By Aleasha Sandley, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ANDERSON — When Dante Phillips took over the medical supply business that now is on the campus of Saint John’s Medical Center, glucose meters for diabetics were the size of a shoebox and CPAP machines used to treat sleep apnea were bulky tabletop devices.
After 25 years, two name changes and two location moves, the business — now known as Saint John’s Medical Supplies — now sells cell-phone sized glucose meters, and CPAP machines have become more portable.
“Manufacturers have made a real attempt to make things more user-friendly and less institutional-looking,” Saint John’s Medical Supplies Medical Equipment Specialist Randy McVey said. McVey has worked on and off for the company since his brother and sister-in-law, Dick and Rosemary McVey, started McVey’s Hospital and Sick Room Supplies.
This week, Saint John’s Medical Supplies will celebrate its 25th birthday since Saint John’s and Phillips — then Saint John’s materials manager — took over McVey’s Hospital and Sick Room Supplies on March 3, 1985.
“I had to think about it a little bit,” Phillips said of the time he spent pondering whether to become the shop’s director. “I didn’t know a lot about this industry, but I was excited about it after I thought about it.
“We’ve been growing ever since.”
When Saint John’s first took over the shop, it employed five people and was situated in a house on 11th Street, where workers, including Randy McVey, had to carry customers in wheelchairs up two flights of stairs to allow them to shop or pick up their medical equipment.
Shortly after, the store moved to Brown Street, where it stayed for 10 years, and was renamed McVey Medical. When Saint John’s built its current Ambulatory Services Building, 2020 Meridian St., in 1995, McVey Medical moved there and once again changed its name, this time to Saint John’s Medical Supplies.
“We’ve also expanded our service a lot throughout the years,” Phillips said. “We have increased our presence in central Indiana.”
Saint John’s Medical Supplies now sells CPAP machines and related items in four locations throughout the state, including Anderson, Kokomo, Indianapolis and Noblesville. It keeps other products in medical facilities such as the orthopedic department associated with Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Central Indiana Orthopedics and MedOne in Anderson and St. Vincent Mercy Hospital in Elwood.
Saint John’s Medical Supplies now employs 32 workers. Its No. 1 line is sleep apnea products, followed by diabetic supplies, braces, respiratory products, mobility aids and aids to daily living. The shop also sells uniforms, shoes and diagnostic tools. Some products must be purchased with a doctor’s order and can be billed to insurance, while others are sold as retail.
The store’s wheelchair inventory has grown from three or four types in 1985 to 300-400 styles of chairs to fit anyone’s needs. It has trained professionals and certified fitters to help women needing breast prostheses or breast-cancer bras, and offers rentals and service on some of its equipment.
Phillips said he often hears from customers that they are surprised with the store’s inventory, and many had not previously known about Saint John’s Medical Supplies.
“People have said we’re the best kept secret in Madison County,” Randy McVey said.
Helping people who need medical supplies is rewarding and a huge reason Phillips has staying in the business for 25 years, he said.
“I still get chills when I get to do something special for someone,” Randy McVey said. “We have to do it right the first time for the good of the customer, and it makes us more efficient. It’s a good place to work, very rewarding.”
Saint John’s Medical Supplies will have a celebration commemorating its 25 years from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the store. Employees will give away prizes, including $2,500 worth of products from the store and a grand prize of a lift chair. The Ambulatory Services Building will have health vendors and exhibitors in the hallways, who also will do giveaways, including a heart scan, mammogram and blood pressure screenings.
Participants in the celebration will be treated to cake, refreshments, discounts and a commemorative gift.
“That’s part of why we’re doing this is to thank the public for their support for the last 25 years,” Phillips said.
Contact Aleasha Sandley: 640-4805, aleasha.sandley@heraldbulletin.com.
