For years, Delinda Boler relied on friends and family members to drive her to and from her doctor appointments.
Boler, who has rheumatoid arthritis, can’t drive. The pain is so unbearable, she struggles to walk in and out of the doctor’s office.
Boler, who has at least two doctor’s appointments a week, sees specialists in Columbus and in Tupelo.
Rides, whether she paid someone or got a courtesy lift, weren’t always reliable.
As a result, Boler missed appointments. Equally as troubling was her inability to afford paying for trips out of town.
“It got to be expensive,” Boler said. “I don’t have a car. I can’t drive. I kind of felt lost.”
About four months ago, a friend put Boler on to a regional service that she said has changed her life: Medicare and Medicaid approved transportation.
Boler, 56, filed Medicare paperwork and was approved by LogistiCare, which works with transportation providers in 40 states and assigns quadrants to four Golden Triangle providers.
“It’s a blessing from on high,” Boler said. “They take care of you so good. They take you there, pick you up. They’ll even take you to get your medicine. I just call them, and they’re right there.”
Adam Holmes, owner of Holmes Transportation in Columbus, knows a lot of people just like Boler. Whether they’re old or young, suffering from diabetes or arthritis, people who qualify for the transportation or use it through private insurance need it. The service is especially needed in rural areas of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, where Holmes, Yo’ Transportation, JD&M and On-Time — all based in the Golden Triangle — have clients.
“We need to take care of our seniors,” Holmes said. “This state is built on our forefathers, our grandparents. There’s a need for this service, and it’s growing. Problem is, there’s a lot of people who need it and could qualify but just don’t know where to start.”
With talk of possible cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, thousands of people in the region could be affected. The patients who have private insurance that pays for transportation won’t be, but for many of the elderly who rely on state and federal assistance, they could find themselves in Boler’s shoes.
“The state gives you a certain number of trips per year,” Holmes explained. “After that, you’re on your own. A lot of times, people who don’t have the funds or don’t know they qualify through Medicare end up sitting at home. Then, there’s the people who might not qualify through Medicare or have insurance that covers it. There’s a lot more we can do.”
A burgeoning business
Starkville entrepreneur John Campbell got into the transportation business by accident.
A year ago, he bought a pair of minivans from a woman near Memphis, Tenn. When he picked up the vehicles, he noticed two LogistiCare stickers on the windows.
He called the number on the sticker and had his latest business venture, Yo’ Transportation. Still, he had to meet an inch-and-a-half’s worth of paperwork and requirements before he, his staff and drivers could be certified. Vehicles had to pass rigorous inspections, and employees had to pass background checks and drug tests to get certified.
A year later, Yo’ Transportation has added eight more vehicles to its fleet of Ford F-300 minibuses and minivans and employs 13 people. Like the other transportation services in the area, Yo’ Transportation is contracted with LogistiCare, which assigns clients to each of the companies based on location.
“It’s really grown in the last six months,” Campbell said. “We started out running 30 legs a day, and sometimes we’ll run up to 108. We’re servicing Lowndes County, Noxubee County, and we’ve even gone as far as Birmingham (Ala.) and Jackson, Tenn.”
Campbell, inventor of skin therapy product Shaver’s Choice and heavy-duty door lock Ram-Lock, has never shied away from a new venture, no matter the risk or competition.
Starting Yo’ Transportation wasn’t as risky — despite stellar competition — because of the growing need.
“It’s certainly one that’s paying off,” Campbell said. “Of all the things I work with, there’s no other like this business. We complain about different government programs, but if you think about it, this is a very, very needed program. There’s a lot of sick people. These people have to have medical attention. If these people don’t get to the doctor, it can cause major problems.”
Campbell said his drivers must regain certification each year. Two of his drivers are certified trainers, so training can be done in house. LogistiCare, he said, has been instrumental in providing guidance and training in a business he knew nothing about, which, in turn, has created a reliable service.
“Their standards are high,” Campbell said. “They care about their clients.”
Yo’ Transportation is still in its infancy compared to Holmes Transportation, which has been in business since 1994. Holmes Transportation has 45 vehicles in its fleet, 45 employees, and offices in Meridian, Grenada and Louisville.
On a daily basis, Holmes transports as many as 600 clients.
“In the last five years, we’ve probably grown by about 25 percent,” Holmes said.
Friendly faces
Employees are trained to be more than bus drivers.
They walk or push clients’ wheelchairs to the vehicle and help them to the front door. They do it with courtesy, a smile and the understanding their clients need compassion from them.
“You get to know some of them by name,” said Yo’ Transportation driver Nick Taylor, Jr. “Just seeing someone compassionate gives them a lot of comfort. Just knowing there’s a way makes them feel better.”
The doctor doesn’t always deliver good news. The minutes and hours before visits can be stressful, worrying times. Having a driver who can offer the soothing words and demeanor a family member would offer helps clients relax, Boler said.
“You always are gonna need someone to lift you up,” Boler said. “They’re so nice. I just thank God for the bus and the people who started it. You never know when you’ll need somebody’s help.
“Even with other people who ride, there’s a great atmosphere. I met one lady, we got to talking, and it felt like church on the bus.”
According to LogistiCare’s website, clients can rate the performance of their drivers, from timing to hospitality. The company keeps a log of all transportation services’ employees and have correspondence with each service about employees.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
