Derek Damstra
PresidentCareLinc Medical EquipmentDerek Damstra is President of CareLinc Medical Equipment & Supply, a Grand Rapids, Michigan–based provider that has grown to roughly 50 locations across Michigan, Ohio, and the Southeast since its founding in 1997. Derek has been with CareLinc for more than 25 years, serving in multiple roles across the organization on its way to becoming one of the region's premier home medical equipment providers with more than 800 employees. An early adopter of AI in DME, Derek brings the provider's-eye view of what operational transformation actually looks like on the ground — crediting automation in CareLinc's PAP workflow with sharply lower denial rates, more efficient staff, and next-day patient scheduling notifications. He is also active in adaptive-sports and community initiatives across CareLinc's markets.
Beyond the Demo: How DME Operators Actually Transformed Their Business with AI
Every booth at Medtrade promises AI that automates your business. But the operators who've actually done it will tell you the demo was the easy part —
…Every booth at Medtrade promises AI that automates your business. But the operators who've actually done it will tell you the demo was the easy part — the real work was transforming how the business runs: retraining staff around exceptions instead of
…Every booth at Medtrade promises AI that automates your business. But the operators who've actually done it will tell you the demo was the easy part — the real work was transforming how the business runs: retraining staff around exceptions instead of data entry, rebuilding intake and cash-flow processes, and learning the hard way that automation doesn't always mean done. This candid, vendor-neutral panel brings together a DME provider who has run
…Every booth at Medtrade promises AI that automates your business. But the operators who've actually done it will tell you the demo was the easy part — the real work was transforming how the business runs: retraining staff around exceptions instead of data entry, rebuilding intake and cash-flow processes, and learning the hard way that automation doesn't always mean done. This candid, vendor-neutral panel brings together a DME provider who has run AI intake in production for 2+ years, a longtime DME operations leader, and an AI builder to tell the real story of transformation — what changed, what broke, what it took, and what they'd do differently. Attendees will hear how providers went from fax piles to same-day setups, how roles and headcount shifted, the operational KPIs that proved it was working (not just faster), how to pressure-test a vendor before you sign, and why keeping control of your referral "front door" matters as payers and platforms move to intermediate it. You'll leave with a one-page vendor-evaluation scorecard and a starter KPI set to benchmark your own transformation.
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