lelia Wilkerson, director of Heritage Medical Equipment & Supplies; Rita Stanley, vice president of Government Relations for Sunrise Medical; and Maxine Paul, director of sales and operations for NuMotion, and formerly owner of Academy Medical Equipment Inc.
“I feel blessed that my contributions have been recognized by my peers, family and staff,” Smith said. “There are so many women out there doing great things in our industry, and it’s an honor just to be nominated.”
“On behalf of VGM, I am proud to present the HME Woman of the Year award to Barbara,” said Mike Mallaro, CEO of the VGM Group. “First and foremost, Barbara is a leader. She has earned the respect and admiration of the people in her company, the referral sources and patients she and her company serve and her competitors and peers across the industry. She exemplifies the dedication and innovation required to evolve her business.”
Smith has worked in the HME industry for 27 years, 25 of which have been at Healthline. Under her direction, the Wichita Falls, Texas-based company has expanded from three locations to 12 with 196 total employees. During that time, Smith has been a powerful advocate for the industry on the state and national levels, and is serving as president of the newly formed state association, TX MEP, which she helped create.
The HME Woman of the Year award was created by VGM Group, Inc. For more information about the award, visit www.vgm.com/HMEWomanoftheYear.