When you depend on medical equipment in your day-to-day life, it’s imperative to choose a medical supplies and equipment provider with comprehensive service in your area. At Symbius, providing great care and service is much more than just a business to us. With almost 20 years in the home health care industry, and a number of employees who are end-users just like you, we understand the importance of responsive and respectful service. We hear it time and again from our customers, that our techs and reps were supportive not only in a professional capacity, but on a personal level as well. 
Symbius Medical operates throughout Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Stocking over 10,000 medical supplies from leading manufacturers, we operate regionally which means we can get your supplies to you quickly – often on the same day, next-day when necessary. We supply delivery to your door nationwide, with a goal to meet the ever-growing needs of our home health care customers. We provide a full range of products and services for respiratory care, oxygen care, sleep therapy, custom rehab and power mobility, durable medical equipment (DME), urological, ostomy, wound care, diabetic and nutritional services.
We offer 24-hour service and availability, prescription coordination and billing assistance, personalized product education and instruction, a patient mentoring program, and monthly supply management. In addition, our referral sources, payers and vendors partner with Symbius Medical to assist customers in navigating the national health care reform changes.
Above all, we are dedicated to improving the quality of life for our customers by providing exceptional service, education and compassionate care for the communities we serve. We believe the right thing for you is the right thing for us.
Injury and illness can wreak havoc on a person’s body. If hospitalized, the stress of unfamiliar surroundings and uncertain outcomes can add to the physical strain on the body. During this time, it is imperative to maintain proper nutrition to keep up both strength and morale, to aid in the healing process. When a patient is unable to process food in the usual way, an alternative method must be employed. Enteral nutrition serves this purpose by feeding through a tube, into either the stomach or small intestine.
Enteral nutrition is used for those who are not able to eat normally, but whose digestive system is still able to process sustenance. Tube feeding is commonly seen in hospitals, but it is also a viable option for home health care – it is estimated that more than 344,000 people in the United States receive enteral nutrition at home.
At Symbius Medical, we make it easy to order your enteral products and supplies. We make it easy to reorder, too – contact our customer service department and learn more about our 3-month supply program. To learn more about our enteral nutrition options, call us today at (800) 948-1868, or email us at Customer-Service@SymbiusMedical.com.
When you think of medical equipment, lift chairs and crutches may not be the first things that come to mind. But aids to everyday living, which allow for greater ease of motion and a more functional living environment, can be equally important as other, more technical, equipment. At Symbius Medical, we provide a comprehensive list of products to make everyday living easier.
Walking Aids
When you depend on a walking aid to get you where you want to go, it’s imperative to be fitted correctly to the product that best suits your needs. Whether you’re using crutches, or a rollator, a walker or a cane, Symbius Medical offers a variety of products to fit your needs, from youth to adult and bariatric. We specialize in quad canes, “T” Handle design, cane seats, and forearm crutches and carry a variety of walkers and rollators from leading manufacturers. For even greater functionality, we can provide accessories and replacement parts for your walker or rollator including baskets, bags, wheels, and trays.
Lift Chairs
At Symbius Medical we carry several lift chairs in a variety of colors and styles to make it easier for you to stand up from a seated position. But before choosing a lift chair, consider how it will be used. Will you sleep in the chair? Eat in the chair? Understanding how you intend to use the chair will help you make an informed decision.
Home Care Products
Through our on-line product catalog, we offer a variety of personal care and home accessories. Our products include non-latex gloves and skin care products, medication dispensers and reachers.
When considering aids for yourself or a loved one, be sure you’re evaluating not only the specific piece of equipment, but need-related equipment, as well. For example, for someone using a walker or rollator, after assessing accessibility in the home, you many consider installing railings near the toilet or in the shower for stability.
We’re here to help you every step of the way. Our customer service representatives are available to answer your questions about aids to everyday living, and to help you decide what medical equipment is best for you or your loved one.
Today millions of Americans are dependent on the daily use of a prescribed treatment regimen. Whether prescription drugs, or daily-use medical equipment, these therapies are only beneficial when properly followed. The question remains, though: how to ensure patient adherence? Adherence, or compliance, is defined as the degree to which a patient follows medical advice (such as with lifestyle or behavioral management), and follows prescribed therapies (medications, or the use of ambulatory oxygen, for example) as directed.
Adherence varies with the type of treatment prescribed. For medications, adherence rates are about 50 per cent; the rate is much lower when patients are asked to make significant lifestyle and behavioral adjustments. For durable medical equipment, or DME, adherence rates vary. Studies show that for patients using constant positive airway pressure (CPAP), between 29 to 83 percent of patients do not meet compliance standards. Adherence to oxygen therapy is low, averaging between 55 and 40 per cent.
What factors into adherence?
There are many factors involved in patient adherence. Recent studies corroborate that effective communication greatly – and positively – affects patient satisfaction, health status, and recall of information and adherence. In analyzing 106 physician-patient communication studies, more than 98% of patients demonstrated a positive relationship between physician communication and patient adherence. Patients whose physician was a good communicator were 2.1 times more likely to adhere to their prescribed regimen.
What are the barriers to patient adherence?
Non-adherence can result for a number of reasons, though in an informal poll of diabetics, the top four deterrents were directly linked to inadequate information or training, and difficulties in integrating prescribed regimens into their everyday routine. Reported deterrents included:
How to bolster patient adherence:
Adherence is necessary for a patient’s health to improve. The medical industry has moved away from placing full responsibility with patients to understand and follow prescribed treatments, and more emphasis on improving physician communication styles. In a study of oxygen users, “[most] respondents described a single conversation with their doctors about oxygen that occurred at the time of their initial prescription.” Integrating prescribed treatments into a patient’s life can entirely alter their routine, making adequate training a must – not only at the initial prescribing appointment, but on an ongoing basis.
Other medical professionals can also be effective in conveying information to the patient. Nurses, pharmacists, technicians, and home health care providers may have more time to interact with the patient, and more information to disseminate due to familiarity with products or medications. In recent years, physicians have begun to trust DME companies, and value the DME provider’s input for appropriate equipment selection. Instructing patients in the use of durable medical equipment requires additional training, both for the patient and for the delivery technician. Because training is ongoing for their employees, DME companies can offer current reference materials, and industry-certified customer service support and technicians to address questions and concerns. DME providers may also follow up with patients to ensure adherence and proper use of equipment.
While current adherence rates are low, medical professionals and medical suppliers are working to increase the number of patients who not only follow their prescribed treatment, but understand it as well. Communication is the key to improving adherence – both in and out of the doctor’s office.
While holiday eating is something we enjoy year-round with Fourth of July picnics, and Easter dinners, the trinity of winter holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and welcoming the New Year – are the ones we lament most when hitting the scales in their wake. The average American will consume 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving dinner alone, not factoring in other meals, or late-night leftover snacks. And while you may think those extra calories can be worked off by aggressive Black-Friday shopping, most Americans will hold on to an extra 1 to 2 pounds each year.
There are 2 major types of the diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 90-95% of those living with the disease in the US. Type 2 diabetes results from either the pancreas not producing enough insulin, or the body’s inability to use insulin, also known as insulin resistance.
The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach which produces the hormone insulin. If this hormone is not present, or not present in adequate amounts, the body does not properly utilize glucose. When food is processed In a normal body, the pancreas automatically produces an adequate amount of insulin to move glucose from bloodstream into the cells. For those with diabetes, however, the pancreas does not produce the proper amount of insulin, or the cells don’t respond correctly to the insulin. This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood, overflow into the urine, and exit the body in urine. In this process, then, the body effectively flushes its main source of fuel without having utilized it.
Because holiday meals are often much more decadent than our everyday repast, being aware of caloric intake can be tricky. These tips can make it a bit easier:
While it can be challenging to enjoy holiday meals when living with diabetes, it becomes easier with knowledge and support. Being proactive by communicating concerns to friends and family, and asking for help when necessary will keep stress to a minimum, allowing you to focus on what’s important during the holidays – spending time with loved ones.
At Symbius Medical, the patient experience tops our list of priorities. By taking a clinical approach to home health care, we have established a reputation for quality – not only in the eyes of our clients, but industry-wide, through accreditation from the highly-regarded Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC).
Gaining accreditation indicates the health care organization is reputable, and dedicated to “ongoing and continuous compliance with the highest standard of quality.” By collaborating with industry experts to create these standards, the ACHC accreditation process ensures quality is maintained throughout all aspects of the health care organization.
To become ACHC-accredited, an organization must comply with their stringent criteria. To name a few, ACHC requires:
Well into our scond three-year accreditation cycle, Symbius Medical has been honored with ACHC’s stamp of approval for our rehabilitation technology suppliers services, home/durable medical equipment services, and clinical respiratory care services. We demonstrate the importance of maintaining this accreditation through continued compliance with ACHC’s standards, and an ongoing commitment to policy and procedural education and training for all staff members.
With health care policies constantly in flux, Symbius Medical strives to maintain the highest level of compliance with national standards, to provide you with the best home health care experience possible.
Sleep apnea is a fairly common problem in adults, estimated to affect about four percent of men and two percent of women. Yet of this number, only about ten percent receive treatment, with many cases remaining undiagnosed. Unfortunately, sleep apnea can negatively affect one’s health by contributing to daytime sleepiness, and difficulty concentrating, thinking and remembering. More serious concerns include high blood pressure, increased incidence of stroke and risk of heart disease, and automobile accidents. Sleep apnea may be characterized by loud snoring, episodes of breathing cessation, abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath, morning headache, and insomnia.
Sleep apnea is generally diagnosed after participating in a sleep study. Once diagnosed, your physician or a sleep specialist may recommend that you be fitted with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bi-level mask as part of your treatment. The most widely recommended treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, CPAP entails wearing a mask-like device while you sleep, which provides pressurized air to prevent the airway from collapsing. Unfortunately, without proper coaching and guidance for using these breathing devices, patients may give up on these devices, leaving the disorder untreated. 
There’s a simple solution to this lack of use: education. In a 2005 Veterans Affairs Medical Center study to determine how to improve compliance with CPAP therapy, participants received clinical training in the use of their devices. Following this simple intervention, twenty-nine percent of patients increased nightly CPAP use.
At Symbius Medical, we take a clinical approach to care. To ensure your complete comfort and understanding of your home medical equipment, our highly trained Respiratory Therapists specially fit you with the proper equipment, and instruct you on how to use and care for your device in your home. We follow up ten days later to answer questions, and to ensure you are comfortable operating your new sleep therapy equipment. This follow-up not only guarantees your satisfaction, but also allows us to assess your level of compliance with the prescribed therapy.
To learn more about our CPAP therapy options, call us today at (800) 948-1868, or email us at cpapsupplies@symbiusmedical.com.
When it comes to choosing a form of oxygen therapy, several options are available to you. Whether you decide to have liquid oxygen or oxygen canisters delivered to your home by a home healthcare provider, or to use a portable oxygen concentrator, it is important to consider which features allow you to easily adhere to your doctor’s oxygen therapy prescription.
The new Invacare® Perfecto2™ V Oxygen Concentrator is an economical option, which simply requires a one-time consultation and delivery. One of the primary benefits in using an oxygen concentrator, is in its convenience. This compact and versatile concentrator makes it easy to be on the move, whether around the house, or for travel. The Perfecto2 is FAA approved for airline travel, and the unit can be run on AC, DC or batteries. 
This 5-liter unit is small, quiet and lightweight, and comes standard with the Invacare SensO2® oxygen sensor. The Perfecto2 V unit incorporates many great features including contemporary, patient-preferred external design and color, plus safeguards like built-in alarms and safety systems, a battery-free power-loss alarm, and Invacare® Sieve-GARD™ monitors.
The Perfecto2 is compact, measuring under two feet tall, and approximately one foot wide and deep; with a telescoping top handle for ease of movement, the Perfecto2 is conveniently mounted on durable casters, and weighs just 43 lbs. And with settings for continuous flow or pulse dose to conserve o2, the Invacare Perfecto2 unit is just what the doctor ordered.
Whether it’s the new Invacare Perfecto2 V Oxygen Concentrator, or another respiratory aid you’re interested in, Symbius Medical provides a wide variety of respiratory products and services to our customers throughout Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. Our Respiratory Therapists and clinical staff are trained to provide you with the education you need to use your equipment to improve the quality of your life, and our customer service department is available to answer your questions – we’ll even take care of processing your insurance claim with your primary or secondary insurance provider.
Call us toll-free today at (800) 948-1868, or email to Customer-Service@SymbiusMedical.com to learn more.
Baylee Beamer is a beautiful 2yr old girl currently at the UMC in Tucson awaiting a Liver Transplant. Please join Symbius Medical and the Beamer family with your prayers and financial support. 
Baylee's Benefit Yard Sale
Saturday, January 28th
7:00am to 3:00pm
Symbius Medical Parking Lot
2311 W. Utopia Road
Phoenix, AZ 85027
We are seeking donations of clothing, household items, anything you would have in a yardsale.
Please drop off donations by 1/27/12 at the address listed above.
Drop-off is available M-F 8am-5pm, if you are unable to drop-off or need assistance with heavier items please contact: Lori at 623-225-0260 and we can arrange for pick up.
**Cash donations can be made at Wells Fargo to Baylee Beamer Donation Account**
