About Us

Vets First DME began at the intersection of preparation and opportunity, with a dash of circumstance.

Co-founder Shelly Hoover was a dynamic educator and fitness fanatic when she was diagnosed with ALS at age 47. ALS is a stunningly brutal, neurodegenerative disease that steals the ability to move, talk, eat, and breathe; most die within a few years. Although Shelly has lost her ability to move and is losing her ability to speak, she doesn’t let that stop her relentless advocacy for veterans like her living with ALS.

The VA recognizes ALS as 100% service-connected because US Veterans are two to ten times more likely to receive an ALS diagnosis than those who never served. The Veterans’ Health Administration provides the durable medical equipment Shelly needs to live the safest and most engaged life possible. While the equipment is first-rate, the companies delivering and installing the equipment were often not. That’s where her son, David, comes in.

Co-founder David Hoover was working as a trained motorcycle mechanic when his mom was diagnosed with ALS. He quickly discovered that his skills transferred to complex rehab and DME. David went to work for a DME company and was recruited by reputation to a startup company. His reputation is more than that of a skilled technician, he treats every veteran client with the care and respect he would give his own family member. That level of care and trust is priceless.

Three years later, three generations of Hoovers moved across the country so Shelly could be closer to experimental treatments. It was an all of us or none of us deal and all three families made the move together. That presented the perfect opportunity to combine the family’s knowledge and experience to start Vets First DME, LLC.