About this episode
Howard Berkowitz, a consultant and master trainer with more than 30 years in the industry, says brokers keep calling him because they cannot find stretcher operators and end up pulling providers in from outside the area at higher cost. He estimates roughly 80 percent of the United States permits NEMT stretcher work, with Texas among the jurisdictions that forbid it, so step one is checking your state before spending a dollar. The build is a full size or long cut van with rear entry, a Stryker or Ferno stretcher, an antler and latch lockdown, and hands on training before the first passenger.
Key takeaways
- Before buying anything, sit outside a hospital or emergency entrance for a couple of hours and log which NEMT companies are running discharges. That is the market research step most owners skip.
- The vehicle is a full size van with rear entry and a side lift, or a long cut minivan where the jurisdiction allows it, fitted with antler wheel locks and a latching mechanism.
- Drivers who learn securement from an online video are where catastrophic failures start. Berkowitz says hire someone with real stretcher experience as your lead, then train your own drivers under them.
- Hospital work runs through discharge nurses, discharge planners and case managers. Administrations increasingly issue service agreements to several providers rather than handing one company an exclusive contract.
- Bed turnover is the hospital's motive. A three to five hour wait for a discharge ride keeps a bed occupied and stops the facility billing the next patient into it.
Chapters
- 0:00 <Untitled Chapter 1>
- 1:45 The critical importance of proper training for stretcher and wheelchair transports.
- 3:30 Why stretcher work is a major revenue opportunity for NEMT businesses.
- 10:29 The first essential step: Checking your state's regulations.
- 11:23 How to conduct market research to identify demand.
- 12:15 The necessary vehicles and equipment for stretcher transport.
- 14:13 Training your team for safety and success.
- 16:20 Strategies for building relationships with hospitals and discharge planners.
- 19:42 Why more NEMT businesses aren't taking advantage of this opportunity.
