For decades, products that help people remain independent at home occupied a quiet corner of healthcare. Today, they’re much closer to the center.
Consumers are researching mobility solutions long before they need them. Consumers are taking a more active role than ever in researching mobility solutions. Caregivers want greater visibility into daily activity and potential risks. Healthcare providers want ways to support patients beyond hospital walls. Technology is entering products that once served a single purpose. Across healthcare, the conversation is shifting toward helping people live safely, comfortably, and independently for longer.
Few executives have watched that evolution more closely than Derek Lampert, who has served as Drive Medical’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 2021. He joined the company in 2003, when Drive Medical was still building its place in the durable medical equipment market. Today, he leads a business serving more than 100 countries, generating more than $1 billion in revenue, and delivering roughly 15 million products each year. Through that growth, one belief has remained constant. “Drive Medical was founded in 2000 with a simple mission: to prioritize the products that help people with mobility and medical needs leave the hospital sooner, remain at home longer, and maintain their independence.”
That mission has guided Drive Medical through acquisitions, manufacturing expansion, and changing customer expectations. Derek’s view of the industry has evolved with these changes.
For much of his career, Derek pushed back against the industry’s tendency to treat home medical equipment as interchangeable. Derek focuses on the role these products play in people’s everyday lives and how innovation, design, and service can improve outcomes. At Drive Medical, that responsibility is captured in a simple mission: Every Unit Lifts a Life.
Learning the business
Derek’s journey to CEO started on the commercial side of the business. When he joined Drive Medical in 2003, the company was growing quickly, which gave ambitious leaders a chance to step up and take on more responsibility. “I joined Drive Medical as a sales representative and territory manager. As a growing startup, opportunities came quickly, and before long I was leading our Midwest Sales Division and building my first team.”
That experience shifted his focus from individual achievement to leading through others, a lesson that’s shaped his approach as the organization has grown. Success became about building capable teams, developing future leaders, and creating an environment where people can perform at their best. “The arc of my career has been steady progression and learning, with a focus on ‘getting the people right so that they can get the business right.’”
People are always at the center of his leadership approach, no matter how much the business grows. While Drive Medical’s footprint has expanded, Derek puts people before products and culture before strategy.
A key turning point came in 2018. “I told our then-CEO I wanted to make a broader impact than just in sales leadership. I got the chance to build a business unit for Drive Medical, so I could learn every aspect of the company and how to run a business. At the same time, I went after my Master of Business Administration (MBA) to accelerate my growth and knowledge.”
He adds, “Those two milestones opened more opportunities for me to lead other areas, like operations, supply chain, logistics, and eventually president and chief operating officer (COO).” By the time Derek became CEO, he had developed a deep understanding of how Drive Medical designs, manufactures, sources, ships, and supports its products.
Beyond commodities
Drive Medical now offers more than 5000 products, from mobility and respiratory care to long-term care, bathroom safety, pediatric rehab, patient room equipment, and daily living aids. Customers span home healthcare, long-term care, retail, government, and e-commerce channels.
Derek rarely talks about the company’s growth in terms of size alone. Instead, he focuses on the role these products play. Many treat the categories Drive Medical serves as functional necessities, but Derek sees a chance to raise expectations.
People expect home medical equipment to be intuitive, comfortable at home, and designed for daily life. “Consumers want home medical products that mirror a high-end retail experience. They don’t want equipment that looks like it just left the hospital. This includes style, design, ergonomics, and feature-rich products.”
Design, usability, and overall experience matter more than ever to consumers and caregivers. People are also discovering these categories in new ways. “In the past, people only learned about our products after an adverse event, like a fall or surgery. Now, consumers can explore a world of options and play a role in their own care plans.
“These shifting expectations shape Drive Medical’s approach to innovation. We focus on bringing meaningful innovation to market that delivers on our mission to enhance lives. We’re always pushing ourselves to think differently, drawing inspiration from other industries.”
The goal is not innovation for its own sake. It is to create products that improve independence, simplify care, and make daily life easier for the people who use them.
Drive Medical operates ten manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe and partners with factories worldwide. “We believe self-manufacturing, along with importing, gives us and our customers supply chain resilience, plus the ability to tailor features and costs. I see it as ‘different tools for different jobs.’”
Connected care
For Derek, technology represents one of the biggest opportunities to improve both care delivery and the user experience.
As healthcare increasingly moves beyond clinical settings, new opportunities are emerging to connect products, data, caregivers, and providers in ways that weren’t possible a decade ago. “We’re exploring how technology can make our products smarter, more proactive, and deliver better outcomes for the people who use and support them.” Practical applications drive Derek’s thinking. “How can technology help spot changes in daily routines, so caregivers can step in earlier and prevent issues like falls?”
The value of connectivity is even clearer from an operational perspective. “We’re looking at how connected technology can offer greater visibility across fleets of products, spot maintenance needs before they arise, and ultimately improve reliability, efficiency, and patient outcomes.”
Internally, technology supports one of Derek’s top strategic priorities: creating what he calls an effortless experience. “From an operations standpoint, our customers want an effortless experience. They need the right product, in stock, with great quality, shipped from the right place.”
That goal is driving investment in systems, processes, and digital tools. “Updating our SAP system and using artificial intelligence (AI) across the organization are key parts of our future. They let our teams focus on high-impact work while automation takes care of repetitive tasks.” Drive Medical has reorganized product management and marketing around customer channels and market segments, not just products.
Supporting growth while maintaining alignment across a global business presents its own challenge. Drive Medical has completed more than 30 acquisitions, bringing together different teams, systems, and cultures.
For Derek, communication keeps those organizations united. “We’re always improving communications, both formally and informally, using different channels to reach people the way they prefer.” Derek also shares a simple rule for decisions: “Think global, act local.” He says this creates consistency without losing sight of local realities. It also helps keep employees connected to Drive Medical’s purpose, wherever they work. “Every day, we focus on improving the lives of our customers and doing good in the world.”
He adds, “Our industry is the front line of defense for the aging population. We offer cost-effective options for seniors to age gracefully at home, but these products are often overlooked or taken for granted.”
Drive Medical’s task ahead goes beyond simply supplying equipment. The company continues to broaden access, deepen innovation, and help these products play a bigger role in people’s independence. The market has changed since Derek joined more than two decades ago, but the company’s mission is the same: focus on products that matter most when daily life matters most.
