Forsyth Medical Supply Celebrates 55 years as Your One Stop Shop for Healthcare Needs

photos by: JODIE BRIM CREATIVE

Forsyth Medical Supply, North Carolina’s most trusted supplier of high-quality medical products, assistive furniture, and equipment turns 55 this year! From its humble beginnings in 1970, this family-owned and operated business has continued to evolve and expand across the decades by staying abreast of cutting-edge products and technologies. Forsyth Medical Supply is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has consistently received the Readers’ Choice Award in recognition of their unbeatable service and customer satisfaction.

Honoring Our Roots

Scott Johnson opened Forsyth Ostomy Supply in 1970. As the sole proprietor, he wore many hats – sourcing products, managing inventory, bookkeeping, sales, marketing, and on and on. His original 1900 South Hawthorne Road location was small in square footage, but chock-full of an impressive selection of medical supplies to support ostomates (individuals who undergo surgery to create an opening in the abdomen to divert the flow or urine or feces). With the plethora of ostomy accessories available today, it is hard to imagine that not so long ago, inner tubes, tuna cans, and bread bags were used to catch the waste, while aspirin tablets and peppermint extracts were used to mask the odor. The first disposable stoma bags came on the scene just about the time Scott hung his shingle, and Forsyth Ostomy Supply was immediately known as “the place to go” for the very best ostomy bags and accessories available in the market. Over time, Scott began to bring in more diverse home medical supplies, mobility and support systems, durable medical equipment, wound care products, and a host of other specialty items that were frequently needed on the heels of a hospital discharge, or an injury/illness that required medical equipment for at-home care. This expansion brought about several significant changes:

new name: Forsyth Medical Supply (established in 1997)
larger physical space: 3041 Trenwest Drive – conveniently located near Winston Salem’s three hospitals
additional staff: hand-picked and expertly trained to match customer needs with the best medical supplies

“Forsyth Medical Supply is a community staple and to this day, long-standing customers who are not aware Scott Johnson recently passed away, still ask for him.”

Brenna Chandler, General Sales Manager

Embracing The Now

In keeping with Johnson’s mission to continually provide customers with the highest rated medical supplies, his inventory increased, and so did the need for more square footage. As luck would have it, a considerably larger space (more than doubling the square footage) right next door became available in 2021, and Forsyth Medical Supply wasted no time in packing up, moving over, and posting their new storefront sign at 3033 Trenwest Drive. As any successful business owner knows, staying up to date with industry trends and technological advancements is essential for success in today’s competitive, fast-paced world. Forsyth Medical Supply customers have access to more in stock options than any other medical supply company in the area. The plethora of choices can be overwhelming for customers, but the knowledgeable and empathetic staff are skilled at letting clients know the “just right” item for their specific need, taking the guess work out of the buying/renting process. Unlike ordering merchandise online, customers have the ability to ask questions, receive demonstrations, or try medical equipment out before purchasing and can leave with the item(s) in hand. For products that need to be assembled, delivered, and set up, Forsyth Medical Supply provides that service as well. As Brenna Chandler (General Salem Manager) shared, “Forsyth Medical Supply customers have the very best products at their fingertips, and they receive outstanding service from our trained staff who participate in continual education to stay on top of the newest, safest, most in-demand products and innovative medical equipment available. This combination is what sets us apart from our competitors.” Forsyth Medical Supply boasts:

2 repair technicians
3 certified compression garment fitters
8 highly trained staff well versed in the breadth of the inventory

“Really kind staff, worked with me to keep my grandmother comfortable after leaving the hospital with no delays on delivery.

I would definitely recommend as they are way more responsive as a small business than the typical medical supply company”

Google Review, 2024

Planning For Tomorrow

Forsyth Medical Supply has proudly served clients throughout the Triad and surrounding areas for over five decades. Brenna discussed that overall, stand-alone medical supply companies for home health care is a dying trade. Glass half full, she sees this as an opportunity to adapt to the changing market and expand to reach even more communities and cities. Granted, there are challenges within the industry to overcome (e.g. competition from online retailers, government reimbursement challenges, etc.), but an aging population and an increased desire to age in place gives Brenna every reason to believe additional locations are a step in the right direction. Many of the Forsyth Medical Supply customers travel great distances because they do not have access to the needed medical supplies closer to home. Making high-quality medical supplies, assistive furniture, and equipment available to a wider radius of customers is an attainable and worthy goal!

Forsyth Medical Supply is honored to serve clients throughout Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Kernersville, Statesville, Mooresville, Mount Airy, Pilot Mountain, Oak Ridge, and Summerfield, NC. Visit the showroom at 3033 Trenwest Drive, Winston-Salem, 336-768-5512, and online at Forsythmedicalsupply.com. Hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

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Debbie Linville

Forsyth Magazines writer since 2016. Although Debbie has lived as far south as Florida, as far north as New York and as far west as Texas, she loves calling North Carolina (Winston Salem, in particular) home. Debbie married her high school sweetheart and they have two grown, married children. Their nest is far from empty – two adorable Havanese, Lola and Millie, keep them on their toes and fill their home with joy! Debbie recently retired from a long career in the educational arena. She holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus in literacy education. After 20 years in the elementary classroom, she spent the next two decades teaching and supporting pre- and in-service teachers. She still continues to promote educators in myriad ways, but is thoroughly enjoying the flexibility of a schedule she crafts to engage in activities of her choosing. She loves spending time with family and friends, volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House and Crisis Control Ministries, pursuing hobbies such as card making, quilting, and photography, cooking, reading, traveling (as often as possible!), and writing on a consistent basis for Forsyth Magazines!

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