This is a frequently asked question. Fortunately you have several transport options or choices to consider.

First.  How stable is your mom and what assistance does she need?

Ans:  If she/he can get around in a wheel chair and able to control basic bodily functions (no diapers, no tubes, etc and can sit up for several hours at a time she probably can fly on a commercial airline.

Two suggestions:

1)  get a medical clearance from the airline you are flying on.

2)   consider an experienced medical attendant such as a nurse or paramedic with a background in medical aviation to watch for changes in medical condition, e.g. short of breath, changing vital signs etc

Other Options: if Mom or Dad is

1. not able to sit up for long periods of time or

2. is bed bound or bedridden or

3.  need medical attention during the transport such as insulin shots, nebulizer treatments, have catheters or feeding tubes.

Consider your options; Pros and Cons of different types of medical transportation.

Air ambulance – good for critical patients; expensive but quick if you are in a hurry or patient is not stable (patient’s condition may easily deteriorate during the transport). Expensive.  Two medical team members, often  a flight nurse and paramedic or just one paramedic for stable non-critical patient requiring little care.  Average cost of an air ambulance across the USA, Florida to California is ~ $ 24,000 to $29,000.00

Ground ambulance: OK for short distances of 2-3 hours; can be a rough, bumpy ride, usually riding backwards, some people cannot tolerate this, overall not a comfortable ride.  $ 6 to $ 10 per mile.

Medical Coach:  good for long distances 500 to 2000 miles;  (non-emergency)  higher level of care than a Van with more monitoring equipment, and more comfort, smoother air-cushion ride. Team of three; two drivers and a nurse. On board oxygen concentrator, back-up oxygen tanks, nebulizer treatments, suction pumps and feeding tubes etc. plus private bathroom, More room for one or two relatives plus extra luggage space underneath. Can tow vehicle or trailer if moving personal belongings.

Stretcher Van: OK for distances of 6-9 hours; no private bathroom; must use public facility and moving patient in and of vehicle multiple times is difficult and fatiguing; limited space for equipment, no room for extra luggage, usually has only one driver and one medical attendant or two drivers and no medical attendant. Distance limited with one driver and one attendant. Make sure attendant/driver has medical experience. Care-giver cannot drive and take care of patient at the same time. Not an air cushion ride, little room for a relative to ride along. Usually the least expensive option of all for patients requiring little or no care.

Hope this helps.

Working part time for the medical transport company MEDCoach  exposes me to situations that might make up nightmares!  A nightmare might be easier to handle than all the decisions that have to be made to arrange for a medical transport when conventional travel is not possible.  And timeliness is sometimes a major factor.

For instance, there was a call recently from George M. in UT whose 93-year-old mother was living on her own in CA, and getting along just great.  “She was amazing – she could handle you and me both, and put us in our place!” he said.  “Then three weeks ago, she bumped her leg, got a clot, and it has been down hill since then.”

He had to find a way to get his mother comfortably to Utah so he could take care of her. She needed a less expensive option to an air ambulance flight i.e. a ground medical transport unit.  (And we were able to help him.)

There was another anxious call from John N. in WA who needed to get his father from his winter vacation home in AZ, where he had a stroke and was in a nursing home.  He wanted his Dad home, in Spokane, so that he could manage his nursing home care more closely.  Dad was bed ridden, a bit confused, needed help eating, and he was on oxygen.  He could not travel with a flight nurse on a commercial airline as he was bed ridden.

Tough to look after him from long distance!

During the past 60 days, we have given more than 300 requests  for non- emergency medical transportation.  We easily have received an equal number of calls from loved ones who had similar problems and needed patient transportation services but didn’t ask for a quote.  You name the medical circumstance, and you can be sure someone, somewhere in United States has experienced the need to get a loved one transported by an air ambulance medical flight or by ground ambulance / long distance ground transport.

Most people may never have that need, but because you are reading this means you’ve thought about it and you are seeking some assistance and knowledge about what’s available.

If you have the need to know, be aware that our company, Medical Transport Center, can provide the most knowledgeable, most experienced, most caring service in the entire United States.  We have almost 30 years of industry-leading success transporting hundreds of patients in our large, fully equipped, comfortable motor home coaches with skilled drivers and nurses to look after the patient’s welfare 24/7.

And if speed is a factor, we can arrange air transport with the same competent professional care.

Don’t worry about it until you need us – but if you do, you can be comfortable knowing our decades of experience cannot be topped by any other service.  Contact our skilled, compassionate medical transport coordinators at 1 800 341 3412.

Here’s some background on a typical MedCoach medical transport nurse.

She’s Janie Wallace! ….. Let’s get to know her a little better —

For starters, where did she grow up?

Janie is a mid-westerner, from St Louis, and came to Florida twenty-five years ago to the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area, then she has been in this area for three years, living in Clearwater.

Janie came from an extra large family of 11, she had seven brothers, one sister.  “I was at the top and took care of the little ones until I flew the coop at 17, to put myself thru St Louis University in nursing.  She earned her BS in Nursing, Critical Care, and ACLS.

About her family now, Janie says she has a great husband of 30 years, Jim, who was a Navy Seal early on in their marriage.  Jim then became a General Contractor/Investor and they have about 33 apartments/houses that they have rented/managed.

Their son, Brian, has had his own computer consulting company since age 14

(for 15 years now) who is the   best 24/7 tech support ever and he is still free to Mom!   He still lives in Ft Lauderdale.   They have a daughter, Alicia, in Wisconsin, who has trained as a CNA so far.  She thrilled Janie and Jim with making them grandparents 6 months ago.

“With the distance, thank heavens for SKYPE!”

Janie loves music, dancing salsa, and she’s learning ballroom dancing now.  (Training for Dancing with the stars, are you Janie?)  She keeps fit by bike riding, swimming, and enjoys painting.

She’s had a wide range of experiences, from general hospital duty, to ICU, to office, to home health, hospice and Private Duty for a demented but sweet old billionaire.

That was the most interesting job ever, since every day events in that mansion on the beach was better than any Soap Opera ever.  It was complete with dysfunctional children, multiple EX’s, high-powered “suits” flying down from NY for meetings, and a “blond bombshell” who REALLY ran the companies while she denied our patient’s true cognitive status.

He promised his nurses everything, but unfortunately, he forgot about it the next day.  Still, I miss those lamb chop meals served on silver platters and the daily cruises down the intercoastal!  What an experience!

Commenting on her work as a travel companion nurse for MedCoach, Janie says “I love our patients and our drivers…. they are more like brothers to me! A medical transport nurse gets to see the whole country as well as experience patient care in many different medical settings.  People call the Medical Transport Center from all across America.Despite the grueling lack of sleep sometimes, I love seeing new places, complete with funny food experiences, (like cheese fries in WI!!) and all the unusual funny accents.”

“Most of all, I love caring for the elderly disabled traveler, helping them see America and meet  nice people around the USA.  The Coordinators at the Medical Transport Center  are  top notch!”

“I’m very happy I answered that unusual ad in Clearwater and met our very special Dr. Kreye!. He’s  always available 24 hours a day it seems for advice and support.”

it’s our Jay Osborn ….. and he has been at it a long time!

When it comes to dedication and cooperation…. again, it’s our Jay Osborn…. you just can’t beat his willingness to go all out for the client, and for the medical transport company, MEDCoach.  And he’s happy now that he’s doing it for someone else.

Jay owned his own “fleet” of large trucks for a long time, but he gave up the pressures of ownership and is now happy to be able to continue driving for someone else, MedCoach.

Jay has been in Florida for a long time, after growing up on a large farm in New Jersey.  He came to Tampa as a youngster but returned to NJ, then he returned to Florida when he was in the tenth grade.  He graduated from Robinson High School in Tampa.  He was the second oldest of six children, three sisters and two brothers.  A couple of sisters live near him now, in Riverview, but other family members are in IL and NJ.

When he’s not on a trip, Jay is involved with his family or his neighbors in a real friendly neighborhood.  “We’re always doing something together, like having a big cookout.”  He has two sisters and a niece living on the same street.

Jay’s other passion is golf.  He plays every chance he gets, enjoying a couple of courses in Zephryhills and occasionally at the Airco course near the MedCoach office.  He “loves the game” and like most amateur golfers, his game scores range between 95 and 110. (It’s not the score that counts, it’s the fun you have!)

He had been driving large trucks since about 1979, as an independent driver/owner.  At one time he had three trucks and worked for long distance movers, Fogarty and United.  “It got to be too difficult to be an owner — too much change — so I sold the trucks and ‘retired’ as an owner.”

“Owning and driving the big trucks is something special, because it’s your world, and you’re ‘in charge’ of what happens.  But it’s also really tough.  I was a mover, so I had to unload and load the trucks and that was really difficult work.”

For a couple of years, Jay, his sister and niece were involved in importing wood used for flooring in homes.    When the housing industry went “kaput” the business died, almost overnight.

Along came MedCoach, the medical transportation company, in the form of an ad on Craig’s List,  he became a driver again in 2008.  The appeal of the job for Jay is that he can still travel around the country for a few days at a time, and then come home and relax.  “It’s great not being on the road all the time!”

“I get a great deal of satisfaction being involved with our clients, as well as being able to go to different and interesting places around the country.  My co-workers are really great, and the office folks are easy-going and very helpful.  That makes my job very enjoyable.”

And on any given day, you’ll find Jay willing and ready to leave, early or late, from the home office, or across the continent.  He’s ready to go – he loves being  “On the road again…..”

What makes our professional team the best choice for your Medical Transportation needs?

We work hard at constant improvement.  Even though we have been transporting medical patients around the world for almost 30 years, we think about and work at being better every day.  Here’s what we ask of our travel team when they prepare for a trip:

Before you leave the office, be sure you have:

1.  A fresh clean appearance with wrinkle free shirt and pants.

2.  A shirt that identifies who you work with

3.  An ID tag with your picture and name on it.

4.  Odorless breath!

5.  A smile—that says welcome, I care about you…..most important of all

Be sure you demonstrate that you are a person who takes pride in his/her work, show care and concern for the small details for your client.

Clients will notice and appreciate this

What do our clients want and expect of us?

What makes us different?

What makes a good first impression?

We ask that the crew calls ahead to the client to let them know you will be there in 30 min – 45 minutes.  Then it is impressive if you can arrive several minutes early….. not just on time.

When you arrive, for starters, be sure there is a welcome door-mat to wipe your feet on as you enter the coach.

Be sure your provide a clean coach — neat, organized, clean smelling.

A clean windshield is very noticeable to the client.

A team will assigns responsibilities to each member.  It is important to rehearse the on- and-off loading of the patient before picking up the patient.  Many cases have special circumstances to consider.

Team member(s) who answers the phone during the trip will respond with their name and introduces themselves to the new client or patient.  In the beginning, the team leader will tell them something about the trip, e.g. the weather, the safety of the coach, their driving experience, their nursing experience, the many trips they have been on or the many transports they have set up, etc.

The team members explain the rules to the patient and guest upon entering, such as where the fire extinguisher is, how to use the facilities, etc.  We do not want anyone falling so do not walk around the coach while the coach is in motion. Please let us assist you to and from the bathroom.

A well-trained team makes the trip a pleasant experience for everyone.

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)

YES, We do STOP for ICE Cream !!!

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