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Founder of medical firm buys it back from Asante The founder of what grew into Home Medical Inc. has purchased the medical goods business from Asante Health System, Asante announced Friday. Asante officials and Jan Monson, Home Medical's new president and chief executive, said the deal likely saved 70 jobs -- including 55 in Medford. Home Medical sells and rents medical supplies and equipment like wheelchairs, hospital beds and respirators. Customers aren't expected to notice any significant changes. Monson, of Medford, founded the business in 1980 as Respiratory Home Services. She sold it to Asante (then called Rogue Valley Health Services) in 1986 and has directed it as an Asante employee ever since. Asante's board voted last summer to sell Home Medical. Bob Doolen, Asante's senior vice president of administration and finance, said the board decided to focus more on its core business. Asante is a non-profit that owns Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass and several other Rogue Valley healthcare businesses. When Monson heard the Asante board's decision and passed it along to her husband, Tom, they quickly decided to purchase it. The Monsons and one silent partner purchased the business. Terms of the deal, which closed Wednesday, were not released. If it had been purchased by a large outside company, Monson and Doolen say many employees would likely have been laid off and operations streamlined. Now, Monson said all 70 employees will be retained and Home Medical will continue to operate its five locations -- in Medford, Grants Pass, Brookings, Coos Bay and Alturas, Calif. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA