About this episode
Kathrena Williams and Dayja Larry run NEMT provider PDQ Delivery in Indiana, where revenue went from $40,000 in 2023 to $400,000 in 2024 and $1.6 million in the most recent year. Growth started with will-call B-leg pickups at Riley Hospital, where patients waiting up to an hour for other providers watched PDQ arrive early and asked to switch, then spread by word of mouth among dialysis and methadone clinic riders. Brokers followed in 2023: LCP took about a week, Verida two to three weeks, WellTrans a claims class, and the fleet grew to 14 vehicles running 230 to 240 rides a day.
Key takeaways
- Revenue climbed from $40,000 in 2023 to $400,000 in 2024 to $1.6 million, while daily volume went from three trips to roughly 230 or 240 rides a day.
- Broker onboarding varied: LCP took about a week and ran outdated software, Verida took two to three weeks over insurance and COI requirements, WellTrans required a claims class.
- Kathrena tells new owners to keep a first vehicle near $12,000. PDQ overbought its first Chrysler, then later financed six cars through a dealer relationship built on reputation.
- Free rides are a deliberate channel. PDQ partners with the Spark group, covers riders to the state fair and a basketball game, and writes the trips off on taxes.
- Verida portability drives the expansion plan: place vehicles in a new state and the broker assigns trips, which is how Tennessee, Texas, and Louisiana are being scoped.
Chapters
- 0:00 <Untitled Chapter 1>
- 0:29 The Founding Story: Launching PDQ Delivery from a personal need for reliable patient transport
- 3:10 Market Penetration: Capturing market share and expanding a client base through exceptional on-time performance at critical care facilities
- 6:31 Revenue Scaling: The timeline and operational shifts that drove revenue from $40K to $1.6M and 240+ daily rides
- 7:47 Payer & Broker Relationships: Strategies for outreach, onboarding, and securing lucrative contracts with top-tier brokers
- 14:49 Operational Infrastructure: Maintaining quality of care and internal culture while scaling the fleet
- 21:14 Brand Reputation: Leveraging pro-bono rides as a community trust-building initiative that drives long-term patient loyalty
- 23:42 National Expansion: Strategic planning for scaling operations into new state markets using existing broker networks
- 25:46 Tech Stack Optimization: Why returning to Bambi's robust software infrastructure was critical for managing dispatch and compliance at scale
