For First Quality’s Matt Meyer, teamwork is the key to creating value for distribution partners.
Matt Meyer realized what his dream job was in college, after he landed a part-time job at a distribution center for a medical supply company. During his time working in the distribution center’s warehouse, he’d interact with the medical sales reps that were coming in for meetings. As a college student, he was always struck by the sales reps’ kindness and career guidance.
Finding medical device sales to be both interesting and rewarding, Meyer decided to pursue the career post-grad. Soon after he graduated from college, he got the opportunity to take a role as an account manager at a medical equipment manufacturer in the Detroit area.
“I decided to apply for an account manager position for a medical manufacturing company, and was fortunate enough to be hired. Looking back, I had no idea at the time how big of an impact that decision would have on the rest of my life,” said Matt Meyer, now the U.S. Distribution Lead for First Quality®.
From there, Meyer worked his way up throughout his career at various healthcare-focused organizations, finally landing at his current company in 2022. In Meyer’s current position, he manages First Quality’s relationships with medical distributors, providing products that go to skilled nursing facilities, home medical equipment providers, and other healthcare partners.
“I am in a unique role at First Quality, because through my relationships with distributors I’m connected in some way to every account they sell to, but I don’t directly manage any of them,” said Meyer. “This role requires me to be highly collaborative both internally with our extensive sales team and externally to ensure that the company and client are reaching our goals together.”
Creating winning partnerships
Early in his career, Meyer worked with a manager that used a concise, three-step formula for building high-performing teams. It included hiring talented people, creating a culture of winning, and fostering a drive to deliver results. The approach stuck with him, and it’s exactly what he appreciates about being part of First Quality.
“I’m fortunate to work with extremely talented colleagues on our sales team who are passionate about making things better for the people who use our products,” said Meyer. “First Quality has a strong culture that empowers us to make decisions and take strategic risks while celebrating our successes and learning from our failures, which results in a natural drive to deliver results.”
In 1989, First Quality recognized that there was an unmet need for high-quality, disposable incontinence products tailored for seniors in healthcare settings. First Quality’s teams visited skilled nursing facilities and it became clear that the staff needed access to the right products for residents, said Meyer. The company also acknowledged that nursing facility and hospital staff needed access to education and support services to create more effective incontinence management programs.
“Today, our Prevail® adult incontinence products remain a leading choice among skilled nursing facilities,” said Meyer. “We help residents who are managing incontinence have a more dignified experience, while also supporting their family and professional caregivers. We’re grateful to be able to do that in partnership with our distribution partners, who are equally committed to the facilities and people they serve.”
Strength in the face of challenge
The healthcare industry continues to face staffing shortages within hospitals and nursing facilities, posing ongoing challenges for healthcare professionals and distributors.
“In the skilled nursing facility world, obstacles associated with staffing levels continue to be on the minds of owners, operators and clinicians everywhere. For many, a lack of staff is preventing empty beds from being filled,” said Meyer.
To mitigate staffing challenges, First Quality has created incontinence management programs that aim to reduce workloads for nursing staff and improve medical facility efficiency. The company’s personalized approach to incontinence management can reduce manual labor for skilled nursing facilities by fitting each patient with incontinence products that are the right size and absorbency for their individual needs, which is “part of the value that we bring to customers alongside our distributor partners,” said Meyer.
Post-COVID, sales reps have also recognized that certain aspects of care that used to take place within the hospital or assisted living facility are now moving to a home care setting. Family members without any medical training are increasingly becoming instant caregivers.
“First Quality understands that caring for a loved one with incontinence can be overwhelming, so the company has invested heavily in our Prevail eNurseTM programs to support those caregivers,” said Meyer. “This gives caregivers access to our clinical team who can answer questions about product selection, sizing, skin health and other incontinence-related topics. We continue to invest in our suite of digital tools and clinical resources for caregivers who are helping patients manage incontinence at home, and for professional caregivers at facilities.”
Sustaining the future
First Quality’s motto is “Make Things Better,” which includes sustainability efforts and leaving the healthcare industry better for future generations. The company actively aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its manufacturing facilities, while at the same time supporting its customers’ emission reduction goals. For example, all of First Quality’s manufacturing sites in Pennsylvania are now powered by carbon-free electricity.
“Our sustainability team is also focused on incorporating more recycled content into our packaging, which is something we know is important to our customers,” said Meyer. “Most of our product packaging includes a minimum of 20% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content and our packaging experts are exploring how to incorporate even more in the future.”
First Quality’s mission for the future goes beyond sustainability into improving healthcare industry outcomes overall.
“The size and scale of First Quality allows the organization to be nimble and make impactful decisions quickly, which allows us to get all the volume-based advantages of a big company without the organizational clutter to weigh us down,” said Meyer.
“I’m grateful that we have an experienced leadership team that is unconcerned where ideas are generated,” said Meyer. “It ultimately empowers us to make decisions and benefit the industry and our customer foremost.”