Why Veterans could be the Next Best Thing for your Business

As a business owner, you are probably always looking for quality staff that can make your business even more successful. You'll also probably know that finding the right people can be a bit of a gamble because you really are just taking their word for it regarding their experience, skill set, etc. What you might not know is hiring a veteran might help expedite that search because what you see is what you get. Here, XTransit Solutions presents more reasons why hiring a veteran could be the best decision you ever made for your business.

Why a Veteran?

If you are looking for staff who are going to be really committed to the job, a veteran can be your best option, as these individuals often come from a background of extreme perseverance and tenacity. They also tend to get a job done and get it done well. Are you looking for more reasons? Here are a few:

 Their Organizational Skills are Second to None

Structure is essential to getting stuff done. However, what's even more important than structure is the ability to get your employees to follow through with the organizational structures and systems that have been put in place. Veterans know how important it is to follow the rules and procedures to the tee and should have no problem adjusting to your business systems and procedures.

Tax Benefits

Did you know that you can reap tax benefits as an incentive for hiring veterans? The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is an example of this that can increase depending on the number of veterans you hire.

Subsidies for Training a Veteran

You can even qualify for subsidies as part of the training phase when trying to get your veteran up to speed with what's required on the job. Known as the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR & E) program, this program is designed to match suitable veterans to a particular job whilst giving them the tools and equipment necessary to help them perform their workplace duties at no cost to you.

Help Them Continue with a Mission

Veterans are given many benefits through the government to help them after their service, including health insurance and home buyer assistance. (Although they’ll still need to save up for a downpayment, it’s generally less and they get loans at a lower rate.) But many veterans are still looking for ways to make a difference in their lives and the world around them. They spent years with an intense mission and drive. Give them the opportunity to use that dedication in a productive way at your workplace.

Where to Look for the Right Veterans for Your Business

It's not incredibly difficult to find veterans of a high caliber. All you need to do is search the US Department of Labor's website for more information in this regard by selecting a representative in your state from the drop-down menu. Otherwise, you can always use good old social media, specifically Facebook ads, to help advertise your job opening. Many sites, Facebook included, have specific ways to make and share a job posting, so look for their guides online.

Hiring a veteran is indeed a unique opportunity to build a strong workforce with unique capabilities that can make your business an even greater force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, it's easy to do as, with social media, it’s just a tap away from finding your dream employee.

Transportation for Dialysis Patients

Non-emergency medical transportation for dialysis patients requires special attention to a very particular set of needs. Patients deserve a comfortable, safe, and timely ride, as well as an affordable ride. All these things are incredibly important, considering that most dialysis patients rely on medical transportation three times per week.

Healthy kidneys keep your body in check by removing toxins and balancing out the body. When you suffer from end-stage kidney failure, your body no longer does this for you, hence why dialysis is necessary to maintain life. Dialysis is a common form of treatment that has been used since the 1940’s. End-stage kidney failure is defined by a loss of around 85% to 90% of kidney function. Patients with end-stage kidney failure require life-long dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

In some cases, acute kidney failure can clear itself up after treating the cause, in which case dialysis is a temporary form of treatment. Around 217,000 Americans are receiving ongoing dialysis treatment, which adds up to approximately $11.1 billion nationwide.

The Dialysis Process

After arriving at a dialysis treatment center, the patient is ushered into a comfortable seat of some kind. One arm is propped up and a medical technician inserts two needles into blood vessels located near the wrist.  One needle is used to capture the blood and the other is used to return the blood into the body. Both needles are attached to plastic tubes that lead to a dialysis machine sitting next to the patient. 

In total, the process generally lasts around three hours as the machine goes to work, removing wastes and extra fluid from the blood. There are several ways patients stay busy while the process goes on, perhaps reading a book or watching the news. Some take the opportunity to nap. Dialysis might not be fun, and it is certainly time-consuming, but it is a lifesaving process. The process is usually considered a temporary measure until a kidney transplant becomes available or normal kidney functions resume. Dialysis may be necessary due to a birth defect, disease, or injury. 

What does dialysis do?

Like healthy kidneys, dialysis keeps your body in balance. Dialysis does the following:

·       Removes waste, salt, and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body.

·       Keeps a safe level of certain chemicals in the blood, such as potassium, sodium, and bicarbonate.

·       Helps to control blood pressure.

Following dialysis treatment, patients are often tired, drained, and nauseated. It is so important that patients have a comfortable and reliable ride back home to help ease the burden of these symptoms. Many do not want to return for more treatments because of the way treatment makes them feel, but if one begins missing treatments, they will become a lot sicker until kidney failure proves fatal. 

It is so important to provide dialysis clients with the support they need through safe, reliable, on-time services. 

Five Panel or 10 Panel Drug Screen? - It Could Make a Critical Difference

All NEMT companies should require potential employees to take a urine drug test before they can be hired. One benefit of the urine drug screen is that it can keep people with drug problems out of safety sensitive positions that require the ability to be alert and focused at all times. NEMT personnel who use drugs put the safety of many people at risk. Testing may also lower the risk of on-the-job accidents.

The last thing you want for your business is to have one of your drivers get into an accident because of drugs. In addition to potentially harming your driver, your passengers, and members of the community, this will look bad for your reputation. You have invested your heart, time, and mony in developing your business and you cannot risk losing it due to a drug using employee. People want to know that the businesses in their community care about their safety, and drug testing is one way to prove it.

Reasons for post-employment testing vary depending on the situation at hand. Post-employment testing can be administered randomly, post-accident incidents in the workplace, suspicion of use, and legally required testing for NEMT drivers.

Other types of specimens used for drug testing include hair follicle, saliva, breath, and blood tests. Various methods of testing are available and can be administered either in-house or at a laboratory. Laboratories follow strict guidelines when performing drug tests to ensure confidentiality and accurate results.

How do you determine which urine drug test is the best option for your screening needs? Your selection is determined by the variety of drugs each urine panel screens for. While the 5-panel urine test is the most commonly used test, the 10 panel covers a wider range of drugs.

Five (5) Panel Drug Screen:

 A standard five-panel tests for "street drugs" that may include any of the following substances (more detailed in the 10 panel descriptions):

•  Marijuana (THC)

• Cocaine

• PCP (phencyclidine)

• Opiates (e.g., codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, heroin)

• Amphetamines, methamphetamine

• MDMA (Ecstasy)

Ten (10) Panel Drug Screen:

The 10-panel drug test screens for the following controlled substances:

 Amphetamines:

• Amphetamine sulfate (speed, whizz, gooey)

• Methamphetamine (crank, crystal, meth, crystal meth, rock, ice)

• Dexamphetamine and other drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy (dexies, Ritalin, Adderall, Vyvanse, Focalin, Concerta)

Cannabis:

• Marijuana (weed, dope, pot, grass, herb, ganja)

• Hashish and hashish oil (hash)

• Synthetic cannabinoids (synthetic marijuana, spice, K2)

Cocaine:

• Cocaine (coke, powder, snow, blow, bump)

• Crack cocaine (candy, rocks, hard rock, nuggets)

 Opioids:

• Heroin (smack, junk, brown sugar, dope, H, train, hero)

• Opium (big O, O, dopium, Chinese tobacco)

• Codeine (Captain Cody, Cody, lean, sizzurp, purple drank)

• Morphine (Miss Emma, cube juice, hocus, Lydia, mud)

 Barbiturates:

• Amobarbital (downers, blue velvet)

• Pentobarbital (yellow jackets, nembies)

• Phenobarbital (goofballs, purple hearts)

• Secobarbital (reds, pink ladies, red devils)

• Tuinal (double trouble, rainbows)

 Benzodiazepines are also known as benzos, normies, tranks, sleepers, or downers. They include:

• Lorazepam (Ativan)

• Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)

• Alprazolam (Xanax)

• Diazepam (Valium)

 Other screened substances include:

• Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust)

• Methaqualone (Quaaludes, ludes)

• Methadone (dollies, dolls, done, mud, junk, amidone, cartridges, red rock)

• Propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvon-N, PP-Cap)

Employers can test for any legal or illegal substance, including medication taken with a legitimate prescription. Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in the U.S. The Surgeon General, as reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that alcohol and drug abuse, including tobacco, costs the economy over $740 billion per year. Costs are related to crime, lost work productivity and health care. 

Contact XTransit Solutions at info@xtransitsolutions.com or (240) 245-6677 for more information on drug testing. Training courses on DOT guidelines are available at www.xtransitsolutions.com.

Understanding NEMT Vehicle Insurance

There are two big insurance questions for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) providers: 1) What does non-emergency medical transportation insurance cover, and 2) how much does it cost? Let us look at the various components of NEMT insurance, and what types of claims and scenarios they are applied to. In this post, we will discuss the different factors that affect NEMT insurance rates.

Setting insurance rates is all about evaluating risk. How likely is your organization to make an insurance claim? What is the likely severity of that claim? How are those risks multiplied across the number of personnel and vehicles that make up your organization? Once these and other parameters are established, a pricing structure comes into play that weighs risk factors and correlates them with a monetary value.

The various risk factors at play for an NEMT provider can generally be divided into three broad categories: Direct Factors, Historical Factors, and Forward-Looking Factors.

Direct Factors:
Direct Factors are those with the most set-in-stone rate structure. For the most part, they come down to a simple assessment of basic facts. NEMT providers have the least control over these factors.

• Number of Vehicles/Personnel:

This factor is the most crystal clear: The more vehicles you have in your vehicle fleet, the higher your insurance rates will be. The same goes for the number of staff you employ. Rates are calculated on a per-vehicle and per-person basis, so as those numbers climb, so do insurance rates. If you consider this through the lens of risk evaluation, it makes sense: More vehicles equate to more potential for accidents and other claims.

• Types of Vehicles:

When you get your personal vehicle insured, vehicle type plays a large role in your insurance rate. A sports car costs more to insure than an SUV. Why? For one, SUVs typically have more comprehensive vehicle safety features than sports cars. Furthermore, the types of driving undertaken in a sports car are generally riskier than those undertaken when driving an SUV.

The same concept applies to NEMT vehicles. Ambulatory vehicles, wheelchair vehicles, and stretcher vehicles (also known as ambulettes) each carry their own inherent risks. For example, wheelchair and stretcher vehicles are more expensive to insure, as they carry a greater risk of passenger injury. This added risk stems from the need to properly secure wheelchairs and stretchers. If not properly secured, they could move during travel and cause injury. This causes wheelchair and stretcher vehicles to have a higher incident rate than other types of vehicles, as more incidents take place without an accident or collision.

• Location:

Individual states and localities have their own laws and regulations when it comes to insurance requirements. Among other things, these regulations consider unique geographic concerns, such as the area's physical attributes and inherent driving dangers. For this reason, the same NEMT company with the same vehicle fleet, the same staff, and the same insurance provider would be charged differently for NEMT insurance in one area of the country versus another.

Historical Factors:
In the insurance world, past performance is indicative of future results. For this reason, the history of your company and your staff plays an important role in evaluating risk and setting insurance rates. NEMT providers have a greater degree of control over these factors.

• Experience Level:

The experience level of owners and managers impacts the determination of insurance rates. If company leadership has a proven track record of running a safe transportation company, that will help drive down insurance rates. For someone entering the field for the first time, there is no historical track record to examine. This adds uncertainty, leading to higher rates. Of course, if company leadership has a poor track record, this will cause insurance rates to rise.

• Driving Record:

Driving records play a major part in NEMT insurance rates. The motor vehicle records (MVR) of every driver you employ will be checked thoroughly by the insurance company. Every aspect of that record comes into play, from speeding tickets, to moving violations, to accident records. A clean driving record leads to lower rates, while past incidents can cause rates to climb quickly. For this reason, the large majority of NEMT providers evaluate driving records as part of the hiring process.

Forward-Looking Factors:
All insurance calculations are forward-looking. Direct Factors and Historical Factors are analyzed to gauge the likelihood that insurance claims will be made in the future. Insurance providers also take a careful evaluation of Forward-Looking Factors, evaluating the proactive programs NEMT providers have in place to mitigate the likelihood of future risks. This is where NEMT providers can exercise the greatest control over their insurance rates.

• Vehicle Maintenance:

Vehicles that are in good working order are less likely to be involved in accidents. This is why new vehicles typically cost less to insure than pre-owned vehicles: The new vehicles simply have not been on the road as much, and therefore haven't had as much time to accumulate wear and tear. Proper vehicle maintenance is a vital part of maintaining vehicle safety and performance. By instituting a detailed vehicle maintenance program and taking steps to ensure strong adherence to that program, NEMT providers can demonstrate their commitment to ensuring safe vehicle operation for years to come. This lessens future risk, and therefore serves to make future claims less likely. Decreased likelihood of future claims drives down insurance rates.

•  Training:

Continuous learning is a valuable tenant to instill in your organization. There is a wide array of training courses that can better prepare drivers to avoid risky situations in the first place, and to better respond in these situations when they do arise. By taking part in wheelchair securement training, your staff will know how to take the proper steps to secure a wheelchair before travel. By taking defensive driving courses, they can better deal with the unexpected out on the road.

These courses and others like them also help to instill a strong safety culture throughout your organization. Demonstrated completion of these courses will help to bring down insurance rates. Just as NEMT providers will typically review driving history during hiring, they will often require the completion of applicable training courses after drivers have been hired on.

What is covered?
Keep the van as safe as you can by making sure you are protecting it with the right types of commercial auto insurance. Here are the primary types of insurance you will need:

• Liability Insurance – Liability insurance is normally required by law in all parts of the United States. This coverage is designed to protect other people from suffering losses that are caused when your wheelchair van causes an auto accident. Liability insurance primarily focuses on two coverage areas: Bodily injuries and Property Damages.

• Bodily Injury - This section of your liability insurance policy helps pay for any injuries inflicted on other people from an auto accident. If your wheelchair van causes, or is found to be at fault for, an auto accident that causes people to get physical hurt, the bodily injury portion of your coverage pays for their medical expenses. When an injured person must be transported to the hospital for example, your bodily injury coverage can pay for the ambulatory bills and expenses. It also pays for the emergency room care, doctor’s visits, prescription medications, physical therapy, rehabilitation and other medical bills that are caused due to the auto accident. Bodily injury also pays for a person’s lost wages when they must miss work due to recovery times, and it pays for pain and suffering of the victims. When a person is killed in an auto accident, your bodily injury insurance can pay their funeral expenses as well.

• Property Damage - When a vehicle or other property sustains damages from an auto accident that was caused by your wheelchair van, the property damages portion of your liability insurance will pay for the cost of repairs.

Liability insurance can provide your wheelchair van with protection at varying levels, based on the amount of coverage you select. You can choose a standard split-level policy or a combined single limit policy as well.

A split limit policy sets maximum benefit limits on two separate portions of an auto accident claim. Split limit policies will pay no more than the set limit per person for bodily injuries but no more than the total combined limit for all bodily injuries in an accident. It will also pay a separate maximum for property damages. Example: A liability split limit policy of $15,000/$50,000/$35,000 explains a specific payment maximum per accident. No more than $15,000 will be paid for any individual person’s bodily injuries in one accident; no more than $50,000 will be paid for the combined total of bodily injuries; and $35,000 is the maximum amount the policy will pay for property damages.

If you elect a single combined limit liability policy instead, there is no separate maximum limit defined for bodily injuries or property damages. There is just one maximum overall payout for the policy for each accident. A $50,000 combined single limit liability policy for example, would pay a maximum of $50,000 in damages per accident regardless of whether the damages were to people or property.

•  Medical Payments – Medical payments insurance is important coverage for a wheelchair van because it pays medical related expenses that arise for your van driver and any passengers who were riding in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Coverage is for paying medical and related bills, such as ambulance transport, hospital care and follow up treatments. This insurance protects your driver and passengers without regard to who causes an auto accident. It is not available in all areas however, so be sure to contact one of our licensed representatives to determine if it’s an option for your company’s policy.

• Physical Damage Insurance – Physical damages insurance protects your wheelchair van itself. And it protects your company from having to pay the bills when the van is damaged or destroyed. This insurance is extremely important for your company if you lease your wheelchair van, or if you still have an outstanding unpaid finance loan because it provides you with the most protection possible. There are three types of physical damages insurance protection:

  • Comprehensive Physical Damage Protection – Comprehensive damages protects you from a number of potential risks, perils and hazards. It does not protect against damages and losses caused by a collision or caused when your van overturns. It does however, protect against losses and damages caused by theft, break ins, vandalism and natural events. If your van is damaged due to a tree falling on it in a storm for example, your comprehensive damage protection coverage will pay for the repairs.

  • Collision Protection – Collision protection is specifically designed to pay for damages and destruction that are caused by a collision or by a roll over event. If your van has a blowout and overturns for example, your collision damage protection will pay for the repairs. If the van backs into a building while trying to access a wheelchair ramp, the collision damage protection pays for those repairs as well.

  • Specified Peril (CAC) – Specified Peril coverage is also known as Fire and Theft with Combined Additional Coverage. This does not protect you against collision or roll over events. Instead, it protects you from just those perils that are specified on your insurance policy.

• Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist - If your van is involved in an auto accident with another vehicle and that other vehicle was the cause for the accident, their liability insurance is supposed to pay for your bodily injuries and property damages. If the other driver does not carry insurance however, or if they do not carry enough coverage to pay all of the resulting bills, they are considered uninsured or underinsured. You can purchase protection against these risks with an uninsured or underinsured motorist policy. When the other driver is at fault but unable to pay for all of your damages, your policy will pick up the difference. This policy works much like your Liability policy.

• Bodily Injury - As covered with Liability Insurance.

• Property Damage - As covered with Liability Insurance.

• Collision Deductible Waiver (CDW) - When you carry an uninsured or underinsured motorist bodily injury policy on your wheelchair van, you can qualify for a collision deductible waiver (CDW). The CDW makes it so that you do not have to pay your standard insurance deductible when you make an uninsured or underinsured motorist accident claim.

 Take the time to review your vehicle insurance coverage and periodically look for more reasonable rates. Your status changes over time as your work experience and driver experience increases. You could lower your premium without sacrificing coverage. 

Cleaning and Disinfection for Non-emergency Transport Vehicles

Interim Recommendations for U.S. Non-emergency Transport Vehicles that May Have Transported Passengers with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). April 14, 2020: Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

People who are known or suspected to have COVID-19 may use non-emergency vehicle services, such as passenger vans, accessible vans, and cars, for transportation to receive essential medical care. When transporting a known confirmed positive passenger, it is recommended that drivers wear an N95 respirator or facemask (if a respirator is not available) and eye protection such as a face shield or goggles (as long as they do not create a driving hazard), and the passenger should wear a facemask or cloth face covering. Occupants of these vehicles should avoid or limit close contact (within 6 feet) with others. The use of larger vehicles such as vans is recommended when feasible to allow greater social (physical) distance between vehicle occupants. Additionally, drivers should practice regular hand hygiene, avoid touching their nose, mouth, or eyes, and avoid picking up multiple passengers who would not otherwise be riding together on the same route. CDC recommends that individuals wear cloth face coverings in settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas with significant community transmission. Cloth face coverings may prevent people who do not know they have the virus from transmitting it to others; these face coverings are not surgical masks, respirators, or personal protective equipment (PPE). Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The following are general guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting these vehicles. Similar guidance can be found for cleaning and disinfecting homes, community facilities, and EMS vehicles used to transport persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

At a minimum, clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces in the vehicle at the beginning and end of each shift and between transporting passengers who are visibly sick. Ensure that cleaning and disinfection procedures are followed consistently and correctly, including the provision of adequate ventilation when chemicals are in use. Doors and windows should remain open when cleaning the vehicle. When cleaning and disinfecting, individuals should wear disposable gloves compatible with the products being used as well as any other PPE required according to the product manufacturer’s instructions. Use of a disposable gown is also recommended, if available.

• For hard non-porous surfaces within the interior of the vehicle such as hard seats, arm rests, door handles, seat belt buckles, light and air controls, doors and windows, and grab handles, clean with detergent or soap and water if the surfaces are visibly dirty, prior to disinfectant application. For disinfection of hard, non-porous surfaces, appropriate disinfectants include:

• EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2external icon, the virus that causes COVID-19. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for concentration, application method, and contact time for all cleaning and disinfection products.

• Diluted household bleach solutions prepared according to the manufacturer’s label for disinfection, if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.

• Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol.

• For soft or porous surfaces such as fabric seats, remove any visible contamination, if present, and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning, use products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19external icon and that are suitable for porous surfaces.

• For frequently touched electronic surfaces, such as tablets or touch screens used in the vehicle, remove visible dirt, then disinfect following the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products. If no manufacturer guidance is available, consider the use of alcohol-based wipes or sprays containing at least 70% alcohol to disinfect.

Gloves and any other disposable PPE used for cleaning and disinfecting the vehicle should be removed and disposed of after cleaning; wash hands immediately after removal of gloves and PPE with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. If a disposable gown was not worn, work uniforms/clothes worn during cleaning and disinfecting should be laundered afterwards using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely. Wash hands after handling laundry.

The Effects of Hiring Unqualified Drivers

Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) companies provide a much-needed service to people who are sick, elderly, disabled or otherwise unable to drive themselves to and from doctors’ appointments, dialysis treatment, x-rays, therapy, or other medical treatments. Unfortunately, however, NEMT companies providing such services often employ inexperienced or untrained drivers and staff, and sadly, even use vehicles which are not equipped with necessary safety features. As a result, many people who have no choice but to utilize the services of non-emergency transport companies – people who need specialized transportation and deserve extra care and attention – suffer catastrophic injuries while in the custody and control of non-emergency transport companies. It is the duty of the driver to ensure that the patient/passenger is safely transported to their destination.

Passenger safety is the number one reason to employ drivers who are qualified to do the job. Without proper knowledge and training, drivers subject passengers to unreasonable risk. They could cause injuries by being involved in accidents, dropping passengers, failing to properly secure passengers in vehicles, improperly using chairlifts or failing to transfer passengers to or from wheelchairs or stretchers safely. Unqualified drivers could also engage in dangerous behavior like leaving passengers in unsafe conditions or situations.

By hiring unqualified employees and then failing to properly train them, NEMT companies subject patients/passengers to unreasonable risks of serious personal injuries and death.  Such injuries are caused by, but not limited to, the following:

·       Collisions with other vehicles or objects

·       Not providing proper passenger assistance 

·       Dropping patients while loading or unloading them

·       Failing to secure, or improperly securing, a patient to his or her seat

·       Failing to secure, or improperly securing, wheelchair bound patients

·       Failing to safely transfer patients to or from a wheelchair or stretcher

·       Improperly using chair lifts

·       Leaving patients in extreme or unsafe conditions

Employing drivers who possess minimal knowledge and skills could save you a few dollars when it comes to wages, but it will likely end up costing you in the long run. Working with qualified drivers ensures patient safety and satisfaction while minimizing your risk. These drivers abide by the law, and you can feel confident allowing them to operate your vehicles and safely get passengers from point a to point b. Non-emergency medical transport drivers are responsible for a lot more than, say, delivering a hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, and you need qualified employees who are up for the challenge.

While having a driver’s license and a clean driving record is good enough for many driving jobs, it isn’t for NEMT jobs. Transporting people who are sick, disabled or elderly requires special skills and training. Drivers should be trained in things like HIPAA, CPR and first aid. They also need to know how to properly secure passengers — including those who are bound to wheelchairs. Drivers should also be trained to safely load and unload passengers and transfer them to and from wheelchairs and stretchers.

If you are the owner of a NEMT company, employing the right drivers and providing the right training is crucial. 

Why risk the well-being of your passengers and the viability of your company by not hiring qualified drivers?

The Importance of Training

It is easy to recognize the impact of poorly trained employees – late pick-ups, poor customer service, losing good staff, complaints, accidents, and injuries, and loss of contracts. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a simple solution to address all of these issues? There is – EMPLOYEE TRAINING.

In a recession or times like we are in now, many businesses cut, or even delete, their training budget. That is the exact wrong step to take. You need every employee working on their A-game. With customers and contract opportunities coming at a premium every employee must be operating at their best. Now is the time to for companies to invest more in their employees and start reaping the rewards of the immediate and long-term benefits of employee training. 

·      Improved Quality of Work – Proper assisting of passengers results in a higher customer satisfaction level and repeat customers. 

• Improved Team Performance – A manager who is trained in supervisory skills is likely to bring out the best in their co-workers. Having all levels of employees attend training together is a great team building opportunity.

• Increased Productivity – A trained driver will perform duties with no errors that may disrupt the daily schedule and workflow. Less time is wasted on making up for loss time and missed trips. More trips – more money.

• Improved Employee Health - Employees who receive safety training are less likely to injure themselves or others, reducing your lost work time and workers compensation claims. In addition, you’ll have better compliance with OSHA requirements.

• Improved Safety Record - Drivers trained in proper driving techniques will have fewer accidents, reducing auto and property damage claims. Better loss ratios translate into lower annual insurance premiums.

• Increased Customer Retention - Employees who are trained to deal with difficult people is more likely to address customer complaints effectively. De-escalation skills are key when transporting persons with behavioral health issues and children. 

• Increased Employee Morale and Retention - Employees who receive the necessary training to do their job well experience higher job satisfaction. Increased job satisfaction translates directly into higher employee retention rates reducing the high cost of turnover. They know you care about them and their wellbeing.

Yes, training programs cost money, but it is a short-term cost with a long-term payoff to the team and the organization. The costs are easily recovered through greater efficiency and productivity, reduced error rates, fewer accidents, and less turnover. 

What company wouldn’t benefit from these results?