Innovation with Humanity: SurfMed COO Alexis Watine Shares a Vision for the Future of DME at FAHP

What could the future of durable medical equipment look like if technology adapted to the person using it?

That question helped frame remarks from SurfMed Chief Operating Officer Alexis Watine at last week’s FAHP Conference. Speaking during the invitation-only FAHP Committee Meetings and Lunch, which SurfMed helped sponsor, Alexis explored how artificial intelligence, robotics, and collaboration could shape a more responsive, accessible future for durable medical equipment (DME).

At the heart of her presentation was a clear message: innovation should serve people, and access to better care should not depend on a person’s financial circumstances.

A Personal Story Behind a Bigger Question

Alexis brought the discussion into focus by sharing her grandmother’s recent experience with a fall that resulted in a broken hip.

Although her grandmother had mobility equipment available and a home health aide nearby, she did not use her walker or rollator while returning from the bathroom. Navigating the tight spaces around her bed and bathroom made the equipment feel cumbersome.

The story illustrated an important challenge for the DME industry: having equipment available does not always mean that equipment fits easily into someone’s daily life.

For Alexis, that gap raised a broader question. How could future mobility equipment better respond to the environments, movements, and unexpected situations patients encounter at home?

Imagining More Responsive Mobility Equipment

Alexis invited attendees to consider a walker supported by AI and robotics: one that could potentially adjust to narrow spaces, recognize changes in a person’s gait, and respond to instability.

She described a future in which intelligent mobility equipment might help assess an unexpected obstacle and respond by stabilizing the user or assisting with a controlled descent.

These examples were presented as possibilities for emerging technology, rather than capabilities SurfMed currently provides. Alexis made clear that SurfMed is not building the walker she described.

Her purpose was to encourage a forward-looking conversation about what these developments could mean for patients, health plans, and the organizations responsible for making equipment accessible.

Connecting Innovation to Meaningful Value

The presentation also explored how connected equipment could potentially help health plans better understand utilization and outcomes.

Alexis challenged attendees to consider whether future technology could provide more timely insight into the value of preventive support, including circumstances in which equipment may help avert a fall.

That vision connects innovation with responsible resource management. Beyond introducing new features, the opportunity is to better understand how equipment supports members and where investments can make a meaningful difference.

Making Access Part of the Conversation

For Alexis, technological progress is only part of the equation. Policy, coverage, and reimbursement must also be considered.

She called for collaboration to examine how benefit policies and payment structures could evolve alongside emerging DME technology, particularly for people facing socioeconomic barriers.

Her message was direct: financial circumstances should not determine who has access to innovative, high-quality care.

Addressing that challenge will require participation across the healthcare community, with providers, health plans, and policymakers working together to evaluate new possibilities and practical pathways to access.

SurfMed’s Commitment to Collaboration

Alexis closed with an invitation for SurfMed to participate in that work as a collaborative partner.

Her remarks reflected a guiding principle for SurfMed: technology and humanity belong together. Operational innovation matters because of what it can help accomplish for the members, patients, families, and partners we serve.

We appreciate the opportunity to support the FAHP Conference and contribute to conversations about the future of DME. As that future develops, SurfMed remains committed to bringing a human perspective to innovation and working with our partners toward more accessible, responsive care.