Medical Transportation Blog

May 23, 2010
Keith Hartsmith ** (names changed to protect identity)
_________MI,

Jennifer  O.  Transport Nurse
MedCoach
4707 140^th ave
Building #200, Suite 204
Clearwater, Fl. 33762

Dear Jennifer,
This letter is long overdue but we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your team for the tremendous assistance in transporting him back to ___________, MI from his winter home in ________, , Florida. From the moment we decided to contract with MedCoach until we said goodbye at the __________, Emergency Room, you, Jay and Steve were incredible.

Though he was not very cognizant of things the last part of the trip, Dad very much appreciated the tender treatment while he was awake. He remembered sitting together eating our salads on the leather couch and when you finally convinced him he might be more comfortable sleeping in the hospital bed. Jay’s willingness to help position him comfortably was one indication of how your team cares for patients and families traveling in your care. Clearly, it is more than just a job for all of you. You are touching lives at a time when situations are very difficult and seem rather unmanageable. At least that was our experience.

We truly appreciated your assistance in calling ahead to “fast track” Dad into an exam room in the E.R. We believe he was able to have another couple of month of “good” time with family and friends due in large part to the excellent and speedy transport MedCoach provided. Had we driven him ourselves, we might never have made it back home to Grand Rapids and the story could have been quite different. Sadly, as you are already aware, Dad passed away at the end of April but his quality of life after returning to _________, Michigan was MUCH better than it had been in Florida or would have been had we ended up in a different locale.

*** In talking with folks since returning, we have found few (like us) are even aware of MEDCoach’s existence and the services you offer. We will do what we can to help spread the word!

Again, thank you so much for helping us through a tough transition in moving Dad back from Florida (on such short notice). Please give my regards to Jay and Steve as well.

Sincerely,
Keith and Nancy Hartsmith. (name changed to protect identity)

We  enjoy making each person feel loved. They are special to us. By the end of a trip we have become good friends.  Some people even call the coach  “ The Magic Bus” . Hopefully we made a difference in our patient’s lives by giving them our best letting them know they are loved.

YES, We do STOP for ICE Cream !!!

Sandra,

Thank you for your cooperation in organizing my last-minute transport request for my mother.
She’s resting comfortably in the PA hospital following her trip with Eileen and your drivers.
The entire process, start to finish, exceeded my expectations.

The personal attention and professionalism everyone provided made the process stress and worry free.

My 88 year old mother was treated with caring and dignity.

Your coach, equipment and staff are all first-rate.

With appreciation,    Kenneth Burke  (Unedited comments. Names are changed)

Hi Norm,

The PREVOST: Coast to Coast Medical Transportation

I think the family would be pleased if this was put into print. ….The pt is a Pediatrician  and the wife is an Internist.  They were visiting Mom in West Palm Bch on vacation.  A few hours before departing, the pt went for a bike ride and ended up crashing with a trip to the ER.  X-rays showed multiple pelvic fractures which prevented siting in an airplane seat to go home a week later. So, while reading his paperwork the day before pick-up, I saw it was his B/Day.  With the crew’s help, we stopped at Walmart to buy a cake and candles for a surpise.  Then we had to stop again to buy a lighter! Anyway, after enjoying their requested meal of seafood and wine, a real treat after hospital food, we brought out the cake with candles ablaze and our 2 Brits, Trevor and Richard, singing  Happy B-Day in perfect harmony. Needless to say, the pt and his wife loved it and and trip.

[MED Transport Center provided services on one of their luxury medically configured motor coaches.]

Thanks! J

Traveling can be a challenging and exhausting for all of us.   One way for the elderly or disabled senior traveler to travel is in a reclining bed. That’s right. Do you want to travel to Michigan or California?  Med Coach provides a full-size hospital-type memory foam bed on a therapeutic constant air flow mattress.  So when you get tired of watching a movie, playing games, or watching the scenery pass by you can sleep and then before you know it you at your destination.

Med Transport Center makes all the arrangements ,provides a Travel Companion Nurse and the 45 foot coach even picks you up at your home or assisted living facility.  Now that’s a classy way to travel. You can even take a family member with you.  Now that is something to think about.

A Travel Companion Nurse  is more than a companion, someone to accompany you on a journey. A Travel Companion Nurse (TCN) is a person you can trust to oversee your medical care throughout your entire journey. As an  experienced traveler a TCN will keep you out of trouble and cheerful even when things are going wrong. A nurse will administer medication like an insulin shot, oversee your diet, warn you of allergies, foresee potential problems that may worsen your physical condition such as too much sun,  climbing too many steps and overexerting oneself.  Your personal  TCN will arrange for oxygen for you should you need it.  A TCN (Travel Companion Nurse) will make sure you do not eat or drink possibly contaminated foods that may give you diarrhea.  If you do catch a cold, acquire the  flu, or sustain an injury or fall, your TCN will be at your side to treat you,  make sure you do not get dehydrated and possible avoid  going to a foreign hospital for medical care.  A TCN can easily contact the overseeing medical director for additional advice in challenging medical situations. What is the value of keeping you healthy and out of the hospital? For some a Travel Companion Nurse is priceless.

A Travel Companion Nurse as a travel agent will assist you in making changes to your travel plans, catching a train, getting needed directions in a foreign language etc.   If you inadvertently  wonder into unsafe  neighborhood your TCN as a bodyguard will help protect you from pickpockets,  possibly being mugged and having your money and identification stolen. Your safety is  most important. You may call on your  TCN  as a  negotiator to speak in your behalf,help you buy, sell, return or make needed changes.  In a nutshell you get 4 people ….all-in-one plus a peace of mind.

A travel companion nurse makes it possible for Mom to travel on Mom’s Day.  A unique gift for Mom brightens her day and makes a special day memorable for Mom and the whole family. Often families want to visit Mom in the nursing home  but cannot take the time to travel several hours to visit her.  A companion who is also a nurse e takes care of all Mom’s needs on the journey relieving  Mom and you of  all the cares and concerns.  The nurse takes care of everything, from special dietary needs like soft purred foods to personal assistance with hygiene and medications. The nurse can stay overnight if needed and take Mom back the next day. Something to think about for Mom’s day or any special occasion.

One decision many of us may have to make one day is how do I get Mom or Dad or a loved one from the hospital or nursing to a home closer to the family. In some cases home may be 1000 miles or more away.  Not many people have heard about a service called MED Coach.  Riding 20 hours on a stretcher with no bathroom is no longer necessary.

MED Coach provides medically designed motorhomes with a lift to acommodate patients in a wheelchair or on a stretcher. Patients are then transferred onto a hospital-type bed in preparation for a comfortable air cushion ride on memory foam and a therapeutic constant air-flow mattress.  A private bathroom on every coach is a must for some patients who cannot wait another 15 minutes to find a clean restroom or who must go every hour. Whew. What a blessing to have a comfortable ride all the way home, even if home is across the country.

The senior snowbird season is coming to a close as temperatures rise in the southern states. Many elderly nursing home patients  who need medical attention throughout the trip home are finding the cost of an air ambulance flight prohibitive.  Options include going ground ambulance , a riding in a van which is still a rough ride on a stretcher or going in a medically dconfigured  motorhome.  Traveling 18- 22 hours from Florida to New jersey is a long time and comfort becomes a high priority.  MedCaoch provides a hospital-type bed with a meemory foam mattress, bedrails,  head elevation features and  a therapeutic constant air-flow mattress. The cost is about half the cost of an air ambulance flight. Something to think about.

Long distance medical ground transportation for the Elderly. When considering going in a car or van or a motor coach what are you looking for?  In a word, excellence.  The main concerns for the elderly or senior person is comfort and safety.  After all, you are entrusting your loved ones care to a voice on the phone.  MedTransport Center has an exemplary safety record with verifiable references and testimonials.  You should expect  background checks and a superior level of training for all employees, not  only those directly involved in the trip.  You should expect commercial liability insurance and a protocol for a potential breakdown or mishap during the trip.  From the beginning to the end of the trip, there is a decided plan to taylor your trip to the particular needs and wants of the family and to make sure that there is an attention to detail particularly in the care of the patient.  Excellence – that is what you can expect from MedTransport Center.   Take a look at www.medtransportcenter.com and see which service offered is best for you.