See the full interview on YouTube.
Please don't forget to subscribe and like NEMT Experts Podcast on YouTube.
Also, available to watch on Spotify
And listen (audio only) on your other favorite podcast platforms Apple and Pandora.
Bambi CEO Nirav Chheda talks with John Maselli, the National Director of Van Sales for Model 1 Commercial Vehicles, about what NEMT business owners should think about in the process of buying NEMT vehicles.
Mobility issues can make it difficult to get from A to B-for-Bambi, especially for those who need a stretcher to get there. And for most, most of our family and friends don’t have the capability or space for a stretcher in their vehicles nor public transport to take when one might need a lift inclusive of a stretcher. This is where having a non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) ride with plenty of space to store a stretcher would help those riders who need rely on them to reach the hospital, dialysis center, adult day care center — what be it — with care, comfort and ease.
Here’s why, as a NEMT broker or business owner, having stretchers onboard in, at least, some of your NEMT fleet is a Bambi essential:
Enhanced patient care
Stretchers ensure that you can safely transport patients who require lying down due to medical conditions or injuries. They provide a comfortable and stable platform for patients during transit, enhancing their overall comfort and well-being.
Versatility and flexibility
Having stretchers on hoof allows you to accommodate a much wider range of medical needs and emergencies. They can be quickly deployed when needed, ensuring readiness for unexpected circumstances.
Expertise and dependability
Equipping your NEMT fleet with stretchers showcases your dedication to delivering high-quality, comprehensive care. It improves your reputation as a dependable and compassionate NEMT provider.
Practicality and efficiency
Stretchers are designed to be compact and easy to store, saving space in your vehicle for other essential medical equipment like walkers and foldable wheelchairs. They improve the boarding and disembarking processes, ensuring efficiency and safety.
Patient Satisfaction and Safety
Patients and their loved ones will appreciate the comfort and security provided by stretchers, leading to higher satisfaction rates.They contribute to the overall safety of riders during transportation, minimizing the risk of injury or discomfort.
Regulatory Compliance
Including stretchers in your NEMT vehicles ensures compliance with regulations and standards governing medical transportation.It demonstrates your commitment to meeting and exceeding industry requirements for patient transport.
Adding stretchers into your NEMT operations is a strategic investment that enhances service quality, increases patient satisfaction and ups your competitive edge in the NEMT industry. It’s a small investment with big Bambi benefits, ensuring that your business stands out as a leader in providing reliable and compassionate NEMT services.
Following the release of our article, NEMT Brokers — The Real Bambis of the Industry, the non-emergency medical transportation sector experienced an uptick in new competitors entering the Bambi forest. While we jest, acknowledging our playful core values, the growth in this industry is no laughing matter. With the rise in chronic health issues and the aging population, the demand for NEMT services is steadily increasing.
Entering an industry with job security and a focus on ensuring the safety of others is not only reasonable but also provides a pathway to long-term business success. Here's a simple guide on how to become a Broker or Bambi, as we affectionately call it in the forest of NEMT.
While we previously covered how to become an NEMTpreneur, providing valuable insights for newcomers to the industry, this article focuses on navigating the intricacies of the business once you're established. We'll assume you have the foundational knowledge of setting up a business but may require guidance on connecting the dots and serving as the intermediary between hospitals, transportation companies, technology providers and more.
Again, assuming you have your business plan and even a name for your Bambi-heart driven biz, first things first. And that you’ll need to obtain the necessary licenses and certifications. Every jurisdiction is different so be sure to research and obtain the required licenses and permits to operate as an NEMT broker in your local area. And depending on where you’ll operate, ensure compliance with local, state and federal regulations governing the provision of your transportation services.This foundational step sets the stage for a solid and legally sound business framework.
With your necessary operating licenses secured, the next step is assembling your caregiving team — carefully. These individuals are the backbone of your Bambi biz, capable of making or breaking its success. It's imperative to hire people who genuinely care, as their dedication is pivotal to the services you provide. Fortunately, nurturing comes naturally to those with Bambi blood; a little training is all it takes to harness their inherent caregiving instincts.
Next up, you'll require the right tech support to empower your team. At Bambi, we're proud to offer our all-in-one aiNEMT solution, designed to dispatch, dash, and drive — deerly. However, beyond our soft, simple and streamlined SaaS lies a myriad of other technology providers eager to accelerate your NEMT service's growth. Take the time to explore local providers; after all, supporting local initiatives fosters sustainability for our one and only planet while thinking globally.
And lastly, embrace the power of partnerships. Form robust connections with healthcare providers, hospitals, clinics and rehabilitation centers. Cultivate valuable relationships with transportation companies, such as taxi services (they'll come in handy), specialized NEMT fleets and even ride-sharing platforms — you’ll be surprised at how all the technologies tend to
connect amongst each other. These collaborations ensure reliable transportation solutions for your clients. By fostering these strategic partnerships, you elevate your service quality and cement your reputation as a trusted Bambi in the NEMT industry.
All in all, in becoming an NEMT broker you’ll nurture not only that of your business but also the well-being of those you serve. So embrace your inner Bambi, and let your caregiving journey be one full of discovery and growth, gentle guidance, compassion and connection.
Welcome to Missouri, famously known as the "Show-Me State." This state slogan speaks to the pragmatic, no-nonsense attitude of its hard-working residents, who value actions over words. It's a state where showing what you can do matters — making it the perfect place to showcase your entrepreneurial skills. But Missouri doesn't just show; it cares. This strong sense of community and commitment to well-being makes it an ideal state to start your non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) business.
The NEMT industry plays a vital role in ensuring everyone has access to the healthcare they deserve. If you're passionate about patient care — maybe you even work in healthcare already, and just keen to swap your scrubs for some software — and possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, starting an NEMT business in Missouri could be a very rewarding venture.
And as a care-tech company dedicated to supporting our customers and their passengers, we aim to ensure that your NEMT business is set up for success from the get-go. We take pride in providing not only informative content on the NEMT industry and streamlined product features like Run Bambi Run, designed to save you time in your day-to-day operations, but also in supporting everyone from seasoned NEMT brokers to new NEMTpreneurs in how to start and run a sustainable NEMT business, sustainably. We’re friends of the forest afterall!
This Bambi Knows Best several part (it’ll MOst likely be seven parts — see what we did there? — but we don’t want to hold ourselves back if we think of another angle to add to the evolving series that might help your NEMT biz grow and succeed) will guide you through each crucial step in starting your own certified NEMT business in Missouri. From researching the local market and developing a business plan to understanding regulations, securing funding, building your fleet, hiring and training your dream team and managing the necessary technology, we’ve got you covered.
And know that as you delve deeper into your own research, we recommend hiring local consultants and connecting with other NEMT business owners in your area for valuable insights. Build those friendships with your competition — Bambi is all about fostering a community of friends over frenemies!
Below is a table of contents per se allowing you to follow along or click through to the articles that pertain to your needs MOst (ops, we did it again — we just can’t help ourselves!)
Part 1: Research the Missouri NEMT market
Part 2: Develop a business plan and get registered
Part 3: Study Missouri’s regulations and get insured
Part 4: Secure funding in Missouri
Part 5: Flesh Out Your NEMT Fleet in Missouri
Part 6: Hire and Train Up Your NEMT Dream Team
Part 7: Take Care of That Tech
All in all, starting an NEMT business in Missouri requires dedication, planning and a commitment to providing exceptional patient care. By thoroughly researching the Missouri market, rules and regulations; securing funding, fleets and a skilled team; as well as leveraging technology, you can be sure you’ll navigate the challenges nimbly like Bambi and build that thriving NEMT business to make a positive impact on your local Missouri community.
We return again for our final installment in our Bambi Knows Best three-part series, Along for the Ride, to meet one last group of the varying kinds of NEMT passengers.
In this third and final issue, we look to riders who need to be serviced and supported with a stretcher. These individuals require taking their non-emergency medical transportation while lying down due to their particular medical condition(s) and/or recovery from a surgery.
Stretcher-bound passengers present quite the unique set of challenges and require a much higher level of care and attention during their journeys. Because for one, there’s a lot more bells and whistles on the contraption from straps to be mindful of (and not get tripped up on) to wheels to roll around. They also tend to take up a lot more real estate in an NEMT vehicle than a wheelchair would, so it really makes a difference how many other passengers — or dear Bambi friends — can be picked up on this same route. There’s a good chance it’ll be a lift for the sole stretcher rider and potentially only their plus one of a helping hoof caretaker.
Just like their wheelchair-bound and ambulatory counterparts, stretcher-requesting riders bring their own niche needs and experiences to the journey. Caring for these types of passengers involves more than just providing the stretcher and a vehicle that it fits in — it requires stretching your mind to lean into that forethought — not only future-proofing your vehicle by planning head for these stretcher-needing passengers, but sustaining your NEMT business for the long-haul as there will always be vulnerable folk who need to travel via stretcher. Specialized equipment to hook, lock in and secure the stretcher are additional things to think about, as well as hiring highly trained staff to take care of these intricate devices that come in many sizes, shapes and at varying price points.
In general, it’s important to equip your NEMT fleet with the necessary space and tools to safely transport stretcher-bound patients. Do you have protocols in place to handle the loading and unloading of stretchers efficiently and safely?
Here are a few other necessary things to keep in mind when taking care of riders needing stretchers:
Communication is vital: Drivers should be trained to communicate clearly with stretcher-bound passengers and their caregivers to ensure all needs are met throughout the journey. Do they need special medical equipment to accompany the stretcher during transport? Are there any specific instructions for handling the patient? What injuries should you be mindful of as you strap in the patients?
Accessibility stretches beyond the van: Ensuring that pickup and drop-off locations are suitable for stretcher use is important. Vehicles must be equipped with the right stretchers and securing systems that fit the vehicle’s interior specs perfectly to guarantee patient safety. Some may require it, other stretchers may not, but find out if yours will need a ramp and/or lift to in- and off-load.
Emergency preparedness: NEMT drivers must be trained to respond effectively to emergencies and coordinate with medical professionals when necessary as folks who need to ride via stretchers are, in most cases, more vulnerable than wheelchair-bound and ambulatory riders. Can your team handle unexpected medical situations during the ride? Are your drivers trained beyond that basic first aid and emergency procedures to ensure confidence in not only the driver but the patient, too?
Always evolving: The billion-dollar NEMT industry is constantly transforming, and providers should always strive for continuous improvement in their services. Fielding feedback from passengers who request stretchers and actually implementing such feedback will enhance the overall experience for future stretcher-requesting riders.
And as you know by now, each passenger will have their own story and set of challenges, so it's your due diligence and duty to be empathetic, patient and respectful as you provide them with the dignified care they deserve.
Well that’s it folks! That’s the end of the road of Along for the Ride, for now. We’re Disney fans after all, so even when we close a chapter, it doesn't mean we’ll never open up that fairy tale again — to add more tales and tails to the story. In fact, it just stretched across our minds that it might be fun to look at those passengers considered “plus ones” to the riders going for their medical appointments. Just like our dears, we see these caretakers as not sure helping hooves, but heroes in the lives of NEMT riders.
So stay tuned! We might just have a Season Two of Along for the Ride. No promises, but maybe we’ll create a spin-off (or wheel-off!) series someday.
Meet the marvelous mix of NEMT passengers in our Bambi Knows Best three-part series, Along for the Ride, dedicated to exploring the diverse world of those who rely on non-emergency medical transportation.
In this first installment, we look at the unique needs and experiences of wheelchair-bound riders, from those who navigate manually to those whose mobility is enhanced by technology — yes, those electric wheelchairs and scooters that go zoom!
While we've previously delved into the perspective of first-time riders, we recognize the importance of understanding the journey from the viewpoint of NEMT brokers and drivers. After all, ensuring a safe and comfortable trip for every passenger is our ultimate, utmost priority when we continue to improve our inclusive care-tech. That's why we turn to Bambi, our near and deer expert, to shed light on the various characters you may encounter during your travels.
Caring for wheelchair-bound passengers entails more than just providing transportation — it requires a keen attention to detail and specialized equipment. Are your vehicles equipped with ramps and lifts to facilitate seamless boarding and disembarking? Do you have sufficient space to accommodate different types of wheelchairs, from standard manual models to sophisticated e-wheelchairs? These are questions that every NEMT provider must consider to ensure a smooth and safe experience for their passengers.
Moreover, it's essential for drivers to possess the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the nuances of wheelchair transportation. From maneuvering different types of wheelchairs to addressing the unique needs of each passenger, drivers play an integral role in ensuring the safety and well-being of their riders.
As you get to know more about and better understand your wheelchair-bound NEMT riders (you might even make some new friends like Bambi), it’s important to prioritize empathy, patience and respect. Always. Because each passenger has their own story and challenges, and it's your due diligence and duty to provide them with the support and care they deserve.
Here are a few other necessary things to keep in mind when taking care of of wheelchair-bound passengers:
Communication is key: Effective communication between drivers, brokers and passengers is essential for a successful NEMT experience, and drivers should be trained to communicate clearly with wheelchair-bound passengers to ensure their particular needs are met throughout the journey. Do they need an e-lift or a ramp to embark? How will they be secured once inside the vehicle? Will they be riding solo or with an accompanying helping hoof?
Accessibility goes beyond transportation: Accessibility doesn't stop with the vehicle itself. It's important for NEMT providers to consider the accessibility of pickup and drop-off locations, as well as the varying facilities passengers may need to access at their destination.
Emergency preparedness: NEMT providers should have protocols in place for handling emergencies, including medical emergencies that could arise during transport. Drivers should be trained to respond effectively to emergencies and to coordinate with medical professionals when needed.
Always improving: The NEMT industry is constantly evolving, and brokers and providers should strive for continuous improvement in their services for everyone. Soliciting feedback from wheelchair-bound passengers and implementing changes based on it, will only enhance the overall experience for wheelchair-bound riders.There’s more where this came from! Stay tuned for the next installment of Along for the Ride, where we'll explore the experiences of ambulatory passengers and the intricacies of providing NEMT services to this unique group of riders ready to roll with you.
See the full interview on YouTube.
Please don't forget to subscribe and like NEMT Experts Podcast on YouTube.
Also, available to watch on Spotify
And listen (audio only) on your other favorite podcast platforms Apple and Pandora.
Bambi CEO Nirav Chheda talks with Price Wooding, Owner of "DME for Me Consulting", about how NEMT business can diversify into doing DME (Durable Medical Equipment) work.
We’re back to meet more of the marvelous mix of NEMT passengers in our Bambi Knows Best three-part series, Along for the Ride, dedicated to exploring the intricate world of those who rely on non-emergency medical transportation.
In this second installment of Along for the Ride, we turn our attention to ambulatory riders, those folks who possess the ability to walk and move independently or with minimal assistance of a helping hoof. While they may not require wheelchairs or other mobility aids, ambulatory passengers still rely on NEMT services to access vital healthcare appointments and services.
And just like their wheelchair-bound counterparts, ambulatory riders bring their own unique set of needs and experiences to the journey. From individuals recovering from minor to invasive surgeries to those managing chronic conditions, ambulatory passengers require the same level of care, consideration and empathy when it comes to their transportation.
As we continue to iterate to improve our aiNEMT software — care-tech for those who caretake — it's essential to understand the journey from the perspective of NEMT brokers and drivers. And because ensuring a safe and sound trip for every passenger remains our ultimate priority, we turn again to Bambi to shed some light on what you may encounter during your travels with ambulatory riders.
Caring for ambulatory passengers requires more than just providing transportation — it involves thoughtful consideration of accessibility, communication and emergency preparedness. Are pickup and drop-off locations easily accessible to individuals who might have even the slightest of mobility challenges? What condition are these riders in — even though they’re not with a wheelchair, they might need support with a walker, crutches or cane. Do you have the sufficient space in your NEMT vehicle or fleets for the extra support items an ambulatory rider might need?
Here are a few other necessary things to keep in mind when taking care of ambulatory passengers:Communication is gold: Effective communication between drivers, brokers and passengers is essential for a successful NEMT experience, and drivers should be trained to communicate clearly with ambulatory passengers to ensure their particular needs are met throughout the entire ride to their appointments. Do they need a helping hoof to embark and disembark? Will they be bringing extra equipment on (i.e. oxygen tanks, IV bags, walkers)? Will they be riding solo or with an accompanying friend like a Thumper — but rather with someone from their actual neck of the woods, not Bambi’s? Accessibility goes beyond the wheels: Accessibility doesn't end with the ride itself. It's important for NEMT providers to consider the accessibility of pickup and drop-off locations at the different medical places their passengers need lifts to.Emergency preparedness: NEMT providers should have protocols in place for handling emergencies, including medical emergencies that might arise during transport. Drivers should be trained to respond effectively to emergencies and to coordinate with specialized medical professionals when needed. Think about those folks carrying on extras like oxygen tanks and IV bags. Do your drivers know how to handle those items? They better!Always improving: The NEMT industry is constantly evolving, and brokers and providers should always make time for improving their services for everyone. Soliciting feedback from ambulatory passengers and implementing changes based on it will only enhance the overall experience for these riders.And, yep, you guessed it! There’s even more where this came from! Keep an eye out for the next installment of Along for the Ride, where we'll explore the experiences of passengers who need stretcher support — and the intricacies of providing NEMT services to this particular group of riders ready to stretch your services from A to B.
In many industries, brokers act as bridges — though one might wonder why they're not just called bridges instead! They serve as intermediaries between parties, sometimes two, sometimes several. In the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) sector, these professionals or entities play an important role. They act as connectors between healthcare providers, patients, and transportation services, taking care of the arrangement and coordination of transportation for individuals with medical needs to reach their necessary destinations — typically medical appointments, rehabilitation centers or other appointments vital for their well-being.
Here at Bambi, we believe NEMT brokers or business owners to be the true Bambis of this field. Mainly because they’re taking a lot of empathetic care, not just in one aspect of healthcare, but multiple. It’s a lot to juggle in one's own entrepreneurial set of hooves and Bambi heart. They're not just taking care of business; they're ensuring that patients (their clients), especially those with disabilities, chronic illnesses or mobility limitations, have access to safe and dignified rides.
NEMT brokers are also taking care of their contractors and/or employees. These folks can range from drivers to an in-house operations team. As easy and streamlined as our fun-in-one aiNEMT software is, someone needs to be nimble like Bambi, managing the backend and clicking that Run Bambi Run button when necessary. It doesn’t just run itself (yet, at least). These dear drivers and operators are the backbone of any NEMT biz, often going above and beyond to ensure that patients receive the care and attention they deserve. They’re like Bambi guiding friends through the forest of healthcare safely, ensuring kindness in care of their well-being but also the sustainability of the ecosystem in which they operate.
NEMT brokers who understand the importance of supporting their team members thrive Bambily (yeah we just made up an adverb) beyond others. Whether it's ensuring fair compensation, offering opportunities for professional development or simply fostering a psychological safe work environment, NEMT brokers prioritize the well-being of their workforce.
Additionally, NEMT brokers are nurturing relationships — not just their internal teams and contractors or returning Miss Daiseys, but also those who provide services to them, like software providers like ours or other third parties who support their NEMT services better. There’s that one big wheel of caregiving again!
By cultivating strong partnerships with software platforms, technology providers and community health centers, NEMT brokers expand their Bambi hooves’ reach and enhance the quality of care they can offer to patients. It's through these collaborations and connections that the true impact of their empathetic approach to business shines through, making them the real Bambis of the industry — ensuring not just the safe passage of their patients but also the sustainability of our planet and vitality of our wider healthcare ecosystem.
