Maddie getting her hair braided and having some fun with a group of kids from the village of San Rafael del Norte in Nicaragua during a medical and public health global brigade trip in 2015.
At Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI), we are committed to our mission of providing exemplary care and services for people at home with complex medical and respiratory needs. To help us reach that goal, we hire professionals who share our passion and never lose sight of our patient-first mentality. We were thrilled to recently welcome to our team someone who fits that bill perfectly. Madeline “Maddie” Vollers is IPI’s new Medical Equipment Specialist. We sat down with her last week to discuss what made her want to work in healthcare, where she gets her inspiration, and why she is excited to be educating people on the AffloVest®.
Q: Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to IPI.
I am originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. I moved to Chicago for undergrad at Loyola University Chicago (Go Ramblers & Sister Jean!) where I studied Psychology, Marketing, and Bioethics. I’ve always been a bit of a science nerd. I was following the pre-physician’s assistant route and took all the classes for PA school. On top of my classes, I worked in a research lab studying perception and spatial listening. I also co-founded the Pre-Physician’s Assistant Association at Loyola where I was the VP of Communications for Professionals. Ultimately I decided I wanted to pursue sales, specifically in the medical field, which is what led me to Independence Plus.
Q: What does your job entail and what do you think you will enjoy most about your new role?
My job title is Medical Equipment Specialist, which entails growing and educating the market for AffloVest®. For anyone who isn’t familiar, AffloVest® is a new product for airway clearance that helps people with severe respiratory diseases by loosening and clearing excess secretions and fluids in the lungs. Without proper airway clearance, mucus and pathogens can lead to chronic infections and inflammation. AffloVest® is the first truly portable, battery-operated High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) vest that allows patients to remain mobile while receiving treatment to improve lung function, so it really allows them to live a more active life. I’m most excited to be getting in the field to meet the doctors and patients who would benefit from using AffloVest®. At the end of the day, I’m happy to be selling a product that can make a huge difference in people’s lives. (Ed. Note: For more information about AffloVest®, click here. To inquire about the product, call 708.366.4500 and ask for Maddie.)
Q: What was your first impression of IPI?
A: IPI is a business that truly cares about the quality of service and the treatment of patients. I set high expectations of myself, and I expect the same standards from the company I work for. That is one of the main things that attracted me to IPI.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My mom and dad. Growing up with a sister with autism, I saw my parents fight the battles that too many families face in getting the right care, treatment, therapies, and services for their daughter under Medicare and private insurance. My parents are basically super heroes!
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: I’m most proud of the fact that I have made it to where I am now from hard work and determination. I moved to a new city straight out of high school and made a place for myself here, and I’m really proud of that.
Q: What words do you live by?
A: Control the controllable. This is something my old boss used to say to me in that I would worry too much about things that I couldn’t control at the end of the day. So from there I learned how to control how I react to things and how I handle the aspects of life that I can control. There is really no reason to waste time worrying about things you can’t do anything about.
Q: What is the one thing about yourself that you think people would be surprised to know?
A: I did a medical and public health global brigade trip to Nicaragua in college.
Q: Is there another career you would be interested in if you weren’t selling medical equipment?
A: If I owned my own business I would have a Pho restaurant and name it “Twenty-PHO-Seven.”
Q: What volunteer activity has been the most meaningful to you?
A: Make-A-Wish was always one of my favorite philanthropies in undergrad, and I did work with them throughout college. I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite organization, but overall I love working with children and adults with disabilities.